Just ten days after the release of the long-awaited Guardians of the Dream update (which added the Emerald Dream zone, the Amirdrassil raid, and a new season to the MMORPG), World of Warcraft fans were treated to a preview of the next major patch.
04.11.2023 - 21:25 / rockpapershotgun.com / Chris Metzen
Many World Of Warcraft expansions add a new continent, but The War Within, announced at Blizzcon this weekend, is a little different. It's set in a new subterranean world beneath Azeroth - and it kicks off a three-expansion story arc Blizzard are caling The Worldsoul Saga.
Here's the cinematic announcement trailer for The War Within, which features former Horde leader Thrall, current Alliance leader Anduin, and a really, really big sword. I don't know if it's new but I am extremely interested in the sword.
The expansion adds four new zones: the Isle Of Dorn, to the west of Pandaria; the below-ground Ringing Deeps; autumnal castlescape Hallowfall; and the high capital, Azj-Kahet. In these zones you'll meet a new playable race, the Earthen, who are allied with both the Horde and the Alliance. Within Warcraft's lore, the Earthen are like stony proto-dwarves.
There are a bunch of new features in the expansion, too. Delves are small instances designed for 1-4 players; there are new skills to learn in Hero Talent trees; and there's a Warbands system, so you can share levelling progress across all the characters attached to your account. I imagine most regular WoW players have multiple characters at this stage, so this should reduce the need to repeat content if you don't want to.
All of the above, plus new "dynamic flying" mounts, can be seen in the feature trailer below:
Back in September it was announced that former head of story Chris Metzen had returned to Blizzard full-time, and it was Metzen that introduced the expansion at Blizzcon along with two more to follow it.
After The War Within will come Midnight, set within World Of Warcraft's old world - the parts that have existed since the launch game - where Azeroth has been invaded. After Midnight will come The Last Titan, set in the icy northern continent from the Lich King expansion, Northrend.
There's no release date for The War Within yet but it's expected sometime in 2024.
Just ten days after the release of the long-awaited Guardians of the Dream update (which added the Emerald Dream zone, the Amirdrassil raid, and a new season to the MMORPG), World of Warcraft fans were treated to a preview of the next major patch.
«Sometimes, very epic things can begin with small, heartfelt moments. What you're about to see is one of those moments.» This is how Chris Metzen introduced the cinematic trailer for The War Within, and sure enough, the scene that opens is a simple one. No action, no world-shattering event or dragonriding race, just the passive figure of Anduin, recognizable by his sword Shalamayne, seated in the desert. Apart from serene orchestral music, the only sound at first is the wind, shifting the sands and gently pulling at Anduin's cloak, a simple cloak of white — grey and dirty from use. Shalamayne is dark, the Light that usually glows in a hollow in the blade's center has gone out. We can see it's twilight — whether the sun is rising or setting, the day is in a transitional period, in between darkness and light. Anduin, we can't help but notice, is facing the darker section of the sky. The camera moves over Anduin's face showing his aged skin, the fact that he has a beard. It's been a long time since we last saw Anduin: the three-year time skip between Shadowlands and Dragonflight, as well as the entirety of Dragonflight. Shalamayne twists back and forth in the sand, first one way, then another, as Anduin clenches and releases his grip. Anduin's eyes are unseeing, he's not thinking about moving the sword, it's a subconscious act reflecting his inner turmoil. Everything about this scene reinforces the themes of indecision as if Anduin himself is stuck, like the sky, halfway between the darkness and the light. He sighs, and closes his eyes, and we see a vision of Azeroth, not the planet, but the World Soul that dwells within. In appearance, the soul is like a planet covered in seas of Light. The colors we associate with Azerite are there — gold and blue — but as the light streams out from the soul, there are also hints of red and purple, colors we associate with Shadowflame and the Void. The world soul whispers a name.
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