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by Published on 2023-11-04 12:08 AM

Overwatch 2: Deep Dive Panel Recap
Overwatch 2 developers sat down to discuss Mauga and everything else revealed today during BlizzCon 2023.


  • The team worked with three Samoan consultants to make sure Mauga and the Samoan culture were accurately represented.
  • Mauga is a tank that sustains by doing damage, particularly critical damage.
  • His guns are hit scan.
  • Mauga is the biggest hero introduced in the game thus far.
  • Mauga means mountain in Samoan.
  • Sigma was the original concept for Mauga, but it didn't accurately reflect the character.
  • Mauga's left gun takes ten hits to set an enemy on fire.
  • His right gun does extra critical damage to burning targets. He also does extra critical damage to Ashe's targets affected by her Dynamite.
  • He is immune to all crowd control effects during his Overrun ability.
  • His Cardiac Overdrive ability makes nearby allies take reduced damage and heals them by dealing damage.
  • Mauga's Ultimate traps himself and his enemies. He gains unlimited ammo during this time.
  • Trapping only one enemy in his Ultimate triggers a unique voice line.
  • You can stun him out of his ultimate.




by Published on 2023-11-03 10:29 PM

World of Warcraft: Classic What's Next Panel Recap
The World of Warcraft What's Next Panel Recap is starting. This panel dives into what to expect with the upcoming Cataclysm expansion, Season of Discovery, and changes.


  • Cataclysm Classic
    • The transmog collection system utilized in modern WoW will be available in Cataclysm Classic.
    • The pace of leveling in Cataclysm Classic will be increased.
  • Hardcore Classic
    • Self Found comes to Hardcore in 2024
      • This means you won't be able to trade until you reach level cap
  • Season of Discovery
    • You will get a quest from your trainer at level 2 to go find runes.
    • The main part of discovery is finding secrets that often involve multiple players or hidden things.
    • Encourages social and community efforts to discover new things
    • No public beta or PTR to keep everything a secret
    • New additions that feel at home in the original WoW
    • At the launch level cap will be 25. This is inspired by the Classic Beta and making it approachable.
    • New gameplay at each level cap band
    • Experience boost given to previous level band when the cap increases
    • Blackfathom Deeps will be reimagined as a 10 player raid instance at level 25.
    • The goal is full redesigns to feel like proper raid encounters with new and relevant loot.
    • Several outdoor PvP events will be included as the level cap increases.
    • Potential for new experiences at higher levels, including locations unfinished or cut from the original game.
  • Rune Engraving
    • Initially available on chest legs and gloves.
    • Permanent
    • Exist outside of the talent system
    • Runes can also provide previously unique Paladin or Shaman talents between factions.
    • Respec costs will be adjusted to be accessible.
    • You might not be pushed into one talent tree.
    • Over 100 runes in the journey to level 25.
    • The leveling process is similar to classic WoW but trying to shake up the meta.
      • Examples include a Paladin taunt or tanking Rogue
      • New abilities were assured to feel relevant to class fantasy.
      • The team wanted new abilities to feel relevant to classic and not modern WoW.
      • Example - Druids get Skull Bash.
      • Beast Mastery increases pet damage and health.
      • Ice Lance deals triple damage to frozen targets.
      • Mage - Regeneration heals the target and increases the healing done based on damage done.
      • Paladins get Hand of Reckoning Taunt, which also passively increases threat and gains mana when healed.
      • Shaman tanks
      • Warlock Tanks
    • Earning kills in Ashenvale during the Season of Discovery will trigger an event to defeat an enemy leader in the zone.
    • Various other camps will spawn across the zone for each faction. You need to take out camps to weaken the opponent leader, similar to Alterace Valley. This also gives a mount for use in Ashenvale only which also provides some of the best gear.
    • Level-up raids are 10-player raids during content phases with a three-day lockout.
    • Seven new bosses are in Blackfathom Deeps. Existing quests will give new rewards.
    • The raid will feature a new world buff.
    • Baron Aquanis - First boss with a jumping puzzle




Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker)
During the World of Warcraft Classic Classic: What's Next panel at BlizzCon 2023, Lead Software Engineer Ana Resendez, Senior Game Producer Josh Greenfield, Lead Software Engineer Nora Valletta, and Assistant Lead Designer Tim Jones opened the door to take a closer look at some of what's coming next to Classic Azeroth.



The Journey So Far

The panel was kicked off with a look at the Classic journey so far, with progression realms taking Classic players through Original WoW Classic, The Burning Crusade Classic, and Wrath of the Lich King Classic, where players are currently facing the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel.

As previously announced, Classic progression realms will advance to Cataclysm Classic next year, bringing players to the exciting aftermath of Deathwing's assault on Azeroth, along with playable Goblins and Worgen, new Race and Class combinations, the Transmogrification system, Archaeology, and Rated Battlegrounds. The Classic release of Cataclysm also means five new zones, ten new dungeons, and seven challenging raids to overcome.

There will also be some new tweaks to Cataclysm Classic, including new dungeon difficulties and rewards, guild progression updates, an account-wide Transmogrification system, and a faster patch cadence on the journey to 80.



Classic Hardcore Gets More Hardcore

Hardcore mode was a great success for the WoW Classic community this year, and many players wanted to know what Hardcore without trading would be like. The devs announced that a Self-Found gameplay option will come to WoW Classic: Hardcore in early 2024.



November Will See a New Season of Discovery


In developing a new twist on WoW Classic, the devs pursued four major kinds of updates: discoveries hidden throughout the world, level-banded content phases, new endgame activities, and new Rune Engraving abilities.

Discoveries

Discoveries are new, hidden secrets all over Azeroth designed to feel at home in Original WoW and bring about a unique experience of social interaction and information sharing. There will not be a public Beta or PTR for Season of Discovery to ensure that the first few weeks feel as exciting and fresh as possible.

Level-Banded Content

Level-banded content phases were inspired by the WoW Classic Beta, where level caps brought about a new and interesting take on gameplay and community. By stepping up to a new level cap after a period of time, we hope to make the season feel approachable, with lots to do but never a feeling of being left behind. To that end, we're working on low-level XP boosts for use in later phases.

Endgame Gameplay

New mechanics to familiar settings and characters are being introduced. Each Raid that marks the level cap of a phase will be fully redesigned with new loot and new experiences. World PvP events for players who'd prefer to go head-to-head are also being added.

Rune Engraving


Rune Engraving is a new set of skills for all players that exists outside of the talent system. It allows you to apply new abilities to your equipment and swap them at any time. To start at level 25, you'll have three slots to engrave: chest, legs, and hands, with additional rune slots unlocking at higher levels.

Class Design

The team's goals were to shake up the Classic meta, give each class something fun drawn from some of our favorite abilities across the first several expansions of World of Warcraft, with some fun new abilities tossed in as well, and focus on class fantasy while staying true to the Classic game.

Blackfathom Deeps


We got a big-picture look at Season of Discovery and learned about the first fully redesigned Raid for the level 25 endgame: Blackfathom Deeps. For the first three challenging bosses—Baron Aquanis, Ghamoo-ra, and Lady Sarevess—players will be pressed to learn new tactics and strategies. This was followed by a quick look at the other four bosses and then a sneak peek at some level 25 Raid loot that will drop.



Keep your eyes on the official World of Warcraft news site for more detailed information about what's next for WoW Classic.

Ignite Your Cataclysm Classic Journey with Fiery Upgrades
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
A New Age of Cataclysm
The maddened Deathwing the Destroyer will erupt from his lair once again, shattering Azeroth as we know it. With Cataclysm Classic™ 1, your journey will continue into the era of fire and destruction. This time, however, you’ll enjoy a much faster content cadence, improvements to Leveling, expanded Collections, and more!



Cataclysm Classic will require only a WoW® subscription or Game Time to play. However, these optional upgrades can heat up your experience during your adventures in Azeroth.


Blazing Heroic Pack

The Blazing Heroic Pack includes Lil’ Wrathion pet for both WoW Classic progression2 and modern World of Warcraft characters3, the Avatar of Flame flying mount2 for WoW Classic progression characters, and a Runebound Firelord flying mount for modern World of Warcraft characters3. WoW Classic progression characters will also enjoy Hammer Regalia Transmog Set4 and Town-In-A-Box Starter Set toy 4.

Blazing Epic Upgrade
The Blazing Epic Upgrade includes everything in the Blazing Heroic Pack, plus a Level 80 Character Boost and 30 days of Game Time.




Follow the official World of Warcraft news site for more information as we draw closer to the next update for World of Warcraft Classic.

  • Certain restrictions apply. Visit shop.battle.net for more information.
  • 1 Available on or before August 31, 2024.
  • 2 Available in WoW Classic progression realms (currently Wrath of the Lich King Classic™) immediately after the purchase.
  • 3 Available after the modern WoW® realms restart with the Guardians of the Dream (10.2) update anticipated on November 7, 2023.
  • 4 Available with the Cataclysm Classic pre-patch anticipated on or before August 31, 2024.
  • The toy, Transmog set, and Avatar of Flame mount only available on WoW Classic progression realms (currently Wrath of the Lich King Classic™). The Runebound Firelord mount only available on modern WoW® realms.
  • Requires WoW® Subscription or Game Time.
  • Boost only available on WoW Classic progression realms. and usable only on the WoW game account for which it was purchased or redeemed.
by Published on 2023-11-03 10:25 PM

World of Warcraft: The War Within - Press Kit Screenshots

by Published on 2023-11-03 10:07 PM

World of Warcraft: The Worldsoul Saga - Pre-purchase The War Within
Blizzard announced the next three expansions today, collectively known as The Worldsoul Saga. The first of the three, The War Within, is available for pre-order now!

While we don't have a release date yet, the BlizzCon announcement was Fall 2024. Fall runs from late September to late December.

It is worth noting that the Epic Edition comes with 3 days of early access.


Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
The War Within is available for pre-purchase today, includes access to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

IRVINE, Calif.—November 3, 2023—Today at BlizzCon 2023, Blizzard Entertainment announced The Worldsoul Saga, featuring three upcoming expansions for the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft®. Players will begin their adventure deep beneath the surface in the World of Warcraft: The War Withinexpansion, slated for release in 2024. World of Warcraft: Midnightand World of Warcraft: The Last Titan will round out a three-part saga that calls players home to save Azeroth.

“Beginning with The War Within, The Worldsoul Saga is grown from the seeds of what captured the hearts of players around the world when they first set foot in Azeroth,” said World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale. “For veteran players, the last 20 years have led to this, and for those who have never set foot in Azeroth, this is a whole new adventure.”

“The War Within, Midnight, and The Last Titan encompass one of the most ambitious creative endeavors ever attempted for World of Warcraft, designed as standalone narratives that feed into an overall story arc,” said Warcraft general manager John Hight. “Alongside these epic adventures, the ongoing quality-of-life feature updates players have come to expect from us since Dragonflight will continue in The War Within, further setting us up for the next 20 years and beyond,”

“As we begin a new era at Blizzard Entertainment, I am inspired by the World of Warcraft teams’ passion for players and their expansive vision for the future of their storytelling,” said president of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra. “The legacy of World of Warcraft spans generations, and the beginning of The Worldsoul Saga is the perfect time for anyone who has memories of this legendary universe to celebrate, rediscover, and come home to Azeroth.”

The War Within begins with an ancient civilization rising to power deep beneath the surface of the planet, as heroes of both the Alliance and Horde alike are bombarded with visions—some are of the Light, while others see an alternate, darker fate.

World of Warcraft: The War Within Features

While players embark on the first chapter of The Worldsoul Saga and journey to a new level cap of 80, they will encounter new zones, dungeons, and raids, and more:
  • Explore the new continent of Khaz Algar: Off the western shores of Kalimdor lies The Isle of Dorn, a new hub for both the Horde and Alliance. Begin to explore what dwells beneath the surface in the lava-fuelled forge of The Ringing Deeps, the lush Hallowfall, and the pinnacle of Nerubian society, Azj-Kahet.
  • New Playable Allied Race – the Earthen: Players will meet and unlock this Titan-forged race who have made Khaz Algar their home, with their own unique civilization and culture.
  • Expand your Warcraft fantasy with Hero Talents: A new level of class specialization customization, Hero Talents are modelled after well-known archetypes from the Warcraft universe, including Dark Ranger, Farseer, and more.
  • Delves: New bite-size adventures seamlessly integrated into the world, which flexibly scale to support 1-5 players, and offer meaningful progression.
  • Warbands: A quality-of-life feature for players with multiple characters, Warbands allow banks, reputations, transmogs, and more to be shared across all player characters.

Pre-purchase Options

World of Warcraft: The War Within is available for digital pre-purchase today on the Battle.net shop:


  • The War Within: Base Edition - $49.99 USD
    • Pre-purchase of World of Warcraft: The War Within
    • Access to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight*
    • Enhanced Level 70 character boost, allowing players to jump immediately into the upcoming content update for Dragonflight, Guardians of the Dream.
    • 500 Trader’s Tender
  • The War Within: Heroic Edition - $69.99 USD
    • All Base Edition features
    • Algarian Stormrider mount and access to special dynamic-flying racecourses
    • Upgradable Stormrider’s Attire transmog set
    • An additional 250 Trader’s Tender, for a total of 750
  • The War Within: Epic Edition - $89.99 USD
    • All Base and Heroic Edition features
    • Beta access to World of Warcraft: The War Within**
    • Early access, minimum of three days before the expansion’s launch***
    • Squally the Storm Hatchling pet
    • Sandbox Storm Gryphon toy
    • An additional 250 Trader’s Tender, for a total of 1,000
    • 30-day subscription time

World of Warcraft: The War Within will launch on or before December 31, 2024.

* Instant access to Dragonflight will only be granted to players who do not own Dragonflight

**Availability and launch date(s) of the Beta subject to change. Limited time only.

*** 3 days based on estimated access; actual play time subject to possible outages and applicable time-zone differences.
by Published on 2023-11-03 08:27 PM

BlizzCon 2023 - World of Warcraft What's Next Panel Recap
The World of Warcraft What's Next Panel Recap is starting. This panel dives into what to expect with the upcoming expansions and changes.


World of Warcraft - The War Within
  • Anduin has been wandering alone for years and grappling with what he went through.
  • Visions are plaguing the denizens of Azeroth called the Radiant Song.
  • Xalatath is the Harbinger of the void's dark machinations. The Black Empire has fallen, and the Old Gods are dead.
  • Xalatath wants to help a new power rise, one that knows our strength.
  • In return for their loyalty, Xalatath has granted the Nerubians a form of evolution that we will clash with during the expansion.
  • Main characters - Anduin, Thrall, Magni, and Alleria.
  • Alleria is a "Void Hunter." She has to wrestle with her nature and the call of the void. She has a unique rivalry with Xalatath.
  • This saga is just beginning and will be an epic worthy of the 20 years of Warcraft.
  • Zones
    • New Continent - Khaz Algar (Designated Sector AR-938)
    • The Earthen - Follow the edicts of the Titans and live in a fractured society in decline.
      • Larger than dwarves
      • Exist in three groups - Oathsworn, Unbound, and Machine Speakers.
      • Join Alliance or Horde
      • Beards for all body types
    • The Arathi Race
      • Bastions of Light against the darkness
      • Holy fire wielders
      • Unrelenting struggle from Nerubians
    • Nerubian Race
      • Ancient Survivors of the Black Empire
      • Embrace Xalatath's gift of evolution
      • Some Nerubians disagree with their queen
      • Use domesticated insects as beasts of burden
  • The Isle of Dorn
    • Hosts walled city of the Oathsworn
    • The city is the hub of the new expansion
  • The Ringing Deeps
    • Smithery of the Titans
    • Underneath the Isle of Dorn
    • This is where the Machine Keepers thrive.
    • Lots of areas that embrace natural beauty. The zone won't feel entirely like its underground.
    • Kolbold presence, including the Candle King leader.
  • Hallowfall
    • Home of the Arathi
    • Open spaces and bright light. Meant to feel like we are on the surface.
    • Light Crystal in the sky acts as a sun.
    • Certain portions plunged into darkness.
  • Azj-Kahet
    • Major city of the Nerubians
    • Has areas of intense beauty with denizens that have learned to live among the Nerubians.
    • Nerubians are gathering the black blood of the Old Gods.
  • Zones are all connected via the same technology used for Zaralek Caverns.
  • Built for dynamic flights without a loading screen.
  • 3 of the 4 zones are underground, but the team made sure it didn't feel like it was completely underground.
  • 8 New Dungeons
    • Leveling Dungeons
      • The Rookery
      • The Stonevault
      • Priory of the Sacred Flame
      • City of Threads
    • Level Cap Dungeons
      • Cinderbrew Meadery
      • Darkflame Cleft
      • The Dawnbreaker
      • Old City
  • Nerub'ar Palace - 8 boss raid with launch
    • Final boss is the Nerubian queen
    • Raid is more vertical.
  • Features
    • Focus is on evergreen features with new systems.
    • Something for everyone
    • Build on the philosophy of respecting players' time
    • Delves
      • Outdoor world experience
      • Join the Dragonscale Expedition in search of lost treasures.
      • Seasonal content and rewards for outdoor content.
      • Outdoor row added to the great vault for the expansion.
      • 13 Delves at launch. Role Agnostic and scale between 1-5 players.
      • NPC companion joins you each season. Season 1 is Brann Bronzebeard. Customizable to what you need.
    • Warbands
      • Account-wide unlocks for almost everything.
      • Transmog unlocked when farming regardless of whether or not you can use the item. You can unlock Plate gear on a Druid.
      • Reputation shared between entire account.
    • Hero Talents
      • 3 per class, with 2 shared between each spec
      • Self-containted talent tree that builds on top of what each specialization already has.
      • System automatically unlocks at level 71. Earn 1 talent point per level to 80. 10 talents in total.
      • Low friction to swap between the nodes or talent tree.
      • Follows all the same rules as the current talent trees.



World of Warcraft®: What’s Next Panel Recap
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
During the World of Warcraft®: What’s Next panel at BlizzCon 2023, Cinematic Narrative Director Terran Gregory, Associate Design Director Maria Hamilton, and Associate Game Director Morgan Day dove into an overview of the world, story, and features coming in the next chapter of World of Warcraft—The War Within™.

Discover what lies in the depths of Azeroth and confront the shadows below. The War Within is the tenth expansion for World of Warcraft and the first chapter in the Worldsoul Saga™ taking players on a journey into the subterranean depths of Azeroth to reveal a new world full of mystery, wonder, and darkness.



Our Story Begins
In the cinematic reveal of the expansion, we witness Thrall and Anduin having a moment together after Anduin Wrynn has wandered alone for the last few years, lost in his own thoughts, and grappling with the experience he’s been through. Throughout this trailer and the features trailer, we learn two very important developments.

Thrall spoke of a vision calling out from the heart of the world…”like a voice from a dream,” this Radiant Song will compel our heroes to investigate its origins. While at the same time, a darkness has been gathering even as the heroes adventured on the Dragon Isles. In the War Within, the mysterious Harbinger that Iridikron spoke of will reveal themselves at last— Xal’atath has returned.


Freed long ago of the black blade that once bound her, she is now the Harbinger of a new era of the Void’s dark machinations. Her message is clear. The Black Empire has fallen. The Old Gods are dead and their ancient blood runs deep within the cracks of the world. We, the heroes of Azeroth destroyed them and the Harbinger watched all along. While the Black Empire has failed, Xal’atath seeks to set in motion the rise of a new dark legacy —one that knows our strengths and will seek to test them against a terrible power, the nerubians of Azj-Kahet.

Xal’atath has conscripted the nerubian queen, Ansurek, and offered her people a new future in which they would rise from their isolation and become a mighty kingdom once again. We will not find the nerubian soldiers of the Lich King here, but a mighty stronghold of nerubians as they once were—deadly survivors of the mythic wars that have played out again and again over thousands of years.

In return for their loyalty, Xal’atath has granted the nerubians the means of a dark evolution that will turn the nerubians into a new kind of ferocious and terrifying soldiers.

Our Heroes
Several of Azeroth’s greatest heroes will rise to the call of the Radiant Song, and many will be faced with their own unique challenges along the way.

  • Anduin Wrynn: Having survived his ordeal with Domination, he will grapple with his relationship with the Holy Light that he no longer feels worthy of.
  • Thrall: He is seeking a connection to the visions spreading across the world and working to find his new place within the Horde.
  • Magni Bronzebeard: Long the Speaker of Azeroth, he will confront the heavy weight of that responsibility once and for all.
  • Alleria Windrunner: Her journey will be central to the events and themes of the War Within. She, as a void hunter, must use all of her capabilities to hunt down Xal’atath while being torn between her own nature and the maddening call of the Void to which she is attuned. Along this adventure she will have a unique rivalry with Xal’atath whose twists and turns will come to define the nature of this new conflict.

This chapter is only the beginning of the saga.



Khaz Algar- Designated Sector AR-934
As we are called upon by dream-like visions rising from the heart of Azeroth, this summons will lead us to the subterranean continent of Khaz Algar, a place long forgotten. It’s only through recent exploration in Uldaman that we discovered a Watcher report concerning a contingent of Earthen that was dispatched to investigate a fissure in a sector.

Meet the Earthen
We’ve met Titan-forged Earthen before in Ulduar and other places, but this society of Earthen has been isolated within Khaz Algar for a long while and have developed their own manners and customs. Visually, they are a bit larger, and gem encrusted. Philosophically, they are guided by the edicts of the Titans with a set of codified orders, duties, and expectations that provide instructions for the core functions of their society. But, the Titans have been absent for eons and the Earthen are no longer united in their adherence to the edicts. They now exist as three separate groups that are estranged from one another.


  • Oathsworn – As their name suggests, these Earthen still uphold the Edicts. Their charge is guarding the Coreway, the Titan passageway that leads to the core of Azeroth. They are primarily city dwellers, living conveniently near the object of their responsibility.
  • Unbound – In contrast, these Earthen have abandoned the edicts. Their original responsibility was providing materials to keep the Titan installations supplied. They are primarily rural, living in and around the quarries, mines, and other places where natural resources can be acquired. They rarely interact with the city dwellers.
  • Machine Speakers – These Earthen have strayed from the Edicts in practice but now with respect to their overall obligation to repair the Titan works. They have had limited contact with surface dwellers. Their homes are built around the vast industrial projects under the surface.

No longer unified in working together to solve their problems, they are weakened. A much larger problem is in their dwindling numbers.

It is up to the heroes of Azeroth to aid the Earthen and find a way to unite them once more and replenish their numbers.

Earthen as a New Allied Race
Earthen will also be unlocked as a playable race, replenishing the culture’s dwindling numbers by either joining the Horde or the Alliance. Players will be able to choose either faction to begin their journey.

There are many customizations that will be coming for these Earthen including different gem encrustations, beards for all body types, skin colorizations, and more.


Meet The Arathi
Another interesting culture that players will encounter in the War Within is the Arathi. These descendants of the original Arathorian Empire have arrived relatively recently and through some mysterious circumstances find themselves trapped here within Khaz Algar.

As a people they are worshippers and wielders of Holy Fire. They are dedicated to bringing both hope and light to the darkness. They are a tough and resilient people with every member of the society being able combatants. Some are further blessed with Paladin-like abilities through their devotion to the Light.

They’ve established a home away from home in an enormous cavern bordered by an endless underground sea from which terrifying creatures emerge to rampage and create havoc.

An even greater threat presents itself from below as a constant swarm of nerubians, which have been held back, so far, from invading Arathi lands. The assault is unrelenting and the threat is dire.

Meet the Nerubians
We will explore the nerubian’s last kingdom deep within Khaz Algar. These ancient survivors of the Black Empire who rejected their former masters have developed their own culture here in the deep darkness. Xal’atath has made a bargain with the nerubian queen, Ansurek, who seeks a new future and a renewed glory for her people. The nerubians are extremely capable and devious adversaries who have been honing their skills with their constant assault of the Arathi. Through a dark alchemical process, Xal’atath has provided the knowledge to help evolve chosen nerubians into paragons of their race and enhancing their viciousness.

Queen Ansurek has embraced these modifications with enthusiasm and eagerly offered up her army to achieve the Harbinger’s schemes. But not all of the nerubians share this enthusiasm.

The society of nerubians offers up a citizenry in a variety of forms, some of which we’ve never seen before.




The Zones of Khaz Algar
The Isle of Dorn: This zone is at the surface of Khaz Algar and is home to the Earthen surface dwellers as well as a variety of other species. It is an untouched paradise of fertile soil, flowering plant life, and generous waterways. You can find the Earthen making Cinderbrew Mead here from a volatile substance manufactured from molten honey produced by enormous fiery bees. The hearts of the trees in the grove glow with lava-like fluid. You’ll also find a large walled city in which the Oathsworn live and serve the Edicts of the Titans.


The Ringing Deeps: Beneath the surface of the Isle of Dorn is the Ringing Deeps. This is where the Earthen engage in their work, in accordance with the Edicts. Large, complicated machines, lava-heated foundries and forges, and waterworks can be found in the industrial areas of this cavernous space. Maintaining the Titan mechanisms and keeping everything running is a passion for the Machine Speakers. There is natural beauty here as well which thrives in areas in which the natural light shines down from above and water flows to support the greenery, flowers, and creatures that you wouldn’t normally find in a cavern. With the decrease in the Machinery Speaker population, there has been an increase in kobold incursions.


Hallowfall: A vast hollow area in the earth, it is bordered by an endless underground sea. A giant crystal provides bright light to the Arathi who have established docks, towers for light beacons, villages, farms and a priory. Their holy fire fueled airships allow them to reach high plateaus as well as battle the constant nerubian threats. The light from the crystal cycles randomly, taking the area from light to darkness and bringing with it new and dangerous creatures. From their capital of Mereldar, the Arathi work to keep hope alive and spread the Light while continuing their battle against the nerubians at their borders.


Azj-Kahet: In the deepest area of the descent is Azj-Kahet.

  • The City of Threads: The nerubian City of Threads has been built on the ruins of itself may times over and as areas decay and crumble new districts are built on top of the ruins. This has resulted in a city that climbs ever higher. The nerubians favored by the queen, or those who have some amount of wealth live in the highest locations and have the best views.
    • The Burrows: Home of the scavengers and forgotten.
    • Umbral Bazaar: Operates as a trading hub of fine silks, alchemical discoveries, and other exotic and hard to find goods.
    • The Skeins are the home of the lore-keepers and scholars who maintain the history of their people and research the myths and legends of Azeroth.
    • There are many other districts in the City of Threads as well but in order to explore them, you’ll need to utilize pheromones and possess considerable bravery.




Zone Flow
The use of light-filled cenotes in The Ringing Deeps, and a enormous crystal light source in Hallowfall help you experience distinctly different environments that don’t feel as though they are deep underground. The journey from the surface Isle of Dorn to the depths of Azj-Kahet is designed for a seamless descent toward the core of Azeroth. The zones have been layered and stacked upon one another and built for dynamic flight, allowing for exhilarating dives and soars within the cavernous spaces.



Dungeons
Similar to the launch of previous expansions, there will be 4 level-up dungeons and 4 maximum-level dungeons that can be found in each of the four new zones.

Level-Up Dungeons
  • The Rookery
  • The Stonevault
  • Priory of the Sacred Flame
  • City of Threads

Maximum Level
  • Cinderbrew Meadery
  • Darkflame Cleft
  • The Dawnbreaker
  • Old City



Nerub’ar Palace Raid Dungeon
The Nerub’ar Palace raid dungeon will be available with the start of The War Within Season 1, offering eight boss encounters. Located in Azj-Kahet, it will result in the culmination of the story we see play out involving the machinations of the nerubian empire and Queen Ansurek’s collaboration with Xal’atath.



System Overview
In a continuation of philosophies that have been used in Dragonflight, we’ll be bringing three main pillars into The War Within.

  • Focus on evergreen additions and refurbishing rather than systems that phase out from expansion to expansion.
  • Provide Something for everyone, investing in World of Warcraft’s foundations to make it better.
  • Continued Focus on Respecting Player Time



Delves
Delves is a new feature that is integrated into the outdoor world experience. Players will join the Dragonscale Expedition in the search for lost treasure in Khaz Algar. This is an evergreen feature similar to World Quests but with a new type of content for players to engage who enjoy outdoor exploration.

Delves will provide seasonal content and rewards and will be integrated into the Great Vault.

There will be 12 Delves at the launch of the expansion and allow groups of one to five players. It is a role-agnostic experience that can be completed either solo or with friends.

As a part of the experience of Delves, players will be able to be accompanied by an NPC companion. Brann Bronzebeard will join players for Season 1 and have a customizable abilities that you can adjust to suit your playstyle or needs.

At the end of every Delve a massive Treasure Trove awaits you, but first you’ll need to clear the way so that Brann can open the door.



Warbands
Warbands are a new system we’re introducing that will be the representation of all of the characters on a player’s Battle.net account. It will be a platform that will share achievements and resources across all of those characters. We’ll share more in our World of Warcraft: Deep Dive panel, but to share just a teaser, we’ll be looking at updating transmogrification acquisition rules so that when you collect a new transmog, you won’t need to be on the class that could use it. You’ll be able to add it to your collection so that it’s there when you play that character.




Hero Talents
We’re also introducing new types of talents known as Hero talents. There will be three Hero talent trees for each class (excepting Druid with four and Demon Hunter with two) which will provide evergreen choices and additional customization.


Hero talents will introduce new, small, self-contained talent trees resulting in players having three types of talent points: Hero Talents, Class talents, and Specialization talents. This system unlocks at level 71 and with each level through level 80, players will receive one new talent point per level, resulting in a total of 10 available points to use as you wish. Players will be able to easily switch between talents similarly to existing Talent trees.



We look forward to sharing more as we move forward in development and hope you’ve enjoyed getting to learn a little more about The War Within.

Don’t forget to check out the World of Warcraft Deep Dive panel and submit your questions for the Q&A next week!

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