Past expansion predictions and theories

[Ghazar]

With all these talks about what may come in the next expansion I began to wonder...

What were some of the most popular guesses back in the day about then-next expansions?

I remember there being emerald dream rumors back in wotlk, with regular azshara theories for every expansion.

[TheHodedOne]

The most legendary prediction no doubt was "Eye of Azshara".
This year is Legacy of the Void (WoW edition).

[Naibil]

There was the expansion list that people believed for a long while.

Draenor Set

Azuremyst Isle - 1 to 10
Bloodmyrk Isle - 10 to 20

Eversong Forest - 1 to 10
Quel'thalas - 10 to 20
Hellfire Peninsula - 58 to 62
Zangarmarsh - 60 to 64
Terokkar Forest - 61 to 65
The Deadlands - 63 to 67
Nagrand - 64 to 68
Blade's Edge Mountains - 66 to 70
Netherstorm - 67 to 70
Shadowmoon Valley - 69 to 70

Northrend Set

Borean Tundra - 67 to 70
Howling Fjord - 67 to 70
Dragonblight - 69 to 72
Grizzly Hills - 70 to 73
Crystalsong Forest - 72 to 75
Zul'drak - 73 to 76
Sholazar Basin - 75 to 79
Storm Peaks - 76 to 80
Icecrown Glacier - 78 to 80

Maelstrom Set

Gilneas - 77 to 80
Grim Batol - 78 to 81
Kul Tiras - 79 to 82
Kezan - 81 to 86
Tel Abim - 83 to 85
Zandalar - 84 to 87
Plunder Isle - 86 to 88
The Broken Isles - 87 to 90
The Maelstrom - 89 to 90

Plane Set

Pandaria - 1 to 10
Hiji - 10 to 20

Wolfenhold - 1 to 10
Xorothian Plains - 10 to 20

The Green Lands - 88 to 91
The Dying Paradise - 91 to 94
The Emerald Nightmare - 94 to 97
The Eye of Ysera - 97 to 100

Deephome - 88 to 91
Skywall - 91 to 94
The Abyssal Maw - 94 to 97
The Firelands - 97 to 100

Legion Set

K'aresh - 96 to 99
Argus Meadowlands - 97 to 100
Mac'Aree - 99 to 100
Maw of Oblivion - 100+
The Burning Citadel - 100+++

[zlygork]

Emerald dream, burning crusade and wotlk have been popular since vanilla
Then there was south seas and naga, pandaria as a single low level zone, Draenei (lost ones) as playable race. The elemental planes, Argus... To be honest, I think wow has covered most of the most popular predictions to some degree.

[elaina]

Sad that Emerald Nightmare raid is likely all we will see for the Emerald Dream for a long time if ever again. So much more (limitless?) potential to explore, but then again I love dreamlands stories.

[Deleted]

Last time we had Legion themed, Emerald Dream, Eye of Azshara and a Taylor Swift themed expansion.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Sad that Emerald Nightmare raid is likely all we will see for the Emerald Dream for a long time if ever again. So much more (limitless?) potential to explore, but then again I love dreamlands stories.

I'm not sure the Emerald Dream could be enough for an expansion.

[DancingMad]

What was that one that had the log in screen as underwater?

[Laerrus]

I remember seeing something about a bronze dragonflight expansion many years ago.

[elaina]

I'm not sure the Emerald Dream could be enough for an expansion.

Before the raid there certainly was. Now they would have to fashion a new plot around it. There is more than enough "land" to put it on. Maybe too much.

[Dracullus]

"Corgis Unleashed" is always among speculations.

[Deleted]

I wish there was an expansion covering the Elemental planes in-depth, unlike Cataclysm which was just like "Go at the thrones of these elementals lords and beat dem"

We've not seen much of Skywall and the Abyssal Maw, and there are much much more to see in here. (Icelands, the plane of sand, the plane of electricity, etc...)
Plus it could be a cool introduction to an Old God expansion that will come afterwards or maybe at the beginning of an old god expansion, since the elemental lords we just resurected in the sham campaign are still pretty much their minions. (correct me if I'm wrong)

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I mean that Troll + Naga expansion (the one with Shadow Hunters) had a LOT of hype and belief last speculation cycle.

[Sentynel]

I'm not sure the Emerald Dream could be enough for an expansion.

If Pandaria was, I don't see why the Emerald Dream couldn't be.

[greysaber]

nothing worse than all the 'muh emerald dream' hippies.

yeah, having an entire expansion be the color green and foggy would be soooooo cool.

[Hitei]

There was the expansion list that people believed for a long while.

Always found this list to be pretty stupid, since all it is actually accurate for is BC and Wrath, the two very obvious expansions.

If Pandaria was, I don't see why the Emerald Dream couldn't be.

Pandaria was a mysterious and completely unexplored continent that nothing was known about besides its general Asiatic theme.
The Emerald dream is a disconnected copy of Azeroth with more plants and weird terrain and less buildings or people. It has a single enemy that has already been largely dealt with on two occasions. I could maybe have seen the argument for an ED expansion prior to Legion, though I'd still say it's rather weak, but after Emerald Nightmare there is pretty much no reason for an entire expansion focused on the dream. It would be repetitive even having a zone based around it, because that's pretty much what Val'sharah already is.