From an objective standpoint?
Development efforts put into it, pacing of content, features.
From a subjective standpoint?
Story, scenery, raiding, Challenge modes, world content, Isle of Thunder.
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Correlation =/= causation.
WoD "turned out" as it did due to the lack of development put into it, shitty decisions all around, not because of people being hyped... Many of whom, were hyped simply due to WoD being about "not Pandas!!!"... I remember people saying the same thing about Legion whenever someone was hyped, and "look how
that turned out".
If anything, I don't imagine them ever wanting to turn around the positive upward trends from critical acclaim and revenue by giving us another WoD.