Additional Shadowlands Details (pinch of salt)

[Arag]

Flattening power creep... Mate we defeated Sargeras Kil'Jaden etc none of those guys are half a legend like current champions.

[ReleaseDay]

boldly said but i remain unconvinced

[Eldrestrasz]

Mag'har Orcs - Dranosh Saurfang

If you knew anything about lore. You'd know where you messed up in your fake leak.
The Mag'har Orcs allied race come from alternate timeline Draenor. Dranosh is a Mag'har from Outland. I can see what you're going for but...It would make sense for AU Grommash Hellscream to be their Hero. Seeing what happens at the end of the Mag'har orcs allied race storyline.

[ravenmoon]

Hi guys,

Let me preface this by saying the following:

- This comes from a trusted friend at Blizzard
- He/she does NOT work on the WoW team, or even in game development for that matter
- He/she received the information (allegedly) from a different employee who is closer to WoW
- I have no reason to think they'd lie, but they could just be messing with me. If the other shadowlands leaks are true, then this probably has a 50/50 chance of being true. If they aren't, my friend obviously just wanted to have some fun

With that in mind...


WoW: Shadowlands will feature a 'Hero System', which is basically this expansion's version of the Order Hall campaign/war campaign, with some improvements.

- Each race (with some exceptions) will have their own story-line tied to a particular 'hero' (not always the case in so far as we would not consider them all to be heroes)
- They will also act as a 'follower' in the world, but they are not following us so much as we are following them. Rather than having them as a bodyguard they will show up based on world events, and operate following the next iteration of the island expeditions AI (this is separate from the main story we do with them). They will give us commands, and it will feel like they're the ones running the show
- The reasoning for this is, we might be heroes so far as the current story is concerned, but, for the most part, the characters we are interacting with here, are legends in comparison to us. This is a subtle step towards 'flattening' the power creep lore wise, which we will see much more of in 10.0 with a level-squish and 'soft reset' of the story
- Some heroes will have corresponding heroes on the other faction who they will interact with and refer to (e.g. Anduin Lothar and Ogrim Doomhammer)
- These heroes will NOT return to life with the rest of us, following 9.0
- Arthas returning (even if just for this expansion) is something the team is quite apprehensive about. They expect people to go nuts over this (in a good way and bad)

The heroes each race will work with are:

Humans - Anduin Lothar (contrary to a detail in the other leak - Varian is gone for good, his soul was obliterated)
Dwarves - Modimus Anvilmar
Night Elves - Kur'talos Ravencrest
Gnomes - No deceased hero, gets Mekkatorque instead
Draenei - Vindicator Maraad
Worgen - Liam Greymane
Void Elves - High Astromancer Solarian
Lightforged Draenei - Vindicator Caeduum
Dark Iron Dwarves - Dagran Thaurissan
Kul Tirans - Daelin Proudmoore
Mechagnomes - No deceased hero, gets Mekkatorque instead
The Redeemed - Arthas Menethil (Racial leader for this final allied race is Calia Menthil)

Orcs - Ogrim Doomhammer
Undead - Grand Apothecary Putress
Taurens - Cairne Bloodhoof
Trolls - Vol'jin
Blood Elves - Kael'thas Sunstrider
Goblins - No deceased hero, gets Gallywix instead
Nightborne - Grand Magistrix Elisande
Highmountain Tauren - Ulan Highmountain
Mag'har Orcs - Dranosh Saurfang
Zandalari Trolls - King Rastakhan
Vulpera - No deceased hero, gets Gallywix instead
The Darkfallen - Blood Queen Lana'thel (Racial leader for this final allied race is Delaryn Summermoon)

Pandaren - Master Shang Xi

Whether it's true or not. I actually like the sound of this.

It can give some distinctive racial lore, the idea of following a racial hero gievsy ous omething differnet per toon, more instights if they capitalise on that.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi guys,

Let me preface this by saying the following:

- This comes from a trusted friend at Blizzard
- He/she does NOT work on the WoW team, or even in game development for that matter
- He/she received the information (allegedly) from a different employee who is closer to WoW
- I have no reason to think they'd lie, but they could just be messing with me. If the other shadowlands leaks are true, then this probably has a 50/50 chance of being true. If they aren't, my friend obviously just wanted to have some fun

With that in mind...


WoW: Shadowlands will feature a 'Hero System', which is basically this expansion's version of the Order Hall campaign/war campaign, with some improvements.

- Each race (with some exceptions) will have their own story-line tied to a particular 'hero' (not always the case in so far as we would not consider them all to be heroes)
- They will also act as a 'follower' in the world, but they are not following us so much as we are following them. Rather than having them as a bodyguard they will show up based on world events, and operate following the next iteration of the island expeditions AI (this is separate from the main story we do with them). They will give us commands, and it will feel like they're the ones running the show
- The reasoning for this is, we might be heroes so far as the current story is concerned, but, for the most part, the characters we are interacting with here, are legends in comparison to us. This is a subtle step towards 'flattening' the power creep lore wise, which we will see much more of in 10.0 with a level-squish and 'soft reset' of the story
- Some heroes will have corresponding heroes on the other faction who they will interact with and refer to (e.g. Anduin Lothar and Ogrim Doomhammer)
- These heroes will NOT return to life with the rest of us, following 9.0
- Arthas returning (even if just for this expansion) is something the team is quite apprehensive about. They expect people to go nuts over this (in a good way and bad)

The heroes each race will work with are:

Humans - Anduin Lothar (contrary to a detail in the other leak - Varian is gone for good, his soul was obliterated)
Dwarves - Modimus Anvilmar
Night Elves - Kur'talos Ravencrest
Gnomes - No deceased hero, gets Mekkatorque instead
Draenei - Vindicator Maraad
Worgen - Liam Greymane
Void Elves - High Astromancer Solarian
Lightforged Draenei - Vindicator Caeduum
Dark Iron Dwarves - Dagran Thaurissan
Kul Tirans - Daelin Proudmoore
Mechagnomes - No deceased hero, gets Mekkatorque instead
The Redeemed - Arthas Menethil (Racial leader for this final allied race is Calia Menthil)

Orcs - Ogrim Doomhammer
Undead - Grand Apothecary Putress
Taurens - Cairne Bloodhoof
Trolls - Vol'jin
Blood Elves - Kael'thas Sunstrider
Goblins - No deceased hero, gets Gallywix instead
Nightborne - Grand Magistrix Elisande
Highmountain Tauren - Ulan Highmountain
Mag'har Orcs - Dranosh Saurfang
Zandalari Trolls - King Rastakhan
Vulpera - No deceased hero, gets Gallywix instead
The Darkfallen - Blood Queen Lana'thel (Racial leader for this final allied race is Delaryn Summermoon)

Pandaren - Master Shang Xi

Whether it's true or not. I actually like the sound of this.

It can give some distinctive racial lore, the idea of following a racial hero gievsy ous omething differnet per toon, more instights if they capitalise on that.

[thilicen]

No. Now fuck off.

[withpuppys]

Well whatever it is gonna be I'm sure it will be, in the words of Taliesin, a shitshow. Obviously.

dataminers found this https://twitter.com/Marlamin/status/1173284816365727750

[Usagi Senshi]

No. Now fuck off.

Imagine being upset over speculation and possible leaks.

Yeesh.....

[Kemsa]

Fake... we are not getting Voljin its Zuljin the follower :^)

come on guys, xD this is too much, what type of void magic are you smoking Cheesus.

[Thetruth1400]

That's a dumb assessment. Ending of the war campaign does not mean there won't be a Stormwind-based raid. This leak is fake, but your reasoning is dumb.

The leaks literally talk of war, culminating in a Horde v Alliance raid fight as the last encounter, but sure my reasoning is dumb. Last time I checked, full scale fights between two opposing factions were, you know, a war.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

The leaks literally talk of war, culminating in a Horde v Alliance raid fight as the last encounter, but sure my reasoning is dumb. Last time I checked, full scale fights between two opposing factions were, you know, a war.

They'll jump through any hoop to justify the leak. Even rewriting the leak itself.

[Carolus Rex]

The leaks literally talk of war, culminating in a Horde v Alliance raid fight as the last encounter, but sure my reasoning is dumb. Last time I checked, full scale fights between two opposing factions were, you know, a war.

war campaign =/= war

The war doesn't have to end just because the war campaign ends.

The war campaign is just the questline that told the overarching story of BFA between the factions. It's called war campaign because the story in BFA is centered around war. Just because the questline stops that doesn't mean the war will leave World of Warcraft. We had war in World of Warcraft before, yet this was the first time we had a war campaign. We had war in Legion in Stormheim, when Genn attacked Sylvanas, yet we didn't call that the "war campaign". There will continue to be a war. Even if we unite in 8.3 and for the next expansion, the Alliance and the Horde will still continue to have a war with each other.

So stop putting so much importance onto this war campaign.

War campaign is just the continuous thread throughout the expansion for players, in the same way that class quests were in Legion, and the garrison campaign was in WoD, and the legendary questline was in MoP. That is all it is. End of war campaign means end of the questline, not end of the war.

- - - Updated - - -

They'll jump through any hoop to justify the leak. Even rewriting the leak itself.

The leak is clearly fake. That still doesn't mean an end to the war campaign means an end to the war.

[Ersula]

The amount of absolute bullshit in this Shadowlands ""leak"" but it's base premise is strong. Like, Varian's soul was not obliterated. Totally ignores the giant Sword in silithus, etc.

The next expansion is definitely traveling to Ny'alotha, to battle N'zoth, but no dying required: The transportation method is likely Sargeras' sword in Silithus with the giant portal-like edifice on the hilt.



Another thing is I don't think the alliance accepting holy forsaken will be a thing as its a major part of the Forsaken's racial identity. Instead I think the next expansion will feature a voluntary secondary faction dynamic led by Sylvanas & Calia respectively. Sylvanas for the Shadow & Calia for the light. Much like the Aldar & Scryers from BC. This is backed up by what appears to be empty secondary faction icon slots on the new 8.5.2 character selection screen. In certain instances, for example a Light-aligned Gnome can group with a Light-aligned forsaken. Or a Shadow-Aligned Orc with a Shadow-Aligned Human. Refactioning has always had a ton of logistical problems but making it voluntary & able to be changed fixes that. As well as Demon Hunters can already converse cross faction.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

war campaign =/= war

The war doesn't have to end just because the war campaign ends.

The war campaign is just the questline that told the overarching story of BFA between the factions. It's called war campaign because the story in BFA is centered around war. Just because the questline stops that doesn't mean the war will leave World of Warcraft. We had war in World of Warcraft before, yet this was the first time we had a war campaign. We had war in Legion in Stormheim, when Genn attacked Sylvanas, yet we didn't call that the "war campaign". There will continue to be a war. Even if we unite in 8.3 and for the next expansion, the Alliance and the Horde will still continue to have a war with each other.

So stop putting so much importance onto this war campaign.

War campaign is just the continuous thread throughout the expansion for players, in the same way that class quests were in Legion, and the garrison campaign was in WoD, and the legendary questline was in MoP. That is all it is. End of war campaign means end of the questline, not end of the war.

- - - Updated - - -



The leak is clearly fake. That still doesn't mean an end to the war campaign means an end to the war.

The end of the war campaign isn't the end of the war.

Hoops.

[Carolus Rex]

The end of the war campaign isn't the end of the war.

Hoops.

I can guarantee you that the end of the war campaign will not be the end of the war between the Alliance and the Horde in World of Warcraft. It will simply be the end of that questline, because Blizzard doesn't want to put anymore resources into developing more content for it. Same reason class quests stopped halfway through Legion. When they stopped making more class quests, was that the end for classes?

Hoops.

[Ersula]

The end of the war campaign isn't the end of the war.

Hoops.

Just ignore people like this. These people still think the war between the alliance & horde ended just because the legion invaded. The Horde/Alliance war will never end. It's the whole premise of the game.

[Ulthane]

There was a leak previously in regard to a champion system and we would see heroes like Uther, Varian etc.

I could only assume IF this is true it's another fragment of a big puzzle since it appears almost all of the leaks are related.

This being the case if the information about Varian's soul is accurate it is highly possible that if we get him as a champion we would have to reform his soul somehow. Upon touching Shalamayne, Anduin received a vision of Varian but the Varian we saw it was very still/statue like. It could be that a fragment of the soul was in the sword itself.

So instead of going: eewwww fake, lazy op, flame hiim, BURN HIMM!!!! Take it with a grain of salt and think how it relates to the others. Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course but still the toxic backlash against these people isnt healthy. If anything I get hyped when I see this stuff because in a way it rekindles that flame I have for playing this game and gives me new things to "assume" and predict for how to better relate to my character.

[Ersula]

Instead of calling the clearly fake fake fake, why don't we listen to MY additional fanfic nonsense??

no thank you

[Madkat124]

I can guarantee you that the end of the war campaign will not be the end of the war between the Alliance and the Horde in World of Warcraft.

I love the argument where people assume that the War part has to be between alliance and Horde. Because the majority of the Warcraft franchise has so much of that. Majority of WoW and Warcraft 3 wasn't about Alliance v Horde.

[Fetus Rex]

The best part about this 'leak' are The Redeemed and The Darkfallen. I will gladly take marble skinned humans in white-black and gold.

[withpuppys]

I can guarantee you that the end of the war campaign will not be the end of the war between the Alliance and the Horde in World of Warcraft.

world of WARcraft doesnt always have to be about the war between alliance and horde, or are you going to tell me the fight with the lich king wasn't a war, or that the fight with the legion wasn't a war. we could even have a war between the forces of azeroth versus the forces of the void lords.