Thoughts on Alpha release date?

[Fawkess]

So with 8.3 only a few days away do you think we will see a shadowlands alpha announcement soon?

[Tsamane]

Didnt BfA Alpha/Beta start in April?
So around there

[Drakonskyr]

The very earliest I'd dare hope for is around late February/Early March. That would put enough time between it and 8.3/N'yalotha, and BWL over on Classic, that would get the expected amount of attention from the playerbase.

[SoulSoBreezy]

The very earliest I'd dare hope for is around late February/Early March. That would put enough time between it and 8.3/N'yalotha, and BWL over on Classic, that would get the expected amount of attention from the playerbase.

Depends on if there's going to be an 8.3.5. Remember we're a full patch cycle behind where Legion was.

[MrLachyG]

I think about Feb/March for Alpha, late April early May for Beta, launch in October

[Dracullus]

Let's say expac will release between October and December and testing will last 7-9 months. So I would say February is very optimistic and May very pessimistic.

If I had to guess - March. First we probably see 8.3.5 PTR.

[Obelisk Kai]

Let's say expac will release between October and December and testing will last 7-9 months. So I would say February is very optimistic and May very pessimistic.

If I had to guess - March. First we probably see 8.3.5 PTR.

I'd argue they will want to get Shadowlands out before Blizzcon so they can use the con to preview the upcoming 9.1 and 9.2 content. I would also argue that they will not want to replicate the experience of BFA and they will want a LONG testing period. That leaves a very narrow window for an optimum release, essentially early October as they will not want to be firefighting launch issues AND preparing for Blizzcon at the same time.

Late February, early March is my guess as well. In fact, if it isn't in testing by St.Patrick's Day I am going to assume something has already gone badly wrong and that they are going to miss their preferred release window.

[Amaterasu65]

With 8.3 released, I guess late Feb, hopefully.

[Obelisk Kai]

Depends on if there's going to be an 8.3.5. Remember we're a full patch cycle behind where Legion was.

8.3.5 is a complete mystery. Some interviews implied it was coming, but the deafening silence regarding it (and the small size of X.X.5 patches generally) means it could have been canned.

I think it is more likely that it will instead be a very small bridging patch containing a BFA epilogue that segues towards Shadowlands and that it will be very, very light on content and which might contain a small story scenario. At best we can hope for a pair of new heritage armours, perhaps some further relaxations on the essence system requirements, some balancing tweaks and if we are PHENOMENALLY lucky, a final pair of Allied races for the Alliance and Horde.

A small 8.3.5 patch could run on the PTR at the same time Shadowlands is in beta testing. It would be unusual, but given the time constraints they probably wouldn't have much of a choice.

[Makorus]

8.3.5 is a complete mystery. Some interviews implied it was coming, but the deafening silence regarding it (and the small size of X.X.5 patches generally) means it could have been canned.

I think it is more likely that it will instead be a very small bridging patch containing a BFA epilogue that segues towards Shadowlands and that it will be very, very light on content and which might contain a small story scenario. At best we can hope for a pair of new heritage armours, perhaps some further relaxations on the essence system requirements, some balancing tweaks and if we are PHENOMENALLY lucky, a final pair of Allied races for the Alliance and Horde.

A small 8.3.5 patch could run on the PTR at the same time Shadowlands is in beta testing. It would be unusual, but given the time constraints they probably wouldn't have much of a choice.

lets be honest, something like 8.3.5 does not need a PTR Cycle.

Most .5 patches since Legion were a complete waste of time on PTR because its mostly story content anyway, or timewalking stuff which barely even gets tested.

I wouldnt be surprised if they just dropped 8.3.5

I mean, theres a lot to say about PTR just existing as a marketing tool, but for .5 patches, its literally just marketing through datamining.

[Dracullus]

lets be honest, something like 8.3.5 does not need a PTR Cycle.

Most .5 patches since Legion were a complete waste of time on PTR because its mostly story content anyway, or timewalking stuff which barely even gets tested.

I wouldnt be surprised if they just dropped 8.3.5

I mean, theres a lot to say about PTR just existing as a marketing tool, but for .5 patches, its literally just marketing through datamining.

I don't think you're know what you're talking about. Every single added content could break some existing stuff. Even patches that added almost nothing had full PTR cycle. If testing is not long enough, we end up with broken release like 7.3.5 or 8.0 (pre-patch).

And, most important, we have no idea what 8.3.5 could have. Could be final questline, could be some timewalking raid or stuff like this, could be last 2 allied races. At this point no one knows but Blizzard.

[Boricha]

I'm guessing Alpha in late Feb-mid March. They said it would come out in 2020, so beta needs to begin by May in order to have enough time for proper testing and changes.

[infinitemeridian]

Probably right after the world first race ends, so early Feb.

[Edlarel]

Been speculating on this over here. The current thinking is 8.3.5 Somewhere around the end of April with the Undead/worgen equivalent allied races to round them out, then release of SL in October. Based on previous Alpha/beta cycles, we'll probably hear about alpha in Feb/March, then beta can kick off end of May/beginning of June to give 6 months.

[Azzurri]

With 8.3 released, I guess late Feb, hopefully.

I think so too, maybe very early March at the latest.

[Kyphael]

I'm looking forward to 8.3.5 getting on PTR more than Shadowlands alpha or beta. If rumors hold true that we'll get a last pair of allied races with 8.3.5, I'm sadly looking forward to that more than Shadowlands.

[Raven]

So with 8.3 only a few days away do you think we will see a shadowlands alpha announcement soon?

No since they dont announce alpha, and one type of alpha is already active.

[Mirishka]

Depends on if there's going to be an 8.3.5. Remember we're a full patch cycle behind where Legion was.

Wow, you're not kidding... I just realized that 8.3 is 4 and a half months later relative to the expansion than 7.3/Argus was.

[Tradu]

Should've started already, and beta soon, unless they're releasing later in the year than the past few expansions or are confident they can get testing done in less time(and I'm not sure where they would've gotten that confidence from based on how much of a joke both Legion and BfA launches were, and especially BfA's beta)

[Makorus]

I don't think you're know what you're talking about. Every single added content could break some existing stuff. Even patches that added almost nothing had full PTR cycle. If testing is not long enough, we end up with broken release like 7.3.5 or 8.0 (pre-patch).

And, most important, we have no idea what 8.3.5 could have. Could be final questline, could be some timewalking raid or stuff like this, could be last 2 allied races. At this point no one knows but Blizzard.

And the reason why inhouse testing isnt possible is... why? You act like any update to everything needs a public test lol.