When can we expect Shadowlands?

[Gimlix]

Still doing alot of catch ups. What time of the year should i expect it to hit. Last month of 2020?

[Nnyco]

They said its planned to be in Q4.

[Throwme]

What time of the year should i expect it to hit.

Original plan was Q3, COVID19 moved it to Q4, which can be anywhere within that 3 month period.

[Dracullus]

My current guess is 30th July for Beta, 17th November for launch and pre-patch 4-5 weeks before launch.

Original plan was Q3, COVID19 moved it to Q4, which can be anywhere within that 3 month period.

You don't know this. Most likely Q4 was plan from the start (8.3 in January, cloak upgrade scheduled to 9th September, "launch before 31st December" on pre-order page, while Legion/BfA had "before 21st September").

[Gimlix]

We are now at early Q2 right? so let us say around 4-5 months i would have to assume?

[ClassicPeon]

We are now at early Q2 right? so let us say around 4-5 months i would have to assume?

Q1 = Jan, Feb, March. Q2 = April, May, June. Q3 = Juli, August September. Q4 = Oktober, November, December.

We begin Q3 in about 3 days. Then there is 3-6 months until Shadowlands release. I'd say 2-5 months til prepatch.

[Zantera]

I can't see it coming before 2021 (january or february) but who knows? Unless they can get it out in November at the latest it would be pretty much pointless to release it in December with Christmas and all that considering people don't want to raid during the holidays.

[ClassicPeon]

I can't see it coming before 2021 (january or february) but who knows? Unless they can get it out in November at the latest it would be pretty much pointless to release it in December with Christmas and all that considering people don't want to raid during the holidays.

Eh.

1. Shadowlands being released in november doesnt mean the raids will be released there. They havent been for quite a while. Do you actually play the game?
2. They said it would be released Q4 and they havent backed out of stuff like that for a long time

[SirBeef]

Original plan was Q3, COVID19 moved it to Q4, which can be anywhere within that 3 month period.

Original plan was by the end of the year. Nothing has changed other than knowing it is now in Q4 not any sooner.

It will also be in December once again proving those that say they can't release in December wrong with their third December expansion release. Highest total for any month.

[Ohsorry]

Original plan was Q3, COVID19 moved it to Q4, which can be anywhere within that 3 month period.

Can you link us to where Blizzard said a Q3 release? And that they moved this to Q4 due to COVID-19?

Because since Shadowlands announcement at Blizzcon back on the 1st of November 2019, it has been scheduled for release in Q4 on or before the 30th of December 2020. And this hasn’t changed.

So, I’m just curious as to where you obtained this information.

[McNeil]

My guess is beta in late July and launch in late October or early November. I wonder if they want the launch to be anywhere close to Cyberpunk.

[Zantera]

Eh.

1. Shadowlands being released in november doesnt mean the raids will be released there. They havent been for quite a while. Do you actually play the game?
2. They said it would be released Q4 and they havent backed out of stuff like that for a long time

Raids open ~3 weeks after expansion comes out so the reason I said November was because if it's pushed into December then they might as well hold it off until January because nobody wants to spend Christmas raiding. To me November is just the last realistic 2020 release time I can see before the window would close and you would have to move to 2021.

As for "they said Q4 of 2020 so that means 100% they will keep that word" that's fine if you choose to believe it but I don't really see any realistic signs yet that they will be able to make that. You also have the Covid-situation and how that has impacted things (slowed them down at least) and you got Blizz very eager to get some of the BFA haters back with a strong expansion. It would do them a lot more harm than good to stress out Shadowlands for Q4 of 2020 IF holding it to Q1 of 2021 means a better/smoother expansion launch.

[rrayy]

Original plan was Q3, COVID19 moved it to Q4, which can be anywhere within that 3 month period.

Wrong. The plan was always quarter 4. COVID-19 didn't push anything back as Blizzard announced quarter four at Blizzcon months before COVID-19 was a thing in this country..

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Raids open ~3 weeks after expansion comes out so the reason I said November was because if it's pushed into December then they might as well hold it off until January because nobody wants to spend Christmas raiding. To me November is just the last realistic 2020 release time I can see before the window would close and you would have to move to 2021.

As for "they said Q4 of 2020 so that means 100% they will keep that word" that's fine if you choose to believe it but I don't really see any realistic signs yet that they will be able to make that. You also have the Covid-situation and how that has impacted things (slowed them down at least) and you got Blizz very eager to get some of the BFA haters back with a strong expansion. It would do them a lot more harm than good to stress out Shadowlands for Q4 of 2020 IF holding it to Q1 of 2021 means a better/smoother expansion launch.

Taking more time does not guarnatee it will automatically be a better expansion. They are still on track fore Q4 as they last stated. People need to stop with this notion that more time taken = better expansion.

[TheFirstOnes]

Mid-Late November minimum.

[Zantera]

Wrong. The plan was always quarter 4. COVID-19 didn't push anything back as Blizzard announced quarter four at Blizzcon months before COVID-19 was a thing in this country..

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Taking more time does not guarnatee it will automatically be a better expansion. They are still on track fore Q4 as they last stated. People need to stop with this notion that more time taken = better expansion.

I mean rushing things out worked well for BFA. Why not? Just like with all the other expansions we will still get a messy first tier with lots of issues to be worked out that hopefully gets resolved in the .1 or .2 patch. I would hope more time means they work out the issues but pretty much every expansion was off to a poor start (in contrast to the later patches of it) so not sure if it matters much.

[Dracullus]

Well, yeah, if SL are Q4 then it's time to reveal date this month. So stream next week must be it.

[DeicideUH]

November, I think. Prepatch in October.

[ClassicPeon]

Raids open ~3 weeks after expansion comes out so the reason I said November was because if it's pushed into December then they might as well hold it off until January because nobody wants to spend Christmas raiding. To me November is just the last realistic 2020 release time I can see before the window would close and you would have to move to 2021.

As for "they said Q4 of 2020 so that means 100% they will keep that word" that's fine if you choose to believe it but I don't really see any realistic signs yet that they will be able to make that. You also have the Covid-situation and how that has impacted things (slowed them down at least) and you got Blizz very eager to get some of the BFA haters back with a strong expansion. It would do them a lot more harm than good to stress out Shadowlands for Q4 of 2020 IF holding it to Q1 of 2021 means a better/smoother expansion launch.

Honestly? I dont thin kthey will have a problem pushing the first raid til after chrismas even with a december release. Its not like they HAVE to release raids 3 weeks after expansion release.

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Well, yeah, if SL are Q4 then it's time to reveal date this month. So stream next week must be it.

Makes sense to be honest.

I think the stream is going to have more then the release date. At least some cinematic aswell

[Nevcairiel]

It will also be in December once again proving those that say they can't release in December wrong with their third December expansion release. Highest total for any month.

Third? Which one would that be? Cataclysm was released in December, nothing else was.

Vanilla - November 2004 (US), February 2005 (EU)
BC - January 2007
Wrath - November 2008
Cata - December 2010
MoP - September 2012
WoD - November 2014
Legion - August 2016
BfA - August 2018

There is two months in that set that already have two on the books, and none are December (3 for November if you count Vanilla). Its far more likely that November is going to get a tripple, since Blizzard has openly stated that December is not ideal due to the holidays. That it happened before doesn't change that. And it also doesn't mean that its impossible. Its just not favored.

[klaps_05]

SL is coming November 3/4, right after the day of the dead.