Still no release date announcement

[Count Zero]

I just don't see them doing less than a full month's notice for a new release date announcement, which at this point puts it right around Thanksgiving.

I think that means the earliest we could see it would be December 1st. I could also see them waiting until the 8th or 15th. I don't think 22nd or 29th are likely due to Christmas proximity, and didn't they say it'll still be this year?

December 8th, give or take a week. I had been figuring the 1st but even there they're cutting it pretty close for an announcement.

If we don't get a new announcement in the next two/three weeks then something is seriously wrong.

[8bithamster]

When you look at the situation, i am shocked anyone was shocked.

- Many of the new systems had been receiving extremely negative feedback
- Balancing was almost non-existent, with specs doing more than 200% of other specs
- Entire specs where going through dramatic reworks just weeks before the launch
- The leveling experience was in an extremely poor state, and still is
- Recent Blizzard products have been delayed, and patches 'held back' from expected release dates
- Countless other AAA games and major studios were and are delaying releases all over the place
- As you said, the current WFH climate is not idea, and without a doubt had a major impact.

I know a lot of people didnt WANT a delay, but to rule one out was pretty naive, in my opinion.

Listen less to YouTubers, and form your own opinions. Leveling is fixed as of the latest build.

Nice parrot skills though

[Nyel]

So I think the 15th and the 8th are both perfectly fine guesses. The first would mean a month of no raid tier, so I doubt it.

Over the holidays this doesn't mean anything though. People are not going to raid from 24-31 December anyway, so it's more 3 weeks we're talking about.

- - - Updated - - -

Listen less to YouTubers, and form your own opinions. Leveling is fixed as of the latest build.

Nice parrot skills though

They just adjusted XP. They reduced them, they increased them, they reduced them again and then they increased them again. It's more a band aid fix than a real fix, but yes, it's fixed. Some crucial quest lines you need for story progression still have bugs that prevent you from finishing them, which is a way bigger issue though.

[HypocR1sY]

i paid for this game couple of months ago but i have no problem if it would be released in 2021 in good shape. i don't care if it won't release in Q1 of 2021.

[8bithamster]

Over the holidays this doesn't mean anything though. People are not going to raid from 24-31 December anyway, so it's more 3 weeks we're talking about.

- - - Updated - - -



They just adjusted XP. They reduced them, they increased them, they reduced them again and then they increased them again. It's more a band aid fix than a real fix, but yes, it's fixed. Some crucial quest lines you need for story progression still have bugs that prevent you from finishing them, which is a way bigger issue though.

As someone who actually is in beta.. I've tested 4 characters without any quest breaking bugs.
Nice try though!

[Malefic]

Raids usually open a couple of weeks after the expansion hits and they don't open raid tiers over the holidays anymore.

So I think the 15th and the 8th are both perfectly fine guesses. The first would mean a month of no raid tier, so I doubt it.

Except this is perfectly fine. December 15th release would be a 3 week delay on the raid, which is the norm. People seem to forget the raid opening 2 weeks after launch for Shadowlands was a week faster than normal, and likely to avoid Mythic opening on thanksgiving.

We are absolutely not raiding Castle Nathria this year. I said 3 months ago December 8th release and January 5th raid release. I stand by it today, although I can see December 15th release and January 5th raid release happening too.

[Nyel]

As someone who actually is in beta.. I've tested 4 characters without any quest breaking bugs.
Nice try though!

That these bugs are not universal doesn't mean they don't exist. I'm in the beta as well.

[Thestrawman]

We'll find out in a few weeks, right after Square Enix announces the new patch for FFXIV.

[chiddie]

All of those make no sense. No 'reasons' not to release on the first 3 of those weeks, and the 4th is an obvious "NO" as for Christmas Week.

Im pointing towards the Dec 8\9 week. Lines up with the delaying the new Exploring Azeroth book, after thanksgiving, before christmas to avoid any big issue that comes up and the m+\raid stuff in january.

I think that unless a vaccine or a reliable cure will pop out, “Christmas week” this year will mean nothing, at least here in Europe: everyone will stay at his own home anyways.

[ReVnX]

I think that unless a vaccine or a reliable cure will pop out, “Christmas week” this year will mean nothing, at least here in Europe: everyone will stay at his own home anyways.

Blizzard will probably be understaffed that week for an expansion launch.

[Brostin]

I think it's highly likely they were allowed to delay the game on the proviso it is released sometime this year. I can't see the corporate overlords being ok with Blizzard messing up their Q4 profits, even if this does compromise the quality of the game(and big studios do this regularly)

I strongly suspect the delay was announced so late because a few people within Blizzard had to fight tooth and nail for an extension. It's a shame because I think the result is lots of people have got hyped and are now slowly becoming quite disinterested in the game through a combination of hearing of all the issues in beta, alongside there being no known release date.

As Blizzard has, yet again insisted on making things hard for themselves with more systems than you can shake a stick at, I suspect this means they will use every drop of time they have and we are looking at a December launch. It would be sensible not to release around Christmas, but who knows?

I think that unless a vaccine or a reliable cure will pop out, “Christmas week” this year will mean nothing, at least here in Europe: everyone will stay at his own home anyways.

This is a good point, I have no idea how Blizzard see things like this other than apparently they've only ever done once Christmas launch and it wasn't ideal. However, like you said this isn't exactly a normal year...

[chiddie]

I think it's highly likely they were allowed to delay the game on the proviso it is released sometime this year. I can't see the corporate overlords being ok with Blizzard messing up their Q4 profits, even if this does compromise the quality of the game(and big studios do this regularly)

I strongly suspect the delay was announced so late because a few people within Blizzard had to fight tooth and nail for an extension. It's a shame because I think the result is lots of people have got hyped and are now slowly becoming quite disinterested in the game through a combination of hearing of all the issues in beta, alongside there being no known release date.

As Blizzard has, yet again insisted on making things hard for themselves with more systems than you can shake a stick at, I suspect this means they will use every drop of time they have and we are looking at a December launch. It would be sensible not to release around Christmas, but who knows?



This is a good point, I have no idea how Blizzard see things like this other than apparently they've only ever done once Christmas launch and it wasn't ideal. However, like you said this isn't exactly a normal year...

Thing is, I have really no idea about the reasons behind the delay: numbers tuning? Classes tuning? Skills to test? Zones unfinished? End game lacking? A mix of everything?

Because depending on the issues, they will require more time or less time to fix.

Regarding the Covid, it was just a consideration. I don’t think they’ll release it during Xmas week, I only said that this year won’t make that difference, they’ll probably be sad and lonely holidays anyways.

[Niwes]

the problem imo here is the following:

90% of ppl in threads like this go like „release it soon but game is bad“ vs „release it later but game is good“.

most ppl not realize that Blizz anyway sticks with a game design that has fundamental base design flaws (Covenant Soulbinds and Conduits), as many many many ppl out there showed. so ppl should realize that SL never will be super good or perfect. it will alyways has to handle with this design flaws (and they exists). just bc Blizz release SL in Jan or Feb will not magically drive that things away. they are just in a more polished state.

so the real question is: in WHAT state this SL design is released.

normally i am totally in for „wait longer, come out with polished product, quality > release date“ and so on. but this time, i have to say, that i am more happy when they release a game in first week of december, that

- is at least out there
- has functional and working leveling
- has not much zone and gfx/world bugs

imo they easily could click out the whole conduit system and deliver it with a later patch. i do not need this to play and enjoy, because it will always have design flaws regardless how polished. i see no problem in bringing this stuff in with patch .1, at least in the most possible polished state (as said, these systems will never be perfect, cause of fundamental design flaws).

so, what REALLY do we get more (in a sense of being a customer/consumer) from moving release to next year ?

i personally be totally fine, getting an xpac where i can leveling and play the story while holidays. raids are anyway not opened before Jan. so, if i were Blizz, i would get my basic wow features right. polish the specific xpac features later and more gonna look that classes, gameplay and tuning is fine and that raids and dungeons are ready.

who cares about doing something in maw zone form the start ? who cares about that shitty tree, his UI and these „5% more crit“ shit. you can tune that numbers into the classes, if they are ready and working. who cares about renown or legendaries in the first 2 months ?

imo better release a working base game now and add that shit later, when you really can focus on it. they will not become happy anyway, if they loose x players by even more delaying it and when it finally comes out and ppl realize that the Covenant system will never be totally perfect and that this is ALL they waited for, they will loose even more.

even when normally imo quality > release date, in this special case i do not think so. i would use november to get classes, tuning and leveling right and release it in first week of december. and fix all that xpac specific stuff behind Covenants factions and story later. otherwise it will end up in a disaster anyway.

[Brostin]

Thing is, I have really no idea about the reasons behind the delay: numbers tuning? Classes tuning? Skills to test? Zones unfinished? End game lacking? A mix of everything?

Because depending on the issues, they will require more time or less time to fix.

Regarding the Covid, it was just a consideration. I don’t think they’ll release it during Xmas week, I only said that this year won’t make that difference, they’ll probably be sad and lonely holidays anyways.

Players seem to be reporting a mix of everything, but whether that is what Blizzard sees is another thing. I still think they will have a fixed deadline to reach before the end of the year, although this is conjecture. That said, if I wanted to ensure my game made as much money as possible I would view an early to mid-December launch as the perfect time, particularly because stay at home hobbies are booming during COVID.

[Niwes]

Players seem to be reporting a mix of everything, but whether that is what Blizzard sees is another thing. I still think they will have a fixed deadline to reach before the end of the year, although this is conjecture. That said, if I wanted to ensure my game made as much money as possible I would view an early to mid-December launch as the perfect time, particularly because stay at home hobbies are booming during COVID.

holiday season is extremely high valued with and without Covid. even more so this year, when ppl are mostly at home in holiday seasons, like it seems at the moment.

normally, a company like Blizz, never never ever miss the xmas sales. even when pushing out half assed shit. normally. but with Blizz i am not sure about anything these days...

for me personally i value „having SL for leveling“ in holidays way higher than „polish it and release it later“ because i am not convinced that i gain so much more out of it. Covenants will always be what they be. in my personal situation, just getting an xpac now, for leveling and story, is valued way higher than working or unworking xpac features. at least for the next 3 months.

[Brostin]

holiday season is extremely high valued with and without Covid. even more so this year, when ppl are mostly at home in holiday seasons, like it seems at the moment.

normally, a company like Blizz, never never ever miss the xmas sales. even when pushing out half assed shit. normally. but with Blizz i am not sure about anything these days...

Honestly, I think a delay past the end of the year would result in people at Blizzard being fired(it should be project managers if anyone, but IT based companies love scapegoats :/). However, I suspect they do have an agreement that this will not happen because it's just too lucrative a period to pass up. Even if it is at the detriment of the game.

[Niwes]

Honestly, I think a delay past the end of the year would result in people at Blizzard being fired(it should be project managers if anyone, but IT based companies love scapegoats :/). However, I suspect they do have an agreement that this will not happen because it's just too lucrative a period to pass up. Even if it is at the detriment of the game.

after 20 years of being a (lead) sw developer and work in such industries, i sign that.

[Nyel]

This is a good point, I have no idea how Blizzard see things like this other than apparently they've only ever done once Christmas launch and it wasn't ideal. However, like you said this isn't exactly a normal year...

Christmas week is good for us players, but in no way will Blizzard release an expansion close to Christmas. People (=employees) being at home doesn't mean they're working.

December 8 is the most plausible date for an expansion (Cataclysm was launched at the exact same time frame 10 years ago) launch this year as 15 is already too close to Christmas if there occur any bigger issues. It's still possible though, I just don't think it will happen. It's too stressful to only have one week before Christmas holidays.

[Brostin]

Christmas week is good for us players, but in no way will Blizzard release an expansion close to Christmas. People (=employees) being at home doesn't mean they're working.

December 8 is the most plausible date for an expansion (Cataclysm was launched at the exact same time frame 10 years ago) launch this year as 15 is already too close to Christmas if there occur any bigger issues. It's still possible though, I just don't think it will happen. It's too stressful to only have one week before Christmas holidays.

I'm not sure if you are agreeing with me or think I said something different than I have.

I've already said the most likely time would be early to mid-december

[Harbour]

They wont announce the new date until they will be completely sure they gonna make it in time. Like, prepare to wait.
They didnt go at such lengths as delaying something just to delay it for one month. They used their joker card and now they gonna take all the time they need to polish the game. And they have A LOT stuff to polish. I predict it wont be released anytime soon. Not in November for sure.