Next content patch

[Piertje1984]

Hello all,

This isnt a "story is moving to slow thread.. just for fun"

Thus far I really like the story of SL. The leveling was somewhat boring with the kill/pickup quests but overal I really love this game and play it alot!

Now that the first raid is out and we know what happens after this raid(I wont go in to details and please dont for people who didnt see it yet) , what will be the next story side we are going and what raid will we encounter with who as endboss? Will there be a new zone we will enter?

Im thinking we will first explore more of the moon godess and powers and also more with dragons, dunno why just got a feeling it will go there.

[ryanmahaffe]

I doubt 9.1 will offer a new zone, probably a invasion like system like BFA and Legion did with lots of new qol updates and maybe some other small content pieces, new Torghast wing maybe?

As for the raid, I am hoping for Sylvanus raid where we fuckin deal with her as we lead into 9.2 with idk maybe Arthas and call the patch Might of Menethil or something come on blizz pls.

[Piertje1984]

I doubt 9.1 will offer a new zone, probably a invasion like system like BFA and Legion did with lots of new qol updates and maybe some other small content pieces, new Torghast wing maybe?

As for the raid, I am hoping for Sylvanus raid where we fuckin deal with her as we lead into 9.2 with idk maybe Arthas and call the patch Might of Menethil or something come on blizz pls.

I like where your idea is going, Arthas returing and patch name also sounds really good.

[Dracullus]

I doubt 9.1 will offer a new zone, probably a invasion like system like BFA and Legion did with lots of new qol updates and maybe some other small content pieces, new Torghast wing maybe?

As for the raid, I am hoping for Sylvanus raid where we fuckin deal with her as we lead into 9.2 with idk maybe Arthas and call the patch Might of Menethil or something come on blizz pls.

I doubt 9.1 will bring even new raid. 8.1 did that, but patch was reeealy late and we had Christmas break to slow down things on top of that. My prediction is:
- new content in the Maw or even some redesign,
- megadungeon (Kel'Thuzad?),
- updates to Torghast and legendaries,
- long campaign leading into Sylvanas raid in Maw (based on Renown level, but shared by everyone),
- in general new Renown levels filled with stuff to collect,
- smaller updates and qol,
- yeah, Jailer invasions on main zones are also possibility, but devs probably realize many people would scream "boooring",
- launch mid March exactly one week after we get Renown 40 (current max).

[deenman]

I doubt 9.1 will bring even new raid. 8.1 did that, but patch was reeealy late and we had Christmas break to slow down things on top of that. My prediction is:
- new content in the Maw or even some redesign,
- megadungeon (Kel'Thuzad?),
- updates to Torghast and legendaries,
- long campaign leading into Sylvanas raid in Maw (based on Renown level, but shared by everyone),
- in general new Renown levels filled with stuff to collect,
- smaller updates and qol,
- yeah, Jailer invasions on main zones are also possibility, but devs probably realize many people would scream "boooring",
- launch mid March exactly one week after we get Renown 40 (current max).

I am really curious to see where this expansion goes,its not as clear cut as in the past,besides us dealing with sylvanas and jailer idk what could be there in between,or if the jailer isnt the last encounter

also i think they can add zones a lot easier in sl than before,as the shadowlands are suposed to have many more zones than what we see now,in fact im almost sure the drust zone will be a thing

[Piertje1984]

I am really curious to see where this expansion goes,its not as clear cut as in the past,besides us dealing with sylvanas and jailer idk what could be there in between,or if the jailer isnt the last encounter

also i think they can add zones a lot easier in sl than before,as the shadowlands are suposed to have many more zones than what we see now,in fact im almost sure the drust zone will be a thing

I think we will most likely go towards dragon isles, and most likely the Light or Void as next big bad guy.

I do hope that when we come back from Shadowlands the time will have gone much faster on Azeroth and so we will come back tens perhaps hundreds of years later. So world remade/fixed and enemies that have enough time to destroy stuff.

[deenman]

I think we will most likely go towards dragon isles, and most likely the Light or Void as next big bad guy.

I do hope that when we come back from Shadowlands the time will have gone much faster on Azeroth and so we will come back tens perhaps hundreds of years later. So world remade/fixed and enemies that have enough time to destroy stuff.

i ment in shadowlands,not next expansion,also i rly doubt dragon isles are going to be some major thing,maybe some small content zone,also ion confirmed that people misundertood what he ment when he said time is different in sl,he didnt mean we will come out in the future,he ment that shadowlands itself is wonky time wise,we already have in lore portals back to azeroth,time seems to still be 1:1,think of digimon,digital world passed on a year,but back in human world only seconds did

[Sageofthe10paths]

The renown system is a game pacing track for the players. It keeps them playing towards a goal, and retains them more. It's from mobile games, and it works like a timer and when it's up, another one is ready to go. SO, it's reasonable to believe after it's up a new patch will drop a week to a month later. Having said all that, I think we will get the following...

-Maldraxxus raid against the evil Primus which is the second raid teir.

-New questing zone with daily's and a rep grind, gear catch up mechanics. I bet it looks like a desert at permanent dark night called Ash Desert.

-Two new dungeons with gear caught up.

-renown catch up mechanic, anima catch up mechanic.

-New pvp season with new pvp gear. Glutenous set

-New Lore where Varian Wrynn's soul lives in the Ash Desert, where souls who are slain by the burning legion go.

[Piertje1984]

i ment in shadowlands,not next expansion,also i rly doubt dragon isles are going to be some major thing,maybe some small content zone,also ion confirmed that people misundertood what he ment when he said time is different in sl,he didnt mean we will come out in the future,he ment that shadowlands itself is wonky time wise,we already have in lore portals back to azeroth,time seems to still be 1:1,think of digimon,digital world passed on a year,but back in human world only seconds did

Yeh okay. I think it would be to obvious that the Jailor is the big bad guy but I have no Idea who else it might be.

- - - Updated - - -

T

-New Lore where Varian Wrynn's soul lives in the Ash Desert, where souls who are slain by the burning legion go.

I am sure we will meet Varian in this expansion, but how will he be.. will he recognize his son.. and will he be good or turned into a bad guy

[deenman]

The renown system is a game pacing track for the players. It keeps them playing towards a goal, and retains them more. It's from mobile games, and it works like a timer and when it's up, another one is ready to go. SO, it's reasonable to believe after it's up a new patch will drop a week to a month later. Having said all that, I think we will get the following...

-Maldraxxus raid against the evil Primus which is the second raid teir.

-New questing zone with daily's and a rep grind, gear catch up mechanics. I bet it looks like a desert at permanent dark night called Ash Desert.

-Two new dungeons with gear caught up.

-renown catch up mechanic, anima catch up mechanic.

-New pvp season with new pvp gear. Glutenous set

-New Lore where Varian Wrynn's soul lives in the Ash Desert, where souls who are slain by the burning legion go.

wile new dungeon is for sure gonna come,it doesnt come for catch up,they will update all dungeon loot in 2 patches,also i feel like drust zone must be coming as it was hinted at in bfa and is one of the many shadowlands zones that arent playable

[Sageofthe10paths]

wile new dungeon is for sure gonna come,it doesnt come for catch up,they will update all dungeon loot in 2 patches,also i feel like drust zone must be coming as it was hinted at in bfa and is one of the many shadowlands zones that arent playable

Where is your evidence that a drust zone is coming from BFA? Where is the evidence that it's a unplayable Shadowlands zone? I watched people stream the beta and break outa bounds and I never ever saw anything about some Drust zone. Why would we even go there? For what narrative reason?

[deenman]

Where is your evidence that a drust zone is coming from BFA? Where is the evidence that it's a unplayable Shadowlands zone? I watched people stream the beta and break outa bounds and I never ever saw anything about some Drust zone. Why would we even go there? For what narrative reason?

it is a shadowlands zone,you can google it,and oribos has extra portal slots that arent used yett,dunno what exactly the narrative would be,maybe jailer is using gorak and his kind to attack other shadowlands zones and we go there to stop it,and it was set up in bfa by simply existing and being a shadowlands afterlife,it just feels natural that they would use a zone already established

also why would it be an out of bounds zone in the beta lol?was najatar or the gnome island one?

[Triceron]

Usually there is a tangent raid thrown into each expansion that doesn't always tackle the main badguy, sorta like Lei Shen or Firelands or Nazjatar.

I can see them opening up a smaller 5th realm with some tangental significance for everyone to explore. Then the last raid will probably be in the Maw again facing the jailer, or possibly even in some phased section of Azeroth like the Jailer freeing himself into the world and taking the fight outside of Shadowlands and back in to 'finally defeat his soul'

[Nyel]

I expect 9.1 to do with The Maw what 7.2 did to the Broken Shore - make it a real zone, e.g. add world quests, world bosses, extend the questline and make NPCs populate Venari's refuge (and it's layed out for exactly that, to become a hub with NPCs). If this won't be done in 9.1 it certainly will be in 9.2. The Maw in this stage is a wasted opportunity.

I wish they'd give us a mega dungeon like Karazhan or Mechagon, because all of the new dungeons are so short. That could be part of that as well.

They most likely announce 9.1 during the virtual Blizzcon with a possible release date late March or early April.

I doubt 9.1 will bring even new raid. 8.1 did that, but patch was reeealy late and we had Christmas break to slow down things on top of that.

Funny how you called me out on saying 9.1 might bring no new raid and now you're saying the same. Besides that our predictions quite overlap.

[Eurhetemec]

It's from mobile games, and it works like a timer and when it's up, another one is ready to go.

This is an interesting claim - can you give some examples of mobile games using the same system? I mean, my mind leapt to "Battle Pass"-type systems used by, well I think most shooters including MMO-shooters like Destiny 2 as the loose inspiration for it, but that's not really a mobile game thing.

Be delighted if you're right re: what 9.1 adds btw - that's a slew of content I'd like to see!

[arkanon]

This is an interesting claim - can you give some examples of mobile games using the same system? I mean, my mind leapt to "Battle Pass"-type systems used by, well I think most shooters including MMO-shooters like Destiny 2 as the loose inspiration for it, but that's not really a mobile game thing.

Be delighted if you're right re: what 9.1 adds btw - that's a slew of content I'd like to see!

Car racing games where you run out of fuel and have to wait until it refills (or pay a fee to buy more)
Card games where cards go on a CD when defeated

The vast majority of mobile games put small goals in front of you that are gated by time, and to be completely honest, i am very confident you are aware of this...........dont you guys have phones?

[Dracullus]

Funny how you called me out on saying 9.1 might bring no new raid and now you're saying the same. Besides that our predictions quite overlap.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but your prediction was "Castle Nathria is so long that next raid will be in 9.2 and 9.1 will bring mini-raid at best", which sounds as likely as "there will be no 8.3 and 4th season" if you know what I mean.

My prediction is raid will just launch with usual schedule, ~5 months after Nathria, in smaller patch 9.1.5. Just like we had already in Legion.

I am really curious to see where this expansion goes,its not as clear cut as in the past,besides us dealing with sylvanas and jailer idk what could be there in between,or if the jailer isnt the last encounter

also i think they can add zones a lot easier in sl than before,as the shadowlands are suposed to have many more zones than what we see now,in fact im almost sure the drust zone will be a thing

Every patch need major hook, imo Sylvanas -> Arthas (he doesn't have to be and likely won't be raid boss!) -> Jailer make most sense.

Especially X.2 patch needs more care and better hook, it's often low point in expansion (from interest POV), people complained how 8.3 was inferior to 8.2 (it was), but it's obvious more people played it. Many casuals just like to play on last months to see "complete" version of expac.

[Hastis]

9.1 belongs to maldraxus 100% sure cuz of the necropolis floating over it and kelthuzad 3 im not too much excited for this cuz i dont rly like this zone

[Malania]

You probably won't see Arthas until the final raid. He's too popular to stick in randomly.

[MrLachyG]

I think 9.1 will contain a Maldraxxus raid when we deal with the aftermath of the events there during levelling. 9.2 will have a Drust zone and raid which may feature Helya or Sylvanas or both