New WoW / Warcraft Cinematic leak?

[SkyTides]

Either way, we had the Old Soldier series of cinematics from BFA, which looked great and actually helped flesh out the story. I would expect there to be some fully CGI cinematics in Shadowlands and one at the end of 9.1's raid seems a good place to stick one.

I would love the jailer to go and res Galakrond. If the screenshot location is kaskala, or other south coast area of Northrend, that is very close to the path of the titans which leads to gala. (although I'd expect the jailer to emerge above ICC or something)

[TickTickTick]

Maye CGI finally? We've had plenty of them in BfA and none so far in SL.

[Lady Atia]

Maye CGI finally? We've had plenty of them in BfA and none so far in SL.

I'm not a fan of having them inside the game instead of the HD cinematics that use the WoW engine. It just feels so .... different.

[Graden]

Ok now make it look like Borean Tundra with tuskarr architecture and add the Maldraxxus necropolis from a different angle and then blend it all together perfectly so it looks like a cohesive image....

You're not making the point you think you're making.

Let's not forget that like 10 days ago, they gave the mammoth skeleton a new set of running animations. And now we have this leak that appears to be in the Borean Tundra.

Time will tell how legit this is, but it's definitely interesting.

[TheFirstOnes]

As far as I can see there's 0 prerendered cinematics currently encrypted, so that's why I asked.

What do they mean by "prerendered cinematics" anyway? Like the Battle of Dazar'alor cinematics? Or the Saurfang ones?

- - - Updated - - -

I had entirely forgotten about that pic... :P



Dreadlords playing some crazy 4D chess. :P

This isn't Chess anymore. This is mf'ing CHECKERS!

[Claymore]

Sorta looks like the Pit of Saron to me. Which could be fucking anything, given its proximity to ICC; the lighting could be implying "all is at peace", or it could also be implying "the way to the Shadowlands is opening up even further".

Also, even if "Classic Wrath" is like 2+ years away, I don't know how long these high-end cinematics take, so I wouldn't be SHOCKED if it was related to that. Wrath, by every single metric possible, the high-point of WoW so it makes sense they might go all-in and create new cinematics for it. Hell, if they did as many for Wrath as they did for Saurfang's story in BFA, I could honestly see "Classic Wrath" making another enormous impact. Hell, replace each of Arthas' appearances with a cinematic, and maybe use that to build-up his eventual return in retail.

[Throren]

I wouldn't be surprised if that Necropolis is Naxxanar since its very clearly visible from that area of Borean Tundra and while yes it uses the Maldraxxi necropolis model, I wouldn't be surprised if blizz just re-used the model to make work easier

[Daronokk]

I wouldn't be surprised if that Necropolis is Naxxanar since its very clearly visible from that area of Borean Tundra and while yes it uses the Maldraxxi necropolis model, I wouldn't be surprised if blizz just re-used the model to make work easier

It's most definitely this spot in the cinematic image.

But I doubt they'd switch the models just like that, Naxxanar is clearly a Scourge Necropolis while the image shows a Maldraxxus Necropolis. Blizzard wouldn't just retcon the models like that, it has to have a meaning. Jailer forces coming to Azeroth and landing in Northrend? Something like that.

[Marlamin]

What do they mean by "prerendered cinematics" anyway? Like the Battle of Dazar'alor cinematics? Or the Saurfang ones?

That term includes the huge CGI cinematics (e.g. Reckoning, Lost Honor) but also the "sorta in-game but fancier than the game engine could show it" ones like "For Teldrassil". These are all rendered beforehand and not on the spot.

Granted, the line between in-game cinematics and prerendered ones is getting a bit blurry in Shadowlands with the in-game cinematic of Anduin "holding the line" against the Jailer using higher-res models/custom animations for Anduin/the Jailer while still being rendered in-engine (so the player character could be in it).

[Throren]

It's most definitely this spot in the cinematic image.

But I doubt they'd switch the models just like that, Naxxanar is clearly a Scourge Necropolis while the image shows a Maldraxxus Necropolis. Blizzard wouldn't just retcon the models like that, it has to have a meaning. Jailer forces coming to Azeroth and landing in Northrend? Something like that.

Eh Blizz has had models ans things in the CG cinematics that werent always accurate. The cata cinematic had part of Orgrimmar fully collapse and all the BFA cinematics Genn had the wrong fur colour and jacket colour.

Just saying it wouldnt surprise me of they reused a maldraxxi asset for scourge. They do it all the time with stuff in game.

You could be right though, it could very well be a Maldraxxus necropolis! Either way we know its borean tundra!

[Nagawithlegs]

There are quite a few things building up to a return to Northrend. We could get revamped Northrend within Shadowlands.

[TheFirstOnes]

That term includes the huge CGI cinematics (e.g. Reckoning, Lost Honor) but also the "sorta in-game but fancier than the game engine could show it" ones like "For Teldrassil". These are all rendered beforehand and not on the spot.

Granted, the line between in-game cinematics and prerendered ones is getting a bit blurry in Shadowlands with the in-game cinematic of Anduin "holding the line" against the Jailer using higher-res models/custom animations for Anduin/the Jailer while still being rendered in-engine (so the player character could be in it).

The "holding the line" cinematic I thought was clever, since it had the properties of a proper cinematic, while also portraying the Player Character as if they were actually there, which is also likely due to their tech and whatnot increasing for the game.

I always liked the idea of WoW using cinematics while putting the player there. Cause KJ and Deathwing's defeats just didn't feel right, due to us not being there (Despite us canonically BEING THERE, ya know?), so it's neat.

But yeah, I see what you mean. I hope there are a lot of them encrypted. I kinda hoped SL would've given us a mini series, but instead of it being about Saurfang, it would be about the Jailer and his origins.

[Nyel]

I wouldn't be surprised if that Necropolis is Naxxanar since its very clearly visible from that area of Borean Tundra and while yes it uses the Maldraxxi necropolis model, I wouldn't be surprised if blizz just re-used the model to make work easier[/IMG]

The location of the necropolis seems to be completely different though (over the land / over the ocean), but maybe that's to blame on the perspective. Plus the completely different necropolis style... I don't know. To me it seems like the Maldraxxi necropolis is hovering over the field of ice in the ocean. But it's very interesting that the scourge necropolis has vanished or cannot be seen on the "leak".

[Nagawithlegs]

The location of the necropolis seems to be completely different though (over the land / over the ocean), but maybe that's to blame on the perspective. Plus the completely different necropolis style... I don't know. To me it seems like the Maldraxxi necropolis is hovering over the field of ice in the ocean. But it's very interesting that the scourge necropolis has vanished or cannot be seen on the "leak".

Considering that they have showed zero interest in updating old Scourge assets besides the monsters, it makes sense that they would replace their necropoli with the new model from Maldraxxus.

Undercity was also probably destroyed because they aren't going to update it in the old style.

[Nyel]

Considering that they have showed zero interest in updating old Scourge assets besides the monsters, it makes sense that they would replace their necropoli with the new model from Maldraxxus.

Undercity was also probably destroyed because they aren't going to update it in the old style.

I don't agree here, simply because it totally alters the meaning of what is seen. It's like replacing Night Elf buildings in Teldrassil with Human or Undead buildings, because we already have updated assets for them.

A Maldraxxi necropolis is not the same as a Scourge necropolis and shouldn't be treated as such. These little things are important, at least in my eyes.

[Nagawithlegs]

I don't agree here, simply because it totally alters the meaning of what is seen. It's like replacing Night Elf buildings in Teldrassil with Human or Undead buildings, because we already have updated assets for them.

A Maldraxxi necropolis is not the same as a Scourge necropolis and shouldn't be treated as such. These little things are important, at least in my eyes.

I agree they aren't the same at all, but they have never updated a Scourge building asset since Wrath. I can see them replacing them all.

[TheFirstOnes]

The location of the necropolis seems to be completely different though (over the land / over the ocean), but maybe that's to blame on the perspective. Plus the completely different necropolis style... I don't know. To me it seems like the Maldraxxi necropolis is hovering over the field of ice in the ocean. But it's very interesting that the scourge necropolis has vanished or cannot be seen on the "leak".

Could be that the Necropolis we see in game is just that...an outdated Necropolis model, while the Model in there is what Naxxanar's supposed to look like.

And like I said, this leak is probably not even real to begin with. Just Dreadlord Propaganda.

[Throren]

Its like how they rebuilt Stromgarde using wod Garrison assets instead of it having actual Stromgarde architecture

Or like how part of old Ironforge in the dwarf heritage quest re-used an iron rune dwarf building from Stormpeaks.

Blizz can be pretty lazy sometimes

[TheFirstOnes]

I don't agree here, simply because it totally alters the meaning of what is seen. It's like replacing Night Elf buildings in Teldrassil with Human or Undead buildings, because we already have updated assets for them.

A Maldraxxi necropolis is not the same as a Scourge necropolis and shouldn't be treated as such. These little things are important, at least in my eyes.

True. But reminder on what they did with the old Draenei buildings in Outland for AU Draenor and the recent lore. They look nothing alike, ruined or otherwise.

[Nyel]

Blizz can be pretty lazy sometimes

And I wouldn't be surprised about that during COVID and Shadowlands, especially now with them being behind so much. But still... it doesn't feel right.

- - - Updated - - -

True. But reminder on what they did with the old Draenei buildings in Outland for AU Draenor and the recent lore. They look nothing alike, ruined or otherwise.

That makes sense to me though, as it's an alternate universe. But going from design A to design B just because of laziness seems wrong. But again, who knows.

(btw, I think this picture is real, call me a fool, but it's too subtle and the scenery too forgettable to be a fake in my eyes)