10.0 Speculation and Leak thread

[Shadochi]

Brothers and sisters,
August has ticked over which means its time for the biennial leak and speculation hype season to tick off.

I am aware of the ongoing charges over Blizz, but lets keep the discussion in this thread about the future of the game and hope we will get a next expansion.

Feel free to post what you would wish for in the next expansion, lore wise, continent, content, game systems and such. As well as if you come across any possible leaks please post them here so the Brotherhood can keep a spread sheet to track them once again and keep rest of the forums clean (fun fact last 3 expansions have been leaked in these threads).

Brother @Fahrad Wagner (and sorry if im missing any other member of the Brotherhood of Leak Busters) you are needed once again.

I'll go:

Once again I am hoping for a dragon expansion, making dragon isles the main continent on Azeroth with perhaps one zone for each of the main 5 aspects for leveling and then a max level zone based either on the non aspect flights or an Infinite or Twilight zone.
The preamble could be that the Isles are lost (mist shit) and the Aspects can no longer sense them thus we once again turn to the pillars of creation to give back the aspects their powers and for some to bring new aspects. Of course something goes on and a non main flight dragon steals some powers which will lead to raid and boss content.
In the dragon isles there is a hoard of unhatched dragon eggs needed to bring the flights to their power.
This is just a basic plot I came up with. Will try and draw out a map of zones or such. But each zone heavily inspired by the flight which would create great diversity between zones as we saw in SL.

Now as for systems go. We will most definitely have a borrowed power system. But hopefully it will be more like covenants where we align with one of the flights. I want flying available on max level from the start once we choose a flight to help. Individual flight campaigns to rebuild their lands. The borrowed power here I would prefer to be 1 button that does something and can be used anywhere (class universsal) and then buffs for world content (and mounts and cosmetics of that flight)

Central hub: Wyrm's Spire - the new central diplomatic point of the dragonflights, based on Wyrmrest Temple, where ambassadors of the flights reside, but each flight also has their own temple in their zone with their aspect (like sanctums).

I don't want an endless grind like artifact power or azerite, anima was a bit better but maybe since they probably want to add something like that make it related to something to help the new dragons hatch or resources to rebuild the temples of the aspects on dragon isles.

For raid I would like to see 1-2 boss raids more often, feels better to put important story moments in them than in random quest campaign. For example Ysera's death would be a good one boss raid in legion. Put in 1 or 2 of these raids, make them easy and flex difficulty only (maybe both N and HC) available from launch as a pre-season to the first raid coming out. This wouldn't be too hard to pull off as they could just use a subzone of outdoor content.
Dungeons the usual 8-10 at launch, M+ with new and changed affixes, that system is good, keep the new m+ score.
PVP: idk haven't pvped in a while, but new arenas and I would like to see maybe a more MOBA styled BG.

World Content. The combo of WQ and Dailies in SL is ok for me, just more of the WQ to kill 1 rare pleasse.

Here I am going based on what is realistic from how they've been doing previous expansions with a bit of what I would like different.

What would you like to see? And as always add your favorite Swift gifs

[Pheraz]

A big problem is that we do not know how SL ends.

For the setting I think they will go back to Azeroth again, at least I hope so.

Considering the dark vibes around the jailor I think he will somehow bring a lot of damage to Azeroth.
We need to renew Azeroth - maybe they will finally include Player housing in a way we build locale Hubs in the world - which would also make sense in terms of other MMORPG as competitors on the horizon and blizzard maybe wants to do something about this.
Looking at the big B-plot about Elune, Tyrande and the night warriors I think we will need the help of the realms of life to renew azeroth.



Threats:
- light
- void
- Azshara
- more local threats, stepping away from this big cosmic baddies, at least for one expansion for everyone too cool down

[salate]

I hope that Blizz understand that farming borrowed power things wont really hold players for too long.
Because it didnt work like that in Legion, BfA and now SL.
Well, I guess they have their own metrics that show it helps to hold more players online.

Personally I'd like to see Alternate Draenor more (Yrel's story) and more mercenaries stuff to play with Alliance + Horde in duo. Woulda be cool to make factions stuff to join "Cenarion Circle" as Tauren Druid and Night Elf to play together. Dunno.

[Gaidax]

You literally have same thread here https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...ulation-Thread

???

[Sarethion]

Something tells me this leak season is going to be the best one yet. I mean, with the expansion number being 10.0 and WoW being in trouble, I expect people will go nuts trying to come up with some revolutionary expansion idea

[scubi666stacy]

If we get to "win" Shadowlands and return back to the moral realms, we could really face anything new as a threat because we focussed our attention on the afterworld. Meanwhile, both Alliance and Horde could have been "revamped" by the protagonists which have remained there - for the best or for the worst, who knows.

If for the best, then we would get another "global threat" expansion - probably the Light and the Void conflict (which I would prefer).
If for the worst, then we would have to focus on our own faction to improve things (and because I think that we have had enough internal drama, I would rather not play that kind of story, but on the other hand, both factions badly need a restart, because they are both in a mess).

Both story variants can be combined with a new race entering the field (another try on a neutral race?), probably a new class, though this would be quite difficult in terms of balancing.

In any scenario, I would want them to improve the writing on their main characters.

[rrayy]

Something tells me this leak season is going to be the best one yet. I mean, with the expansion number being 10.0 and WoW being in trouble, I expect people will go nuts trying to come up with some revolutionary expansion idea

Use this as a template:

NEW FEATURE: Player Housing!
NEW CLASS: Tinkers!
NEW CLASS: Necromancers!
NEW RACE: High Elves!


Those will be in every leak.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Why would you make this thread again when the exact same one is still active on the 1st page?

Something tells me this leak season is going to be the best one yet. I mean, with the expansion number being 10.0 and WoW being in trouble, I expect people will go nuts trying to come up with some revolutionary expansion idea

Yeah... every leak season has the exact same things in it every year. So not sure about the the "best one yet" when it's the same "leaks" over and over.

[username993720]

I can see several potential expansions happening:

Dragon Isles

Featuring the Dragonflights, Black and Bronze being antagonists, Twilight's Hammer and the Void, Ragnaros and the Elemental forces, and Wrathion being a major character. Basically, Cataclysm 2.0.

Have a look at my speculation thread: https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...ure-expansions

Ligh vs Void

A clash between the two cosmic forces that would likely involve K'aresh, a Light crystallized world, the Ethereals and the Lightbound, the Naaru and the Void Lords.

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...ure-expansions

Emerald Dream

With all these Life plane hints in the Shadowlands, we might finally go to the Emerald Dream.

Go have a look at my concept thread: https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...ream-Expansion

Titan Homeworld

in an interview, WoW’s Lead Narrative Designer mentioned a Titan Homeworld:
"Shadowlands delves deeper into the cosmology chart. We've explored some sections in past expansions--like Argus (Disorder) and Emerald Dream (Life). We've mostly seen Titans through their Azeroth expressions, but we haven't gotten to a proper Titan homeworld."

Ancient Kalimdor

Featuring Azshara as the main antagonist.

Go have a look at my concept thread: https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...mdor-Expansion

[Sondrelk]

I have to imagine next expansion will be related in some way to the Dragon Isles. It would fit the usual pattern of an expansion being hinted at two expansions out.

Light as an overarching theme does seem like it would fit overall, so my guess will be light themed on the dragon Isles with dragons as a subtheme.

[thunderdragon2]

there is actually 2 problems with this thread being here right now.

1 we dono how sl will end and when itll end

2 we dono if blizz will survive this pr nightmare to even start developing a 10.0

[draugril]

Gimme that Dragonsworn class with a playable draconic race or two!

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there is actually 2 problems with this thread being here right now.

1 we dono how sl will end and when itll end

2 we dono if blizz will survive this pr nightmare to even start developing a 10.0

1. Connections existing between expansions have been the exceptions rather than the rule.
2. They started 10.0 development long before SL released.

[Itori]

Right now we’ll be lucky to get a content patch for what we got xD

[Athorha]

I hope its less about "threats" and more about building up an army of your own 1to prepare for something we know is coming . Garrison / warfront combination as a central player hub

[Kereberus]

I can't wait till we get a legit leak a week or two in advance and every dismisses it, like that Bolvar Leak

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Man I miss the inevitable "accidental" leak. That one file that they include from the expansion dev fork just to tease us. Trying to figure out the Kul'tiras Cloth Chest texture was fun.




Anyway as for 10.0, I mean I'll be blunt, my top desire is Ion not to have a role in it. I'm unconvinced this man isn't somehow tied up into the current scandals, as the guy that took over from Ghostcrawler who we know was involved. And also, I've just lost all faith in his ability to make a good WoW expansion. The guy's style of game feels like it wants to be something that WoW cannot be. He wants to make a Diablo-style MMO, or Destiny-style Looter Shooter, not WoW.

We need more unpruning, specifically we need mechanical unpruning and diversity back. I still say we need some kind of talent system back, even if it's stripped-down like Soulbinds and Conduits. And speaking of Conduits/Artifact Goobers, we should honestly just have Glyphs back at this point.

And, as usual, I'd love a EK/Kalimdor revamp that gets rid of all the Cataclysm annoyances and maybe gives us back some of that more "explorative" feel that Classic had.

[LedZeppelin]

Your character wakes up. A fellow soldier of your faction stands over you and says "You took a viscous blow do your head. Thank the light/whatever youre alright. Youve been out for a while." You get up and look around the 'starting zone'. Youre back in a wow that takes the best parts of classic and retail and combines them seamlessly. "Glad to be back"

[Resheph]

Emerald Dream

With all these Life plane hints in the Shadowlands, we might finally go to the Emerald Dream.

We've already been there, and Blizz has said as far as they are concerned they covered it as much as they would and could.

[Shadochi]

You literally have same thread here https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...ulation-Thread

???

Yeah but the hype thread has always existed for expansion specific stuff, a tradition to start it during august when leaks usually happen

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Man I miss the inevitable "accidental" leak. That one file that they include from the expansion dev fork just to tease us. Trying to figure out the Kul'tiras Cloth Chest texture was fun.




Anyway as for 10.0, I mean I'll be blunt, my top desire is Ion not to have a role in it. I'm unconvinced this man isn't somehow tied up into the current scandals, as the guy that took over from Ghostcrawler who we know was involved. And also, I've just lost all faith in his ability to make a good WoW expansion. The guy's style of game feels like it wants to be something that WoW cannot be. He wants to make a Diablo-style MMO, or Destiny-style Looter Shooter, not WoW.

We need more unpruning, specifically we need mechanical unpruning and diversity back. I still say we need some kind of talent system back, even if it's stripped-down like Soulbinds and Conduits. And speaking of Conduits/Artifact Goobers, we should honestly just have Glyphs back at this point.

And, as usual, I'd love a EK/Kalimdor revamp that gets rid of all the Cataclysm annoyances and maybe gives us back some of that more "explorative" feel that Classic had.

From what I understood Ion was a bit forced as the next best for the role afte Chilton (or what his name is) left, and he probably just wanted to stay at designing raid encounters. I agree a new game designer would help but leave Ion on raid team since they are always goods but im unsure if they have a more suited person internally currently.
Also please keep the ongoing suit out of this thread other than when discussing possible release delay. Tho I don't believe he is tied into it based on current allegations.

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Gimme that Dragonsworn class with a playable draconic race or two!

- - - Updated - - -


1. Connections existing between expansions have been the exceptions rather than the rule.
2. They started 10.0 development long before SL released.

This is true, pretty much every blizzcon they get asked how they came up with the expac idea and they mention they have a larger team working on next, and a smaller on the one after and then during patch developments some switches happen.

[therumblings]

I can't wait till we get a legit leak a week or two in advance and every dismisses it, like that Bolvar Leak

Yup, even WoD, Legion and BFA got leaked on here iirc. However, Shadowlands set a new precedent, since never before did we have a legit logo and cinematic get leaked. So this round of fake leaks will be much harder to debunk.