Has Blizzard abandoned Allied races?

[Grazrug]

So what is it? There are still many races who could be a great addition to the factions. Like Ogres, Ankoans/Jinyu, Saberon, Earthen, Furbolgs, Sethrak and so on. Has Blizzard given up on adding those races as a concept or will we see more of it now that a new core race(Dracthyr) was implemented? Discuss!

[loras]

So what is it? There are still many races who could be a great addition to the factions. Like Ogres, Ankoans/Jinyu, Saberon, Earthen, Furbolgs, Sethrak and so on. Has Blizzard given up on adding those races as a concept or will we see more of it now that a new core race(Dracthyr) was implemented? Discuss!

They were a BfA concept, oneintroduced in the context of a wide ranging war.
We don't have that at present.

The future might bring new ones,but no reason for new ones at the present, though i agree it wouldn't hurt to be prudent given Azeroth's recent history. But then again yhe addition of thr drac'thyr might be the form that porudence takes already.

[Maljinwo]

I'd rather get more full races than reskins

But considering the Dracthyr are also a reskin in many ways...

[arkanon]

So what is it? There are still many races who could be a great addition to the factions. Like Ogres, Ankoans/Jinyu, Saberon, Earthen, Furbolgs, Sethrak and so on. Has Blizzard given up on adding those races as a concept or will we see more of it now that a new core race(Dracthyr) was implemented? Discuss!

Yes, they have. Dunno if thats a good or bad thing, i personally didnt want to see them use slight tattoo / skin color variants as "allied races". I liked the ones that made sense and could stant on their own - many of the others were just stupid.

[McNeil]

Like they did with scenarios, garrisons, artifacts, warfronts, island expeditions, covenants and Torghast? Seems like it

[Cheezits]

I don't think so. In Shadowlands the team was busy with other things and the setting wasn't very popular/the lore was a headache if they wanted to introduce the races as playable.

In Dragonflight, most of the sentient races don't really work as playable. But Tuskarr could definitely be an AR at the end of the day, and maybe Drakonids as well.

[Grazrug]

I don't think so. In Shadowlands the team was busy with other things and the setting wasn't very popular/the lore was a headache if they wanted to introduce the races as playable.

In Dragonflight, most of the sentient races don't really work as playable. But Tuskarr could definitely be an AR at the end of the day, and maybe Drakonids as well.

Centaurs, Tuskarr and Gnolls are cool. But their slots would be wasted. Sethrak would be perfect for the Horde knowing we worked close with Vorrik in Vol'dun.

[Cheezits]

Centaurs, Tuskarr and Gnolls are cool. But their slots would be wasted. Sethrak would be perfect for the Horde knowing we worked close with Vorrik in Vol'dun.

I do think something is coming with the Sethrak, seeing as Blizz is possibly creating an expanded lore origin for them through Tyr's stone sentinels.

[Khaza-R]

They said they could come back but personally I don't think we will see it again.

I think they will either continue to open up customizations (which some ARs should have been) or just add bonafide new races like Dracthyr.

[Grazrug]

They said they could come back but personally I don't think we will see it again.

I think they will either continue to open up customizations (which some ARs should have been) or just add bonafide new races like Dracthyr.

Amani Trolls, Sethrak, Ogres and such would be actual races not just a recolor. That is what I am hoping for.

[Zantos]

Not a chance. Even less now since they gave void elves customization options that make them look like blood elves. I don't think they'll add anymore after that. Heck, they said when the story feels right they would add more during BFA, but that was in response to two races (jinyu and gilgoblin) not being added even though their own response even supported them being added even more.

I'd like more allied races, but they need to be more akin to the Nightborne imo. Unique enough to the faction that they don't feel like they could have honestly been a customization option instead.

[Grazrug]

Not a chance. Even less now since they gave void elves customization options that make them look like blood elves. I don't think they'll add anymore after that. Heck, they said when the story feels right they would add more during BFA, but that was in response to two races (jinyu and gilgoblin) not being added even though their own response even supported them being added even more.

I'd like more allied races, but they need to be more akin to the Nightborne imo. Unique enough to the faction that they don't feel like they could have honestly been a customization option instead.

https://preview.redd.it/qf3uh98e6oq5...=webp&ae26bdf2

This pretty much.

[chrisisvacant]

Let's be real. There's nothing that distinguishes new "bonafide" races from "allied" races except the starting zone. They were just able to grant access to the "allied" races faster by truncating most of that world building aspect. And to that end, the world building sort of played out in the relevant race's dominant zone. I'd love to see an argument that the Nightborne, Kultirans, Dark Iron, and even Zandalari aren't integral to the ongoing story.

There's nothing, in game or elsewhere, that would indicate they won't do this again. They clearly had bigger issues in SL which is why they couldn't even get the heritage armor for Humans and Orcs out during an expansion that would've made sense to have them (BFA).

They have experimented with new ways to offer races and classes. And Allied races, as a feature, was a massive hit.

[Daronokk]

Let's be real. There's nothing that distinguishes new "bonafide" races from "allied" races except the starting zone.

There are many differences, key being that Blizzard could release many Allied races in a single expansion while a regular new race is only added every few expansions. So Allied races is more content, faster. That's a big win for the fans.

Yeah, they reuse skeletons and other assets, they don't have a home city, and some of them lack customization, so there are some downsides. But I think a lot of people are still happy to have all these new races to choose from.

[Rendark]

We can only hope.

[Grazrug]

Let's be real. There's nothing that distinguishes new "bonafide" races from "allied" races except the starting zone. They were just able to grant access to the "allied" races faster by truncating most of that world building aspect. And to that end, the world building sort of played out in the relevant race's dominant zone. I'd love to see an argument that the Nightborne, Kultirans, Dark Iron, and even Zandalari aren't integral to the ongoing story.

There's nothing, in game or elsewhere, that would indicate they won't do this again. They clearly had bigger issues in SL which is why they couldn't even get the heritage armor for Humans and Orcs out during an expansion that would've made sense to have them (BFA).

They have experimented with new ways to offer races and classes. And Allied races, as a feature, was a massive hit.

I hope so it happens. I loved the idea back in Bfa and had actual motivation to level up new characters.

[PixelFox]

I think there are definitely new ones coming this expansion cycle. They're just saving it for later on.

[onesBronson]

Seeing as how Allied Races are already integrated into this latest expansion, we could be seeing more down the line. Still need a racial alternative to Forsaken and Worgen.

[Zodiark]

Like they did with scenarios, garrisons, artifacts, warfronts, island expeditions, covenants and Torghast? Seems like it

Sad thing is that all of the features you mention could have been done in a way to make them Evergreen content that would still be relevant to this day but instead Blizzard took the easy way out and just made those temporary features.

[chrisisvacant]

There are many differences, key being that Blizzard could release many Allied races in a single expansion while a regular new race is only added every few expansions. So Allied races is more content, faster. That's a big win for the fans.

Yeah, they reuse skeletons and other assets, they don't have a home city, and some of them lack customization, so there are some downsides. But I think a lot of people are still happy to have all these new races to choose from.

Yeah I outlined the distinction - which is exclusive to the world building aspect of their starting experience. Home cities are largely outdated as a concept (nobody goes to them if they don't absolutely have to and you rarely do outside of SW, Org, and the expansion hub).

Blizz builds new rigs, animations, and models every expansion (while also reusing and retooling existing ones). This happens regardless if there is a new race that expansion so this isn't added work. They then use those for both player races and NPCs.

Beyond that, it is virtually the same.