What if the next expansion is not a Burning Legion one?

[MrSerious]

If WoW is losing 1.3 million subs per quarter, so another 4 million by the end of the year. Another 18months of a crap expansion after MoP has finished could kill of WoW if it continues the way it is.

It has to be the legion. They wouldn't take the risk.

[Deleted]

guys, it will be a burning legion expansion, seriously with the amount of hints it would be utterly retarded if it wasnt..
we have
a) green meteors crashing into earth (inferals)
b) wrathion flat out saying 'THE BURNING LEGION WILL FIND AZEROTH'
c) blizzard saying alleria and turalyon will return, and their stories are heavily intertwinted with the legion
d) MoP is supposed to be the silence before the storm
e) the next expansion will be during WoW's 10th anniversary, what better way to celebrate it than with the most iconic villain of Warcraft?

one word for you - Time.
yes it's going to happen, but we don't know when.

[nyctre10]

Okay, say we do get a legion expac..and we fight, maybe...full power kil'jaeden. What then?

I doubt sargeras would just forgive us and let us go about our business. Then we'd have to fight him too. Wouldn't that require TBC 3.0, though? Cause it seems to me like too much content.
And yes, that would be epic and everything but there's a finality to it. Sure, there are Old Gods out there but Sargeras is either just as if not more powerful than they are...

I don't know, it seems to me like Burning Legion would only work if they came up with a reason to keep Sargeras at bay and reserve him for a final expansion or something..but well :P that might just be me seeing him as the final boss of the franchise..being a titan and all

[Deleted]

Burning Legion isn't as popular as some people think, Ottland was dark, empty and boring. Yes I know we have to fight them at some point, but I would prefer something more original then yet another repeat from WC 3 story.

[Gruntykins]

A Slipspace portal opens up and we get to go to the Starcraft universe for an expansion or tier. You know you want it...

[nyctre10]

A Slipspace portal opens up and we get to go to the Starcraft universe for an expansion or tier. You know you want it...

Haha count me in.

[Deleted]

I think we'll never face Sargeras directly in WoW.
Maybe the next expansion will be Legion based, but won't conclude the fight.

[Armourboy]

Its honestly hard to say what happens if its not. We already know lots of people are thinking its going to be Burning Legion, and I would imagine in some cases they are already looking forward to it. I also agree that it feels too soon to have the " last battle " so I can also see the view that it would be overkill to have this one be Burning Legion and the next one too.

The problem I think Blizzard has created is that after MoP, many players are ready to get back to the more traditional bad guys. MoP was a nice diversion, it was nice to see they could completely create all new stories and lore from basically thin air, but I'm not real sure how well the game does if we get something other than Burning Legion.

Azshara while well known, just doesn't do it for some people. The same definitely can be said about the Emerald Dream too. South Seas won't really excite too many people I don't think either ( talking the gamers, the lore guys may love all of this stuff). Old Gods, while not directly involved in this expansion have still been underlying, and frankly I think even I'm tired of the damn Old Gods right now.

While I kind of agree that game play wise and story wise, that something other than Burning Legion may fit better ( so we have it at level 100), I just don't know if its the best for the bottom line. Burning Legion probably means lots of people coming back for a bit, anything other than that I think things could go in a rather steep decline.

[Orasay1996]

I've said it before and i say it again TWO PARTER!
I honestly think blizzard will pull a Harry potter and the deathly hallows on us...

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I think we'll never face Sargeras directly in WoW.
Maybe the next expansion will be Legion based, but won't conclude the fight.

I. Love. You.

Every time someone claims at 100 we kill Sargeras then get a free copy of Titan, I want to punch a kitten.

---------- Post added 2013-05-20 at 07:16 AM ----------

I've said it before and i say it again TWO PARTER!
I honestly think blizzard will pull a Harry potter and the deathly hallows on us...

Eh, not in the same way.

It'd be invasion (blue child, Outland mini-revamp, broken/ogre), and retaliation (Argus, demon hunter, ethereal), ending with the death of Kil'Jaedan, who has totally usurped the legion because no one has seen Sargeras since Medivh died.

[Punisher069]

I'm hoping for Azshara, she's a bit too important to just leave hanging around.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I'm hoping for Azshara, she's a bit too important to just leave hanging around.

Well she's an ancient at this point, she's the most powerful mage alive and ever, and now is the elemental Lord of water since she controls Neptulon.

Post-KJ is where she belongs. As a threat to pull us back to Azeroth.

[Punisher069]

Well she's an ancient at this point, she's the most powerful mage alive and ever, and now is the elemental Lord of water since she controls Neptulon.

Post-KJ is where she belongs. As a threat to pull us back to Azeroth.

Well for that reason I think she should be dealt with first, but as long as Blizzard does not forget about her I'll be fine.

[smokii]

After a certain interview, I began to have serious doubts on the legion being next. I think it'll be legion related, but it'll be them invading Azeroth, not us invading them (that'll be the following expansion). Let's throw a few ideas out there: Azshara once summoned Sargaras to Azeroth. And there was another time Sargaras was here as an avatar of himself but was defeated and buried in the Tomb of Sargaras (which is yet another location that is within the south seas area). We also know that islands can be raised from the sea through magic. So, I think what happens that'll tie everything together is that Wrathion, using what he gained from Pandaria, such as titan artifacts, may somehow use this stuff to assist Azshara in resummoning Sargaras or somehow reviving the avatar in the tomb. Someone had a strong theory that Wrathion's goal is to summon the pantheon to Azeroth and may bring the legion to Azeroth to accomplish this.

So, I think the Azshara expansion is next and we will have a legion invasion happening to help it along. There can be a N'zoth raid in the Emerald Dream (which in my opinion, should be limited as a raid/zone like the Isle of Thunder). Things like Kul Tiras, the Abyssal Maw and all the other missing isles can be added. It is in this expansion that we can tie up all the loose ends on Azeroth and set us up for 90-95 (Azshara) and 95-100 (Legion). After those expansions, Titan will already be out and WoW will have finally told it's most important stories by that point.

i like this a lot actually... will keep my fingers crossed it plays out like this - btw, which "certain" interview?

edit: it would be cool to have the legion summoned to azeroth again by azshara, we defeat them on azeroth and then in the next expansion, we go to argus or w/e the hell they come from and finish them off for good.

i've always loved the idea of all the extra islands in the south seaths, kezan, tel'abim, zuldazar, kul'tiras and the rest of the queen azshara story. if they can queeze Nzoth and some emerald dream in too, that'd be excellent. (i'd also love a pirate hero class)

but then, after fighting off the legion for a 2nd time, the titans come down and are all "wtf bro, you guys are bad ass fighting the legion off twice! we should totally help you guys to finish them off for good" they then open up a super portal (dark portal V2.0) that takes us to the legion homeworld. which sets us up for the final expansion, level 100 and other stuff.

[Deleted]

After a certain interview, I began to have serious doubts on the legion being next. I think it'll be legion related, but it'll be them invading Azeroth, not us invading them (that'll be the following expansion). Let's throw a few ideas out there: Azshara once summoned Sargaras to Azeroth. And there was another time Sargaras was here as an avatar of himself but was defeated and buried in the Tomb of Sargaras (which is yet another location that is within the south seas area). We also know that islands can be raised from the sea through magic. So, I think what happens that'll tie everything together is that Wrathion, using what he gained from Pandaria, such as titan artifacts, may somehow use this stuff to assist Azshara in resummoning Sargaras or somehow reviving the avatar in the tomb. Someone had a strong theory that Wrathion's goal is to summon the pantheon to Azeroth and may bring the legion to Azeroth to accomplish this.

So, I think the Azshara expansion is next and we will have a legion invasion happening to help it along. There can be a N'zoth raid in the Emerald Dream (which in my opinion, should be limited as a raid/zone like the Isle of Thunder). Things like Kul Tiras, the Abyssal Maw and all the other missing isles can be added. It is in this expansion that we can tie up all the loose ends on Azeroth and set us up for 90-95 (Azshara) and 95-100 (Legion). After those expansions, Titan will already be out and WoW will have finally told it's most important stories by that point.

The idea is very nice, but IMO using 2 major antagonists (Azshara and the Burning Legion) in a single expansion is a bit of a waste, unless we don't get to fight Kil'Jaeden himself but only his lieutenants. Besides that Azshara is technically in league with the Old Gods and not with the Legion anymore. But it wouldn't be the first time that the Old Gods try to lure the Legion to Azeroth in order to break free from their prisons so it would make sense.

[Deleted]

As long as the next expansion is as fantasy as the meaning could ever be, like Outland, and not another oriental wonder then I'll be happy either way.

I want to be immersed, not reminded of my local take-away.

[Deleted]

I would say, woop woop. Couldnt care less for the burning legion. Would prefer Azshara over BL by far.

[Wildtree]

alright, I'm gonna say it........

How to keep a WoW nerd busy?
Drop very vague hints and tidbits about different hero and villain npc's, then watch how the speculations going viral and out of control.
If there's anything Blizzard does masterfully then it is just that. But then, it's fairly easy to do it. WoW nerds are a thankful prey that bites for about anything.

Now for a few mixed thoughts....
1. Does an expansion theme have to revolve entirely around the burning legion, emerald dream, azshara or whomever else?
No, not really. Either could be included and drive lose end storyline further.

2. What speaks for yet another expansion themed for the Burning Legion?
The glory of the first WoW Expansion. And only that.....

3. What speaks against another Burning Legion expansion?
The glory of the first WoW Expansion. WoW progressed and evolved into a different kind of game ever since TBC. People would likely constantly compare between the two.
There's a plethora of reasons against yet another expansion dedicated to the Burning Legion. But there's very little reasons for it.

Which leads back to 1. There's no reason to stamp the next expansion as BL theme, yet the BL still re-appears.

[Deleted]

Given how boring TBC was I would love for the next expansion to be different than TBC #2.

[reckoner04]

I guess it will be both Burning Legion and Azshara/Naga themed, probably involving a bit of revamping/putting to use of Outlands. Which doesn't mean that they won't make a new continent, they very clearly stated that not creating a new continent was a big mistake in Cataclysm. Outlands is just too outdated to be left the way it is for another expansion, so they either have to do something with it or change the system so that it can be skipped.

It sounds plausible to me at least, but I'm neither an expert nor an insider .