[Theory] 5.4 is the halfway point of Mists of Pandaria.

[Daswolfen]

You forgot the whole month of October.

*facepalm* yeah.. you are right. My bad. Still maintain it will be April/May though.

[ablib]

Wotlk, Cata, and MoP betas took 6~months. You're suggesting that they will release an expansion in the Summer season instead of Holiday? And that's less ridiculous than my idea?

Alright.

Yes. Because I based mine off facts, and yours is based off ideas.

[Rivin]

So you think they'll announce the next expansion soon? Whens the beta going to be? Even if they started right now, they'd (historically) get it released at the end of the year.

If the next content after 5.4 is an expansion, it'll be going from a patch every 2-3 months, to a dry spell lasting at least 6 months. How many subscribers do you think they'd lose then?

Even if 5.4 is the last raid it doesn't mean it's the last patch. They could add another story patch like 5.1 or 5.3 between 5.4 and 6.0. Besides, six months between patches was pretty standard before MoP.

[ablib]

Even if 5.4 is the last raid it doesn't mean it's the last patch. They could add another story patch like 5.1 or 5.3 between 5.4 and 6.0. Besides, six months between patches was pretty standard before MoP.

I think it's obvious there will be a patch 5.5 to close out the events of Siege of Orgrimmar, and lead us into the next expansion.

[laughtrey]

Yes. Because I based mine off facts, and yours is based off ideas.

Yours is as much speculation as mine. Except no one releases AAA budget games like that in the summer, September is the earliest they would ever release an expac.

[Chingylol]

No way it will go to 5.8. I could see a 5.5, with the last patch starting the story for the next xpac, with maybe a random boss like the last one they threw in at the end of WOTLK that dropped OP trinkets just to keep players alittle busy.

[Adeivus]

Wotlk, Cata, and MoP betas took 6~months. You're suggesting that they will release an expansion in the Summer season instead of Holiday? And that's less ridiculous than my idea?

TBC beta took 3 months (Beta started October 2006, released January 2007), and WotLK 4 (started July 2008, released November 2008).

[huth]

Wotlk, Cata, and MoP betas took 6~months. You're suggesting that they will release an expansion in the Summer season instead of Holiday? And that's less ridiculous than my idea?

Alright.

WotLK was only 4 months. BC was even shorter. Blizzard has repeatedly proven that the season has nothing to do with success. You might want to check the release dates for their other games.

[Daswolfen]

Wotlk, Cata, and MoP betas took 6~months. You're suggesting that they will release an expansion in the Summer season instead of Holiday? And that's less ridiculous than my idea?

Alright.

And patches are coming at about half the speed they used to. They have stated time and again that they will be going to a quicker release schedule (18 months is their stated target number). The current speed of patch releases prove that is the schedule they are on. Ergo, since our estimates are based on real world available data as well statements by Blizzard developers, it has the weight of a educated guess. Your 'theory' based on PVP armor is far lest realistic. 8 patches? Really? World of Warcraft would not survive that long without new content, the last 6 months subscriber losses would pale into the mass exodus of players that would occur of another 15 months of Mists of Pandaria, especially with projects like The Elder Scrolls Online in the works and the decline of the MMO genre in general.

[Rivin]

Yours is as much speculation as mine. Except no one releases AAA budget games like that in the summer, September is the earliest they would ever release an expac.

Starcraft I released in March. Starcraft II released in July. Heart of the Swarm released in March. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne both released in July. Diablo III released in May. Blizzard does have a history of releasing games in the spring and summer.

[Daswolfen]

Yours is as much speculation as mine. Except no one releases AAA budget games like that in the summer, September is the earliest they would ever release an expac.

The Last of Us waves hello....

[huth]

Yours is as much speculation as mine. Except no one releases AAA budget games like that in the summer, September is the earliest they would ever release an expac.

StarCraft 2: July.
Diablo 3: May.
What were you saying?

[SL1200]

Even if 5.4 is the last raid it doesn't mean it's the last patch. They could add another story patch like 5.1 or 5.3 between 5.4 and 6.0. Besides, six months between patches was pretty standard before MoP.

I don't buy that, nobody cares about patches without raid content. I'd say very few would be satisfied by a 5.3 style patch. Something doesn't add up here and I've said it in other threads. Either we're looking at a year or more of 5.4 raiding or we're getting more raid tiers in mop. It's very strange that we have no information at all about the next expansion yet.

[Daswolfen]

Even if 5.4 is the last raid it doesn't mean it's the last patch. They could add another story patch like 5.1 or 5.3 between 5.4 and 6.0. Besides, six months between patches was pretty standard before MoP.

Again, they have stated time and again, they will be getting expansions out faster. They have NEVER had a patch release schedule like they do now. Why is it so hard for people to comprehend that. You cant use the past to predict the current trend when the current trend defies every other convention for patch and expansion release they have had previously.

[Tiberria]

I expect the PTR for 5.4 will take longer than the 5.2 PTR, because not only is there an entire new tier to test, there is also virtual realms and flex mode raiding. 5.2 was on the PTR for nearly 3 months, so I don't think a ~4 month PTR for 5.4 would be that unreasonable, pushing it to some time in October. I can't see the new expansion going live in less than 6 months after it is announced at Blizzcon. However, if you look at a time table like this.

Mid-October - 5.4
Early-February - 5.5 (lead in patch, possibly a RS type raid)
Late-April - 6.0 (new class mechanics, etc)
Mid-June - New expansion

A time table like that would be close to in line with their release schedule to date and shouldn't leave content too stale for too long.

[Pandamists]

"Pandarian Gladiator" doesn't have a ring to it, end of story. /thread

[Ericanibus]

"Pandarian Gladiator" doesn't have a ring to it, end of story. /thread

"Mystical Gladiator" doesn't sound menacing enough, as was suggested in at the start of the thread. Seems like all the names have had some sort of negative, angry, w/e feel to them. Mystical just sounds a bit too...well just not right, imo.

[Marema]

5.4 September. Xpac announced at Blizzcon. Xpac released no later then 6 months after. 5.5 released a month or so before xpac to unveil new talents, resource system and pre-xpac storylines.

Pretty obvious for those of us who've been around for a while!

[ablib]

I don't buy that, nobody cares about patches without raid content. I'd say very few would be satisfied by a 5.3 style patch. Something doesn't add up here and I've said it in other threads. Either we're looking at a year or more of 5.4 raiding or we're getting more raid tiers in mop. It's very strange that we have no information at all about the next expansion yet.

A raid tier has never lasted longer than a year. And Blizzard has made it very clear that Siege is the last tier of the expansion. What doesn't add up is why so many need to find theories when the facts are in front of their face.

It's not strange at all that we have no new info on the new expansion, the Blizzcon before the next expansion is almost 5 months away.

---------- Post added 2013-06-17 at 09:34 PM ----------

5.4 September. Xpac announced at Blizzcon. Xpac released no later then 6 months after. 5.5 released a month or so before xpac to unveil new talents, resource system and pre-xpac storylines.

Pretty obvious for those of us who've been around for a while!

This. And for those who pay attention.

[Chickat]

Fair point. An item squish or two more raids wouldn't bring the ilevels up that much. Beginning at 450 and now going up to 566 is already an insane difference, whats a few more ilevels?



So you think they'll announce the next expansion soon? Whens the beta going to be? Even if they started right now, they'd (historically) get it released at the end of the year.

If the next content after 5.4 is an expansion, it'll be going from a patch every 2-3 months, to a dry spell lasting at least 6 months. How many subscribers do you think they'd lose then?

First they said they wanted to do 1.5 year xpacs not 1 year. Second they have hinted at a 5.5 meaning there wouldn't be a 6 month lul.