9.0 General Discussion

[deviantcultist]

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...next-expansion

This is interesting. The collector's edition leak matches the mount description of that guy. How knowledgable can he be or what are the odds of a coincidence?

[Nagawithlegs]

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...next-expansion

This is interesting. The collector's edition leak matches the mount description of that guy. How knowledgable can he be or what are the odds of a coincidence?

CE leak was yesterday, this came out today. Could easily be someone just using the CE leak as a basis for his fake leak in Bastion.

Promise that it isn't me.

[formerShandalay]

If that map from back in July (?) is actually the real first leak, then I think we ourselves are tearing the Shadowlands a new... hole by killing N'zoth and that's why the passage is in Ny'alotha instead of Icecrown. To me this would also indicate that this was actually part of the Old Gods' plan since at least the Lich King got created, because they needed a new one when Kil'jaeden blocked the first gateway with the Throne.

[Nagawithlegs]

https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...dowlands/64546

I've been reading this leak and a lot of it lines up with what we know, ESPECIALLY the "rivers of soul" concept that we can see in the Bastion artwork.

There are some weird things like a focus on Nyalotha (probably wrong) and a mention of Ethereals (maybe the leaker meant Spirit Healers?)

[Fallen of Lordaeron]

Epilogue broadcast text confirms we succeeded and he's gone. You even get the title "Slayer of N'Zoth".

Yeah, but Xal'athath is still some flavor of elder being waiting to make a move. She's also the one who placed the dagger in the position to kill N'zoth. Old gods warred for thousands of years against each other. It's not inconceivable for her to want us to finish off her last remaining rival, then make the move to claim the Black Empire for herself.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

The Epilogue was sadly datamined, and its just a generic "you did it hero, thanks! Azeroth is free!" Sorry it's "YE DID ET hero! Azurth is FREE thanks to YE!"

Yeah but there's still a ingame cinematic(Not cutscene) shows how N'zoth is dead or rather after the player character blasts N'zoth with the HoA. How that ends we don't know. We know N'zoth is vanquished but like Legion BFA will go into the next expansion in some way. Its possible SOMEONE will stab N'zoth with the dagger putting him in there or some other shennigan.

[lostsoup]

https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...dowlands/64546

I've been reading this leak and a lot of it lines up with what we know, ESPECIALLY the "rivers of soul" concept that we can see in the Bastion artwork.

There are some weird things like a focus on Nyalotha (probably wrong) and a mention of Ethereals (maybe the leaker meant Spirit Healers?)

Yeah, that's the original Shadowlands leak. All the stuff after, like the ghost ships and Stormwind raid, were from people piggybacking on this one leak.

[Damien Handler]

If that map from back in July (?) is actually the real first leak, then I think we ourselves are tearing the Shadowlands a new... hole by killing N'zoth and that's why the passage is in Ny'alotha instead of Icecrown. To me this would also indicate that this was actually part of the Old Gods' plan since at least the Lich King got created, because they needed a new one when Kil'jaeden blocked the first gateway with the Throne.

That leak could also be true and they changed the transit from Ny'alotha to ICC during development.

[Vakir]

https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...dowlands/64546

I've been reading this leak and a lot of it lines up with what we know, ESPECIALLY the "rivers of soul" concept that we can see in the Bastion artwork.

There are some weird things like a focus on Nyalotha (probably wrong) and a mention of Ethereals (maybe the leaker meant Spirit Healers?)

Gotta remember, rivers of souls in the style on the pamphlet are a pretty standard fantasy trope.

This also aligns with a fake map that came out with it and a logo that didn't match. Seems unlikely.

[Fallen of Lordaeron]

I very much doubt Blizz would send us back to Ny'alotha after we just went there, and will likely spend a few months looking at it.

We went from Orc raid to Orc expansion pretty smoothly. Followed by Legion raid to Legion expansion. Also Dragonblight to Dragonblight if you wanna count Wrath-Cata reused assets.

[Nagawithlegs]

I usually don't buy the "LOL THEY SCRAPPED X THE LEAK IS STILL REAL" but I get strong vibes that the original Shadowlands leak may be true, and N'zoth really did get scrubbed out of the story.

[SpicedCarp]

The description of that guy gives for what he played about all the portals and stuffs, just sounds like what was theorized The Alinir Riftlands from that map would be.

[formerShandalay]

That leak could also be true and they changed the transit from Ny'alotha to ICC during development.

Yes, that could also be it, but I think Vol'jin saying that Icecrown is a gateway to the afterlife pre-dates that leak, so it would already have been changed by then, I think. Also, Icecrown was connected to death so much, that I'd find it hard to believe they decided on Icecrown after anything else. Icecrown would always have been the first choice.

[Nagawithlegs]

The description of that guy gives for what he played about all the portals and stuffs, just sounds like what was theorized The Alinir Riftlands from that map would be.

It might actually just be a leak based on that leak. Very little of it matches up with Bastion now that I think about it: other than the mention of a Spirit Healer questgiver (they aren't mentioned in the original leak).

[lostsoup]

I usually don't buy the "LOL THEY SCRAPPED X THE LEAK IS STILL REAL" but I get strong vibes that the original Shadowlands leak may be true, and N'zoth really did get scrubbed out of the story.

Yeah, things seem to be lining up with that leak pretty well. It also mentions that the Bolvar will be the one who takes us to the Shadowlands, and although that's not a hard guess it still matches up really well with the recent stuff regarding him.

[cocomen2]

Squint hard at "T" word or Dark Rangers? In a death expansion a death related or dark themed class is more likely.

Relax man, "T" word is off limits for now , The Teriz got himself banned for blizzcon duration.

Sadly looking Tinkers , could become a reality.

Its gonna be Salty as Death entity.

[Fallen of Lordaeron]

https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/en/wo...dowlands/64546

I've been reading this leak and a lot of it lines up with what we know, ESPECIALLY the "rivers of soul" concept that we can see in the Bastion artwork.

There are some weird things like a focus on Nyalotha (probably wrong) and a mention of Ethereals (maybe the leaker meant Spirit Healers?)

Reading it, it does make sense given story progression.

Sylvanas gets her instant redemption in being secret good guy.
Tyrande gets closure with Elune, who abandoned them to fight in the Shadowlands.
Bolvar bringing us there.
Saurfang was listed as a fallen hero, despite not having died yet (death was predictable, but still).

This still feels like a major contingency issue to me though:

"The Old Gods are not dead. They are sleeping in Ny’alotha. N’Zoth has been redirecting souls to fuel the Old Gods’ ascension back into the world. The Black Empire will rise again very soon. This is what Azshara saw when she died."

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I usually don't buy the "LOL THEY SCRAPPED X THE LEAK IS STILL REAL" but I get strong vibes that the original Shadowlands leak may be true, and N'zoth really did get scrubbed out of the story.

Maybe...I'm not sure though.. that whitescreen you see after the cutscene where the player blasts N'zoth with the HoA is obviously in place of the ingame cinematic to show..what leads to X8. Thing is if N'zoth just dies normally what leads that to Shadowlands? Only thing I could guess is.... the camera then pans from a third person view of N'zoth to a first person view of the Lich King.

That last part I'm talking out of my ass.

[Tiradon]

Yeah, things seem to be lining up with that leak pretty well. It also mentions that the Bolvar will be the one who takes us to the Shadowlands, and although that's not a hard guess it still matches up really well with the recent stuff regarding him.

Sounds like someone was on point since July...

[SpicedCarp]

Could it be BFAs original planned ending was shortened and chopped down a bit due to the reception, and by extension some of the early concepts for 9.0 were changed with it? Pretty sure they start development of the next expansion not long after one is released.

That map from a few months back could just be a rough concept that's been changed a ton of times by now.