They are seeking to remove faction borders

[Dizzyswiftz]

Seems like you are reading into something that's not there... they did the covenant thing because covenants is the current content.

Oh god.....my eyes.

[froschhure]

Since when are factions determined by feelings? I disagree with your statement. Seems silly way to phrase it. I'd rather keep the factions race related.

There are other sites where you can preach about that though.

stating my agenda is legit.
you can disagree, that's ok, but i will also continue with my words and btw there is no vision or paranoid whatever you gaslighting into my regular words

[Santti]

The covenants are just an expansion gimmick. Like the class halls in Legion. Or the garrison in WoD. And so and so on.

Sure, they might return in some form in the future, but what they currently are, are not an indication of what the future holds. What so ever.

[gd8]

Covenants are an expansion feature,faction is the lifeblood of the game! one stays one goes after SL, guess which one OP :P

How are factions the "lifeblood" of the game when one faction is basically dead?

[AngerFork]

I've kind of noticed this too over the last few years at Blizzcon. Part of it might be that the current presenters don't have the same intensity as Metzen, but Blizz has definitely in general gone away from the "For the Horde" and "For the Alliance" cheers. In Legion, there was a definite feel of "For Azeroth!" This year, they obviously tried to push the covenant thing. Even with BfA where the main story was Horde v. Alliance, it seemed in the panel like they were more interested in discussing what Sylvanas was doing and what was happening with Azerite than the actual split between the factions.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the barrier disappear in the next expansion or two.

[spalernTJ]

World of Warcraft wouldn't function without the faction border, why? Because Blizzard wouldn't know how to create drama without it.

[Kithelle]

Covenants are an expansion feature,faction is the lifeblood of the game! one stays one goes after SL, guess which one OP :P

But can you say that anymore? I mean pre-BFA people were complaining that from end of Mists all through WoD the game was nothing but Orc, Orcs, and Orcs, and then end of WoD through Legion its all Demons, Demons, and Demons...we're tired of all this and we want faction wars back. Then after BFA faction wars suck and people don't want another expansion like BFA

While yes, covenants are likely only a expansion feature...people seem to hate factions or just simply want them to exist for the sake of existing

[Forteofgray]

Imo two factions should exist enyway its fcuking WAR CRAFT. May it be to cooperate on the side in convenant for example or other expansion determined faction. No gnome allowed in Orgrimmar plz.

I don't know if it really makes sense to be at war forever no matter what events or nuances there are. it seems a bit forced.

[Ragnarohk]

Imo two factions should exist enyway its fcuking WAR CRAFT. May it be to cooperate on the side in convenant for example or other expansion determined faction. No gnome allowed in Orgrimmar plz.

How many years have they been at war? It doesn't even make sense anymore. Every time Blizzard reiterates the faction conflict it's a giant eye rolling "this shit again? "

Next expansion will be about how a troll made a joke about Greymane. It will start the 5th war. And maybe the 6th war will be a competition of who can hold their breath underwater the longest (spoiler, only the undead survive). 7th war, 8th war, 123rd war? Who cares, it's WARcraft after all...

You would think that after facing gods and death itself they would come to the conclusion that the tantrums they throw at eachother are futile, laughable and pathetic. But naaah... FoRr dA HooRDe and fOr tHE aLliAnZz

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Imo two factions should exist enyway its fcuking WAR CRAFT. May it be to cooperate on the side in convenant for example or other expansion determined faction. No gnome allowed in Orgrimmar plz.

Yeah, but "no working together to stop the planet/reality/universe from being destroyed" is kind of hard to accept as making any sort of sense. I'd be happy if they would just implement cross-faction play for instanced PvE content only, so people could raid and do M+ with their friends without some people having to compromise on which faction they prefer playing.

[Queen of Hamsters]

I never did tend to listen to so-called informed people on MMO-C over the devs before, ain't about to start now.

Covenants are an expansion feature. People theorized that we'd have Artifacts and Order Halls forever moving forward, and both were yeeted out of the way with BfA's release.

[rrayy]

I've kind of noticed this too over the last few years at Blizzcon. Part of it might be that the current presenters don't have the same intensity as Metzen, but Blizz has definitely in general gone away from the "For the Horde" and "For the Alliance" cheers. In Legion, there was a definite feel of "For Azeroth!" This year, they obviously tried to push the covenant thing. Even with BfA where the main story was Horde v. Alliance, it seemed in the panel like they were more interested in discussing what Sylvanas was doing and what was happening with Azerite than the actual split between the factions.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the barrier disappear in the next expansion or two.

YOU missed where they outright did the for For the Horde/For the Alliance in the opening ceremonies. That alone sys they aren't going away from it. As it is, they are not removing factions.

[Devilyaki]

That’s how the horde and alliance imbalance happened. Top players went horde for the OP facials and the more casual player base followed “cause top players do it”.

think it was just a little bit less of that, at lest at the start. More people picking 'what looked cool'

[Lurker1]

Well covenants are not the way to go seeing how most just picked the one that sims the best, can’t really care about something if it isn’t really an option to begin with.

Following sims lol no thanks.

[Meleti]

That’s how the horde and alliance imbalance happened. Top players went horde for the OP facials and the more casual player base followed “cause top players do it”.

I think a lot of the lower end raiders followed because that was where the guilds were. I looked in MoP for an Alliance raiding guild but couldn’t find one with the raid times and number of days I was looking for, so I faction swapped over to Horde and have remained there.

[Culex]

Good I would be much more inclined to play if this was the case, I have family that will only play alliance and some that will only play horde, we would finally be able to play together, if we still play by then that is.

[AngerFork]

YOU missed where they outright did the for For the Horde/For the Alliance in the opening ceremonies. That alone sys they aren't going away from it. As it is, they are not removing factions.

No, I saw that. But previous Blizzcons had a ton of For the Alliance/For the Horde moments, not to mention a lot of ribbing by the devs towards other factions. This year, it really just didn't feel like the factions were all that important, aside from Ion's comments during the Q&A. That doesn't mean that they are 100% removing or keeping them, but it does IMO speak to the faction conflict not being as ingrained today as it was in WoW's past.

My guess is some sort of half mercenary mode that allows for cross-faction guilds and PvE groups, but not a full removal of the factions themselves.

[GUZ]

Well covenants are not the way to go seeing how most just picked the one that sims the best, can’t really care about something if it isn’t really an option to begin with.

lol people did that with horde

[Selastan]

Honestly, they are in a hole and I'm curious how they get out of it.

On one hand, it must be tough creating a story where the Horde and Alliance ALWAYS have a reason to fight each-other. This on-off war has been going of for DECADES. How many people has the player character alone killed in this war? How is the planet's population going to survive this?

On the other, they believe Horde vs Alliance is the core of the fantasy to Blizzard. No matter who the villain of the day is, it's still Orcs vs Humans. They can't just make peace and let gnomes get their stink all up in Orgrimmar.

[Luxeley]

Good, it should've happened after MOP. Horde vs. Alliance is very much Xavier vs Magneto, after like 4 or 5 frienemy xpacs/movies - enough already, move on. If players want the faction in full throttle Warmode then that'll be a big part of the Classic server lure. After teaming up to defeat strong foes then breaking off into war mode again 4 or 5 times, its getting harder and harder to sell me or anyone with a brain on the Horde vs. Alliance war or even cold war.