Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Eldryth]

If they do end up bringing someone back from the Shadowlands, I'd much rather it be Kael'thas. Most of his WoW appearances were awful, but the stuff about him being fixated on his guilt at not being there to defend Quel'thalas from Arthas was one of Shadowlands' few good moments. I'd love to see that get followed up by him somehow managing to help save his home from this invasion.

Preferably with him getting raised as an Undead somehow, so they don't have to mess with dead people being able to leave the afterlife freely. He could probably work well as a San'layn, they have a pretty similar feel to him.

Let's make some predictions! What would you like to see get revealed at Gamescom next week for World of Warcraft: Midnight?

A new class. That's always my biggest hope for any new expansion, and if they follow their usual pattern (which they only broke for Shadowlands), it's the right time for one. And Midnight definitely has plenty of great concepts that would fit well, so the reasoning they used for Shadowlands wouldn't really hold up here.

[JDBlou]

Sylvannas hasn't been relevant to the Quel'thalas storyline in over a decade. There isn't much narrative utility there when they can instead use Alleria who's whole exile problem is far more relevant to Quel'thalas and makes a more meaningful statement and, y'know, is set up opposing the very same current invading force

Plus, well, let's be honest: Folks are pissed off about the whole half assed redemption arc in Shadowlands as it is. We're not going to be excited to see Sylvannas come back.



No, no they are not. Shadowlands ruined Sylvannas for most people

Seven in-game years plus two full expansions is substantial narrative distance - enough time for Shadowlands' toxicity to fade while preserving what people originally liked about the character.

The problem wasn't necessarily Sylvanas herself, but how Shadowlands butchered her arc with cosmic nonsense and rushed plotting. A proper homecoming defense of Quel'Thalas could actually fix what went wrong by giving her a grounded, emotionally resonant story about protecting what she once died for, a real meat and potatoes approach to the character.
By the time Midnight launches, Shadowlands will feel like distant memory (4 years IRL).

People tend to remember characters' peaks and valleys - a genuinely great final moment could become what defines her legacy, just like Illidan's Legion redemption overshadowed his more nonsensical earlier appearances.
I'm arguing for narrative rehabilitation through good storytelling rather than permanent character exile. It takes some unearned confidence in Metzen et al, yes, but it's better than keeping her in the narrative purgatory designed for moments like this past the obvious plot inclusion.

[Xilurm]

Tell me, what leak are you talking about? I missed a lot. The only thing I can see in the video is a shoulder pad similar to Lor'themar.

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...9#post54739039

This one I guess but I'm also speaking in general. I wouldn't trust any of these leaks, they all just seem like personal wishlists.

[Santandame]

Let's make some predictions! What would you like to see get revealed at Gamescom next week for World of Warcraft: Midnight?

Class - Bard or Spellbreaker

Race - Ethereals or Naga

Allied Races - High Elves and Krokuul/Broken for the Alliance, Amani and another for the Horde though not sure what.

Features/Systems - Housing, World Tiers, Class Skins, a new iteration of the Mage Tower, old dungeons returning as Delves with a face lift, more Race/Class combinations opened up, 3rd DH spec, Augmentation reworked into a tank spec, these last two I see happening in The Last Titan but the sooner the better - return of Artifacts and Class Order Halls.

A man can dream.

- - - Updated - - -

All those text-based leaks are basically fakes. I have no doubt about that.

I am still calling the press kit image pictures featuring Turalyon, Azshara and Lorthemar are AI fakes as this expansion reveal cycle version of “the Dracrhyr screenshots are definitely fake”.

It’s what my gut is telling me.

[Cheezits]

What I expect:

-Intact Silvermoon
-playable High Elves and Amani

What I WANT (on top of that):
-Lordaeron involved
-playable Ethereals and Broken
-Spellbow or Spellblade class

What I want but will never happen:
-playble Ogri'la Ogres

[Ersula]

hard agree with this, it became more than just a general dislike in the community, people were actively fatigued with how invincible and ever present she was during all that dragging around

You're not wrong but I feel like, besides the people who have always disliked sylvanas, most of the people who hated how her character was handled would prefer a storyline with her character in a vastly different situation.

I'm not proposing her being the main character, but an aprehensive figure of support in the expansion, like Magni in TWW

[Maxilian]

What's up with this weird obsession for killing Turalyon all of a sudden?

I think is mostly cause some people want an Alliance character becoming a Villain instead of the constant Horde character becoming a Villain.

IMHO the ship for Turalyon becoming a bad guy has already left port a while ago, it could be revisited in the future if (when) we have to deal with Yrel Light Army.

But even by then, it would be a leap, unless something really bad happens to his family (or something really traumatic happens in general, like Alleria fully being consumed by the Void and doing something horrible, making Turalyon blame himself and going with the mentality of "I shall never again let the sed of corruption lies in my wake, just leaving it in the hands of "hope and fate""

[Houle]

Seven in-game years plus two full expansions is substantial narrative distance - enough time for Shadowlands' toxicity to fade while preserving what people originally liked about the character.

The problem wasn't necessarily Sylvanas herself, but how Shadowlands butchered her arc with cosmic nonsense and rushed plotting. A proper homecoming defense of Quel'Thalas could actually fix what went wrong by giving her a grounded, emotionally resonant story about protecting what she once died for, a real meat and potatoes approach to the character.
By the time Midnight launches, Shadowlands will feel like distant memory (4 years IRL).

People tend to remember characters' peaks and valleys - a genuinely great final moment could become what defines her legacy, just like Illidan's Legion redemption overshadowed his more nonsensical earlier appearances.
I'm arguing for narrative rehabilitation through good storytelling rather than permanent character exile. It takes some unearned confidence in Metzen et al, yes, but it's better than keeping her in the narrative purgatory designed for moments like this past the obvious plot inclusion.

You may be right, but you might also be underestimating just how much SL damaged a good part of the lore for many people.

There are literally still Jailer memes with sometimes hundreds to thousands of upvotes under almost every official cinematic or ingame cutscene they put on Youtube, or under official posts, or in the various forums and subreddits. The general playerbase seems to still very much remember all the bullshit from SL. And that includes Sylvanas, considering how big of a part she had in it.

Id say it would take a pretty, pretty fckn good story for people to really start warming up to the character again. Compare how mixed people have reacted to the possibility of her making a comeback now with how people had been hyped about the comeback of Illidan. The difference is immense.

[Merryck]

Let's make some predictions! What would you like to see get revealed at Gamescom next week for World of Warcraft: Midnight?

Midnight could be TWW 2.0 and I wouldn't care. As long as there's playable Ethereals.

[Maxilian]

The idea in that leak (which is still very sus) is that the Xal's minions were controlling the undead. A lich King that could put the undead back under control & make new Death Knights. Although considering there were DKs before the Lich King I don't think it should be that involved

I'm pretty sure that the DKs before the Lich King were a whole different beast.

[Mecheon]

Alleria feels she abandoned sylvanas in the defense of quel'thalas, and now quel'thalas is under attack. Reunion....High elves.... void elves.... Darkfallen.... I'd argue sylvanas has a lot more to do with Quel'thalas than Azshara does, and people have spent the last 20 pages talking about her.

I honestly feel like Metzen would agree that Sylvanas leading the Forsaken to defend Quel'thalas is the payoff of the storyline he intended for her in the first place. It's like poetry....it rhymes

I mean, yeah, you've got Alleria's side but, you seem to be misinterpreted Sylvannas'. She didn't betray Quel'thalas so I don't know why you keep bringing that up, she's already died once in its defense

Her coning back to defend some sort of NElf structure or NElf thing would have weight to it, but she wasn't there in Dragonflight for Amirdrassil so she's kind of missed that boat, and her showing up to Quel'thalas isn't going to feel much. She's always been chill with it, never touched it or threatened it, and has always just let it be.

If you didn't like the way that story was handled wouldn't you want a do-over storyline to make up for it?

Bringing her back to just off her isn't a do-over and it reeks of bad writing to do it so quickly

Let Sylvannas stay off screen for a while so her actions have some weight to them.

[Maxilian]

You're not wrong but I feel like, besides the people who have always disliked sylvanas, most of the people who hated how her character was handled would prefer a storyline with her character in a vastly different situation.

I'm not proposing her being the main character, but an aprehensive figure of support in the expansion, like Magni in TWW

I kind of find the idea funny of having Tyrande "Summon" Sylvanas through her pet, and she comes help a little against Xalathat, and before she can even have a small reunion with her sisters, Tyrande go like... Ok it's done, now fuck off back to the Maw

[Khaza-R]

All those text-based leaks are basically fakes. I have no doubt about that.

While I don't necessarily believe this one, this is historically false.

WoD was entirely text based leak
BfA was a text based leak (although the logo was leaked slightly before the reveal)
TWW was a text based leak

[Ersula]

I mean, yeah, you've got Alleria's side but, you seem to be misinterpreted Sylvannas'. She didn't betray Quel'thalas so I don't know why you keep bringing that up, she's already died once in its defense

Her coning back to defend some sort of NElf structure or NElf thing would have weight to it, but she wasn't there in Dragonflight for Amirdrassil so she's kind of missed that boat, and her showing up to Quel'thalas isn't going to feel much. She's always been chill with it, never touched it or threatened it, and has always just let it be.

What the hell are you talking about. I'm not prosing any kind of redemption storyline. I'm proposing a sister comes back to support her sisters when she needs it the most. Not everything is Star Wars.

[Vakir]

If Sylvanas as an absolute mess of a character ever has only one hater left, it's me, and I would actually like to see her in Midnight. It's the right time, situation, and context for her character to unfuck itself.

That being said, no, it should not be a permanent end to the Maw business.

[bruxx]

I bet someone will have to trade places and stay in the maw while sylvanas comes to Quel'thalas to do basically, nothing at all. It'd be a nice callback to Ysera's nothingburger in dragonflight

[Khaza-R]

Nathanos is definitely coming back. Hes more of fan favorite than Liadrin or Lorthemar

[Houle]

If Sylvanas as an absolute mess of a character ever has only one hater left, it's me, and I would actually like to see her in Midnight. It's the right time, situation, and context for her character to unfuck itself.

That being said, no, it should not be a permanent end to the Maw business.

Id say the perfect context, but wrong time, wouldve been Amirdrassil. Going from destroying the NEs old home world tree to helping defend their new home world tree from being destroyed in the same way. And then right back to cleanup duty.

It was ofc just far too soon after SL.

[Cheezits]

Nathanos is definitely coming back. Hes more of fan favorite than Liadrin or Lorthemar

Yeah, him and the Jailer.

[flan1337]

has there been any talk on what is being shown on this pc screen? https://x.com/Warcraft/status/1956829685192470555 I am guessing its a hint towards something.