The War Within 11.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[lostsoup]

And it begins: People shitting on an expansion and calling it boring based on one image lmao.

Less "boring" (if it's real, we don't know any of its features) and more that it doesn't seem like "20th anniversary hype expansion that would bring people back" material. There's no strong theme here, it's just an expansion with a cool sounding name. Something like Legion or Dragonflight immediately tells you what it's about, and if it didn't then the promotional artwork would give you an idea. This just kinda... doesn't do that.

[Teriz]

I thought the direction you think it went was Elementals, what do the Norse and Vikings have to do with those now?

Because of titan stuff that will no doubt be also part of the expansion. I think we're looking at Elementals being primary theme and titans being a secondary theme.

[Merryck]

That's just AI. The details in the terrain and the clouds, how the dwarf is posed, the tail looks weird ... doesn't look like Blizzard's work, but like someone put through that gryphon rider artwork in an AI generator and made variants.

[Reive]

Less "boring" (if it's real, we don't know any of its features) and more that it doesn't seem like "20th anniversary hype expansion that would bring people back" material. There's no strong theme here, it's just an expansion with a cool sounding name. Something like Legion or Dragonflight immediately tells you what it's about, and if it didn't then the promotional artwork would give you an idea. This just kinda... doesn't do that.

they need a really badass cinematic

[Santandame]

Looking at that art, Stormbreak seems like it would be... underwhelming. It's a dwarf on a gryphon and there's lightning, cool. So... what's the expansion about? Flying and lightning? 10.0 was already all about flying, and lightning with Razsageth. And somehow I doubt there's many people interested in a Dwarf expansion for the 20th anniversary.

If the expansion was about a world revamp, I think the name would be more indicative of that. This just seems like a compilation of all the "real leaks" so far (something windy from Marlamin, Algarian Stormrider/Khaz Algar).

Though with that Classic-looking logo, maybe it's a Classic+ expansion instead of being for Retail. Hm.

We know that Avaloren is surrounded by treacherous storms that only Nightsquall and his fleet have managed to traverse.

I could totally see a scenario where the player characters become “Storm Riders”(champion, maw walker, commander, death lord/archdruid/Farseer/netherlord etc) to attempt to navigate the storm and make it to Avaloren. I could see this reflected in the first excursion to Avaloren in game. Imagine an in game event of players flying gryphons to Avaloren as we seek a “break” in the storm to get through. A fleet of gryphon riders being led by say Magni on a gryphon and Thrall on a wyvern with the Alliance and Horde players ride their respective faction mounts. As we attempt to navigate the storm we see Nightsquall’s fleet sailing through the storm below us with Iridikron flying among us in the storm causing mayhem whilst he leads the heretics against us in battle. After the battle begins to die down (after several major casualties) the storm begins to dissipate and Avaloren is revealed to us. An Arthurian castle, grand in scale beneath us with swathes of enchanted woods, mushroom forests and large flowing rivers. A shattered plains of fissures and ravines past that with thunderstorms striking. A sinister Old God fortress dedicated to Xal’atath looms forebodingly in the distance.

It could be a wicked in game event leading into us first setting foot on Avaloren and could play into the expansions potential names.

[Catastrophy349]

https://x.com/Qwik/status/1708912480658002266?s=20

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Titans and Void make me happy

[JMitchy96]

Though with that Classic-looking logo, maybe it's a Classic+ expansion instead of being for Retail. Hm.

This being a classic expansion was my first thought when I saw it as well, especially with that logo (well, second thought behind it being fake)

[Worldshaper]

Less "boring" (if it's real, we don't know any of its features) and more that it doesn't seem like "20th anniversary hype expansion that would bring people back" material. There's no strong theme here, it's just an expansion with a cool sounding name. Something like Legion or Dragonflight immediately tells you what it's about, and if it didn't then the promotional artwork would give you an idea. This just kinda... doesn't do that.

I will grant you that the name doesn't instantly reveal what the expansion's familiar theme is. That is a good point. But to be fair, neither did Shadowlands unless you were super into the lore.

I do think what old school players (speaking as one myself) value most, though, are these things:

- Chris Metzen announces it with his booming voice
- Familiar characters like Thrall are back
- Azeroth in focus
- The theme feels cool, badass, and easy to grasp
- The cinematic gets you hyped up, with lots of epic moments akin to the WoD trailer

Let me tell you, a lot of the old school players back in my day used to be way into gritty races like dwarves and orcs. That's what they connected with most, because they were a bunch of dudes who grew up with listening to metal and consuming media before it was all anime and Stardew Valley.

WoW has only gotten progressively "softer", if you pardon the expression, over the years, as Blizzard has felt they needed to cater to younger audiences with limited experience with all of that stuff.

Right now, Blizzard is able to retain the "lifestyle" players who won't quit no matter what. But they probably want all those old school players, who are now 35-40+ and have got a lot of money to spend. The best way to get to them is by doing what you used to do, 20 years ago.

[milkmustache]

This being a classic expansion was my first thought when I saw it as well, especially with that logo (well, second thought behind it being fake)

Eh, if we use the "no nameplate under logo" point, then it's probably just a fake. Classic also has been going without a nameplate under the logo.

[huth]

Ian Bates (Red Shirt Guy) has officially posted the leak, so it's Out There now.

https://twitter.com/TheRedShirtGuy/s...41538103808395

The argumentation doesn't really convince me. Last time, it was new (and way better quality, too). This time, it could easily be a copy cat.

[Dracullus]

The argumentation doesn't really convince me. Last time, it was new (and way better quality, too). This time, it could easily be a copy cat.

Especially how similar it sounds compared to Dragonflight launch. First boss was literally called Storm-Eater...

[Lazarel]

made a cata classic logo in 10 minutes

[Ferlion]

Storm breaker is a fantastic leak.

So much drama.

So much tension.

Real or fake, this is what Leakmas is all about. Coming together as a community.

[huth]

made a cata classic logo in 10 minutes

For what it's worth, that looks more believable than Stormbreak.

[lostsoup]

made a cata classic logo in 10 minutes

Now it's a real leak!

[Hitei]

Now it's a real leak!

It's all fun and games until 10 pages from now when some random person shows up and reposts it talking about how someone posted it in one of their discords.

[Mecheon]

Right now, Blizzard is able to retain the "lifestyle" players who won't quit no matter what. But they probably want all those old school players, who are now 35-40+ and have got a lot of money to spend. The best way to get to them is by doing what you used to do, 20 years ago.

20 years ago was a completely different gaming enviroment. Nowerdays everyone's got a computer in their pocket that is probably stronger than whatever they first played WoW on. But, likewise, folks choices may have changed since the time. Remember, WoW was the casual's MMO. You say its soft now but, WoW was always the softest one out there, with these laughable, casual features of 'just having to walk back to your corpse' rather than lose XP on death and risking losing entire levels, or even managing to keep your items to use to get back to your corpse! Laughably casual

And being the soft casual one let it absolutely destroy the market at the time.

And, well, they did a "Here's what we did 20 years ago". It was Classic. Its still going, and its popular, but it isn't peak popularity. Aiming just at the old school players who have had their time isn't going to help, you need new blood

[flan1337]

Yeah, because it's Classic.

I dont believe in the Stormbreak leak logo as I agree there is a new design language. I wouldnt however get hung up on its debunked due to the R curve. Its clearly fake because it no longer follows the design guidelines blizzard has now established for WoW Logos(including classic). The biggest being the no longer using a container for the expansion name IE Dragonflight

Me showing the blizzard website though was to show that blizz still keeps around that base logo. I do think one day we might see an upgrade to it as its slightly longer than what is currently used. The Classic logo also shows how the R can be flexable.

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https://x.com/Qwik/status/1708912480658002266?s=20

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Titans and Void make me happy

"... Warcraft, and WoW .... "

What does he mean by WARCRAFT?

[ZyntosAran]

I dont believe in the Stormbreak leak logo as I agree there is a new design language. I wouldnt however get hung up on its debunked due to the R curve. Its clearly fake because it no longer follows the design guidelines blizzard has now established for WoW Logos(including classic). The biggest being the no longer using a container for the expansion name IE Dragonflight

Me showing the blizzard website though was to show that blizz still keeps around that base logo. I do think one day we might see an upgrade to it as its slightly longer than what is currently used. The Classic logo also shows how the R can be flexable.

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"... Warcraft, and WoW .... "

What does he mean by WARCRAFT?

Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble.

[Reive]

"... Warcraft, and WoW .... "

What does he mean by WARCRAFT?

Warcraft rumble
Hearthstone
Wow retail
Wow classic
wc3
maybe some other warcraft related project