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

[Myrrh]

So, a "Gilgoblin Cosmetics" spell was added.

https://x.com/portergauge/status/170...362514798?s=46

I remember that a few Naga themed "Cosmetic" spells got added as well. However, I'm starting to think that these aren't tied to actual cosmetic items, but something to do with NPCs. So we may see Gilgoblins soon.

Maybe something related to the Jinyu? The last time we saw the Gilgoblins was with the Ankoan Jinyu.

Gilgoblins are in the throne of the tides which is being fiddled with for the m+ version. They moved them around in the dungeon (on mobile but Stankie has a quick youtube vid showcasing) and I think gave them a facelift. The very similar naga datamines were the Naz'Jar naga which are specifically located in that dungeon and received similar treatment. I wouldn't read into this one much.

[Izalla]

Well... given the name Khaz Algar, the possible Gryphon model asset that was found, and the name Stormrider.

It is going to be extremely connected to the Wildhammer clan who seem to be the masters of riding the skies.

I even had an idea that if a revamp were to happen, one idea they could try is a dungeon that is essentially a race across the Hinterlands with all the inhabitants participating as "obstacles" (like fighting a Green Dragon and then moving on to fight one of the Forest Trolls to retrieve a marker the dwarves left behind) and utilizing active flying (dragonriding) until we face off against Falstad as the final opponent.. where we fight him inside a vortex.

Please let this mean more Wildhammer content!

[Cheezits]

Gilgoblins are in the throne of the tides which is being fiddled with for the m+ version. They moved them around in the dungeon (on mobile but Stankie has a quick youtube vid showcasing) and I think gave them a facelift. The very similar naga datamines were the Naz'Jar naga which are specifically located in that dungeon and received similar treatment. I wouldn't read into this one much.

Oh, I didn't know they were in the dungeon at all. Are they in the skippable wing? That would explain it.

[Sinstrike]

You don't have to be legally obligated to be held in check, my guy. Just because someone can't be sued for damages doesn't mean they can't be removed from any future collaborations, events, interviews, etc. if they screw up in a large way.

He is probably just guessing based on vague hints and his own ideas.

It’s not like he said “we’re going to Avaloren. Here’s the name of the expansion, and every feature”.

He has hinted that we need to think more about “under the sea than above it”, and posted images of caves saying he’d like to go to one, etc. He maintains plausible deniability.

With that being said, I don’t watch his stream, and I don’t know anything about him other than he usually teases things and ends up being 100% correct as far as I am aware.

[Cheezits]

If this were the case, you'd see plenty of other content creators also doing it. It's not like he's at the forefront of modern wow content creation.

I don't think he cares as much, exactly. He doesn't seem to go to press events or interviews, he doesn't have a youtube, he has other games he focuses on. Taleisin, Bellular, MRGMT... currently, WoW is the one and only.

The higher up you are, the less likely you are to leak. It's your livelihood on the line.

[milkmustache]

I understand that going to Avaloren, Khaz Algar, heretic land, whatever is looking like it may be the natural sequel to Dragonflight, but it still feels weird. It feels really weird to just go from one mystical isle to another (I guess one mystical realm to mystical isle to another). I'm just curious how exactly we get to that step narratively.

[Woggmer]

He probably has the greenlight to publicly tease future content, to an extent (he had to delete some posts this time)

Or he knows whats coming and is just making stuff up to throw people off Blizz's trail... The amount of hype they're generating for this makes it more than just "We're going to Avaloren (or Khaz Algar)" Especially since they keep repeating that whats coming will effect WoW's future.

Even Mike Ybarra on Twitter said that Warcraft / WoW has the most news this year.

It's just the way the team did the graphic. I understand your point. But Warcraft, and WoW, have the most news this year. We're excited to see you all!https://twitter.com/Qwik/status/1708912480658002266

[flan1337]

Get the Beyond the Storm FANFIC LEAKS ROLLING - Seems like we might see the other side of Azeroth...

I want a world revamp but what if this other side allows us to bring everyone along? What if the other side includes a 1-70 experience?

[Cheezits]

I understand that going to Avaloren, Khaz Algar, heretic land, whatever is looking like it may be the natural sequel to Dragonflight, but it still feels weird. It feels really weird to just go from one mystical isle to another (I guess one mystical realm to mystical isle to another). I'm just curious how exactly we get to that step narratively.

I understand that they need to make new things, but if they skip factions again because they are held back by an eventual revamp, I'm going to go insane.

Hopefully the fact that we have faction-themed races (dwarves) means that we at least get some faction lore.

[flan1337]

I understand that going to Avaloren, Khaz Algar, heretic land, whatever is looking like it may be the natural sequel to Dragonflight, but it still feels weird. It feels really weird to just go from one mystical isle to another (I guess one mystical realm to mystical isle to another). I'm just curious how exactly we get to that step narratively.

My guess is that we will see iridikron fly into the storm and bring it to us. That is why they had to move the map over to the left.

[Myrrh]

Oh, I didn't know they were in the dungeon at all. Are they in the skippable wing? That would explain it.

They were yeah, though moved to the final wing now with the elementals I think (at least in m+)

[Izalla]

I understand that going to Avaloren, Khaz Algar, heretic land, whatever is looking like it may be the natural sequel to Dragonflight, but it still feels weird. It feels really weird to just go from one mystical isle to another (I guess one mystical realm to mystical isle to another). I'm just curious how exactly we get to that step narratively.

Is this the first time something so heavily hinted at happened in the expac immediately after it? Legion was teased in Mists, the Shadowlands plot (that wasn't being retroactively woven in) began in Legion, Dragon Isles were mentioned in BFA, and Mists was the first time they actually had an expansion tie into the next so WoD couldn't have this treatment (and also WoD was so out of left field that there wasn't any way anything in Azeroth could hint to such a destination).

[milkmustache]

I understand that they need to make new things, but if they skip factions again because they are held back by an eventual revamp, I'm going to go insane.

Hopefully the fact that we have faction-themed races (dwarves) means that we at least get some faction lore.

And that's hoping that these new dwarves are similar to the dwarves we know. It just feels weird having such little interaciton with the factions we're so integrally a part of. We don't need to be warring or even sparring, but just not using them feels so foreign. Watch Anduin be on Avaloren though lol.

Is this the first time something so heavily hinted at happened in the expac immediately after it? Legion was teased in Mists, the Shadowlands plot (that wasn't being retroactively woven in) began in Legion, Dragon Isles were mentioned in BFA, and Mists was the first time they actually had an expansion tie into the next so WoD couldn't have this treatment (and also WoD was so out of left field that there wasn't any way anything in Azeroth could hint to such a destination).

I was thinking this too, but it seems so heavy handed that it can't be anything other than that. I don't know of any other ideas besides Other Side of Azeroth. Hopium makes me want to say world revamp, but even then, does this storyline just get put on hold?

[Izalla]

I don't think he cares as much, exactly. He doesn't seem to go to press events or interviews, he doesn't have a youtube, he has other games he focuses on. Taleisin, Bellular, MRGMT... currently, WoW is the one and only.

The higher up you are, the less likely you are to leak. It's your livelihood on the line.

He might not care about himself, but I should think he would care about whoever he got the info from =/

[Woggmer]

I sort of doubt the Wildhammer are involved. They are a pretty specific region. Unless that frontier stuff is coming back around and we're taking an entire settler group across the ocean, but that seems unlikely what with the apparently 15,000+ year old everlasting storms or something.

I don't know... Falstad is in the Ohn'ahran Plains and they don't just put someone like that without a reason, plus it would make sense for the Wildhammers to take Dragonriding and incorporate it to their Gryphon Riding.

Heck, the flying trainer for the Alliance in Stormwind was a Wildhammer Dwarf. If the next continent was similar in design to DF's zones and involved something like Dragonriding and in a Dwarf location... I can't think of anyone but the Wildhammers to be involved with them.

[Hitei]

The amount of hype they're generating for this makes it more than just "We're going to Avaloren (or Khaz Algar)"

Not singling you out, because god knows there's a dozen other people doing it but:

I see this happen every two years (or even every few months for patches). The devs always talk about being excited and big stuff whenever they have an announcement because they're always excited about stuff they've worked on, and every time people always wrongly take this as "this is an extra super special announcement well beyond the level of regular announcements! What we're announcing is revolutionary and unlike anything that's ever happened before!".

You shouldn't take devs being excited about stuff they get to talk about as some misdirect for how, despite lots of evidence, there's actually an incomprehensible huge thing on the horizon. That's not to say that there absolutely isn't, but I see people constantly convince themselves of things like "the devs are posting they are excited, it can't be a regular expansion this must be a revamp or something!" and then be really disappointed after the fact when their misinterpretation turns out to be incorrect and it's not some whole new level of expansion.

[Woggmer]

Is this the first time something so heavily hinted at happened in the expac immediately after it? Legion was teased in Mists, the Shadowlands plot (that wasn't being retroactively woven in) began in Legion, Dragon Isles were mentioned in BFA, and Mists was the first time they actually had an expansion tie into the next so WoD couldn't have this treatment (and also WoD was so out of left field that there wasn't any way anything in Azeroth could hint to such a destination).

I should also mention this, but Nazjatar was hinted as far back as TBC when the Draenei first meet the Naga and the Night Elf lady at that alliance camp said, "they were encroaching from Nazjatar"

Honestly, that kinda shocked me that it was referenced that far back.

[Swnem]

I hope Metzen goes on stage this year and say line by line what he did for Cata announcement. Then BOOM... #teamworldrevamp

Edit: I just purchased a 2009 blizzcon t-shirt from ebay. Going to rep that in 30 days.

In retrospect i would have rather the Emerald dream or the South seas expansion.

[Cheezits]

Regardless of how good it is, if the next expansion is just another island with no lasting implications for the game, they are pretty silly to even bring Metzen back for it.

[Hitei]

I don't know... Falstad is in the Ohn'ahran Plains and they don't just put someone like that without a reason, plus it would make sense for the Wildhammers to take Dragonriding and incorporate it to their Gryphon Riding.

Heck, the flying trainer for the Alliance in Stormwind was a Wildhammer Dwarf. If the next continent was similar in design to DF's zones and involved something like Dragonriding and in a Dwarf location... I can't think of anyone but the Wildhammers to be involved with them.

I guess. I think that probably leans too close to Dragonscale Expedition though.

My assumption is that unlike DF, where the Dragons showed up and went "hey, we're dragons, we're going to the dragon place, come help us look at dragon stuff". Hypothetical Avaloren is gonna be some place where we (that is, the heroes of the Horde and Alliance) don't really know what's at the place we're going to. Like Pandaria. And at that point why would the Wildhammer be the ones volunteering to lead the charge from Kalimdor west across the ocean? They've always been sort of homebodies as a group, protecting their own lands and occasionally sending a couple people for Alliance collaboration stuff.