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

[IronWasher]

Name is Shadow over Azeroth. It has to do with one of the void lords casting sort of a void barrier thing over Azeroth. Illidan comes back to warn us just before and Sargeras is out of his prison. He's not redeemed from what I gathered but is working alongside the other titans now that they've realized the threat of the void. He pulls out the sword out of Silithus and through the hole we travel to Uldaz. There is a teleporter pad there which takes us to Khaz'Algar, which is underground, like way waaay underground. The earthen have become "corrupted" by being too close to the titan soul of Azeroth.
Heart of Azeroth is back and Khaz'Algar can only be entered if you have the neck equiped. Major world revamp with lots of void portals opening all over similar to Legion Invasions.
Fun Fact: The trailer is narrated by knaifu.

[Teriz]

Well the dragon isles were only mentioned two expansions prior. Wasn't that long till DF release. Before that there was no cannon mention of it. It was always vanilla wow left overs that never made it to live.

TBF here, Dragon Isles was initially part of Vanilla WoW, and had multiple major characters potentially attached to it. That's a different situation than a concept brought up once in 10.0.2 suddenly being the next expansion in 11.0.

As for character anchors. We have Tyr, Odyn, possibly Elune, Eonar, and maybe even Azeroth herself making appearances.

I wouldn't consider any of them anchors, since they're essentially gods or keepers. Alexstraza for example is a dragon whom we've worked with for multiple expansions. You're comparing that character to someone like Odyn or Elune? What relationship do we have with them that even comes close to the relationship we had with dragons like Chromie, Wrathion and Alex?

[KurtMash]

it's sad if The Other Side of Azeroth is just 4 boring zones. Other Side that is no different from many other sides that already exist

Yeah, I agree, it would be a waste if it turns out that it's just a collection of 10 minicontinents we'll visit over the next 20 years of the game.

A fun, although very silly thought: what if, since Avaloren reminds of Avalon, the zones will be based on Commonwealth countries? So we have UK, Canada, India and Australia, with UK representing the Titans, and each zone explores a different relationship between the Titans and the local population? World of Warcraft: Colonialism

[milkmustache]

I thought the entire idea of Stormriders was that our mounts would be taught how to fly through a storm. Have we forgotten the Algarian Stormrider is the only confirmed leak? If Dwarves can do it so can we.

To be fair, all we know is the name of the heroic edition mount. I hate to parrot a Teriz point, but that hardly indicates a story point. The DF mount we've yet to see in game, and the Shadowlands mount was the taxi system.

I will admit though that with the new flying mount system, it may have some importance, but I can't see them paywalling a game feature.

[Delever]

TBF here, Dragon Isles was initially part of Vanilla WoW, and had multiple major characters potentially attached to it. That's a different situation than a concept brought up once in 10.0.2 suddenly being the next expansion in 11.0.



I wouldn't consider any of them anchors, since they're essentially gods or keepers. Alexstraza for example is a dragon whom we've worked with for multiple expansions. You're comparing that character to someone like Odyn or Elune? What relationship do we have with them that even comes close to the relationship we had with dragons like Chromie, Wrathion and Alex?

Man..... I d like some of what you re smoking. I d have enough delusion and copium to last me a lifetime.

[Moth Preacher]

Imagine starting Dragonflight with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Only to start the next expansion with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Holy hell

[NikolaiShade]

To be fair, all we know is the name of the heroic edition mount. I hate to parrot a Teriz point, but that hardly indicates a story point. The DF mount we've yet to see in game, and the Shadowlands mount was the taxi system.

I will admit though that with the new flying mount system, it may have some importance, but I can't see them paywalling a game feature.

The existence of the Algarian Stormrider implies the introduction of Khaz Algar, so Khaz Algar has a role to play in the story, I repeat myself here but I can't really picture Blizz giving a mount from Khaz Algar without introducing Khaz Algar. About the mount in itself having an important role in the story it's unlikely, more likely that'll be just a fancy mount you unlock.

[Nebron]

it's sad if The Other Side of Azeroth is just 4 boring zones. Other Side that is no different from many other sides that already exist

Absolutely this.
If Avaloren is supposed to be the 3rd "major" continent, I would expect it to explore some cultural influences we haven't seen yet. Far East idea is already exhausted by Pandaria, Latin America is kinda trolls kingdom in terms of architecture and theme, but there's a lot more to explore, but Middle East? Like Arabian / Indian vibes? I'd love to see that happening. Or maybe some Oceania and African vibes? I want to see something really different, something we haven't experienced yet and there are a lot of inspiration to draw from and adapt for WoW.

[Teriz]

Man..... I d like some of what you re smoking. I d have enough delusion and copium to last me a lifetime.

The Dragon Isles were originally conceptualized during the development of World of Warcraft but were cut early on. They were intended to be located north of Lordaeron and west of Quel'Thalas, as a level 65-70 zone with a raid.[27] They were also planned to host temples to the Old Gods.[28] Some early maps also labeled the isles with the name "Alexstrasza", implying she would be present.[29]

Some working assets labeled "Dragon Isles" are still present in the game files. They were added during the World of Warcraft beta and are used only in a test zone named Designer Island. The set consists of a large nautilus-shaped temple as well as three caves with structures built over the entrances. A hermit crab-shaped temple had also been designed but did not make it to the game files.[28] The nautilus-shaped Old God temple is also present on a piece of concept artwork simply labeled "Dragon Isles" included in both The Art of World of Warcraft[30] and the original in-game credits.

Despite being cut even before the World of Warcraft beta, the small islands still appeared, unlabeled, on the in-game World Map just north of Lordaeron until they were removed in Wrath of the Lich King. It was only in Battle for Azeroth that the first canonical mention of the Dragon Isles was made, before they were finally introduced in Dragonflight.

The concept of red dragons living on islands north of Lordaeron is consistent with the Warcraft II manual stating that dragons are native to "the untamed northlands of Azeroth". The idea of Alexstrasza inhabiting an island near the Eastern Kingdoms was also seen in the canceled Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans, in which she lived in a cave on Crestfall.

Soggoth the Slitherer's remains at the Master's Glaive and the giant kraken temple in the Shrine of the Storm both closely resemble the Dragon Isles temple concept.

https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Isles

Hopefully that helps.

[Cheezits]

Imagine starting Dragonflight with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Only to start the next expansion with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Holy hell

We're gonna hear some boos at Blizzcon.

[JMitchy96]

Name is Shadow over Azeroth. It has to do with one of the void lords casting sort of a void barrier thing over Azeroth. Illidan comes back to warn us just before and Sargeras is out of his prison. He's not redeemed from what I gathered but is working alongside the other titans now that they've realized the threat of the void. He pulls out the sword out of Silithus and through the hole we travel to Uldaz. There is a teleporter pad there which takes us to Khaz'Algar, which is underground, like way waaay underground. The earthen have become "corrupted" by being too close to the titan soul of Azeroth.
Heart of Azeroth is back and Khaz'Algar can only be entered if you have the neck equiped. Major world revamp with lots of void portals opening all over similar to Legion Invasions.
Fun Fact: The trailer is narrated by knaifu.

LOL imagine it. Cool idea tho tbh.

[Rathwell]

Middle East? Like Arabian / Indian vibes? I'd love to see that happening.

That's comin' with the Ethereal expansion

[milkmustache]

The existence of the Algarian Stormrider implies the introduction of Khaz Algar, so Khaz Algar has a role to play in the story, I repeat myself here but I can't really picture Blizz giving a mount from Khaz Algar without introducing Khaz Algar. About the mount in itself having an important role in the story it's unlikely, more likely that'll be just a fancy mount you unlock.

Absolutely, I'm sorry, maybe I should have been more specific. I was only referring to the mount itself, I agree that Khaz Algar will be a part of the story in some form!

[Ersula]

Imagine starting Dragonflight with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Only to start the next expansion with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Holy hell

I said that too but as far as we know the Dragon Isles weren't covered by storms; it was phased out of our plane of existence entirely. And I don't think the Elementals are going to be villains if this scenario is true.

To be fair, all we know is the name of the heroic edition mount. I hate to parrot a Teriz point, but that hardly indicates a story point. The DF mount we've yet to see in game, and the Shadowlands mount was the taxi system.

I will admit though that with the new flying mount system, it may have some importance, but I can't see them paywalling a game feature.

But we're also proposing this is a continent hidden by a giant storm, ergo, we already have an answer to "how do we get through the storm?" "with mounts described as being specifically trained to do that."

[Ashapls]

Imagine starting Dragonflight with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Only to start the next expansion with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Holy hell

It is totally plausible with the narrative drivers they’ve got steering the ship. But i agree, hilariously awful.

[Moth Preacher]

Middle East is covered by Cataclysm with Air Elementals and Uldum. It's literally Egyptian Egypt from Egypt

[NikolaiShade]

Absolutely, I'm sorry, maybe I should have been more specific. I was only referring to the mount itself, I agree that Khaz Algar will be a part of the story in some form!

My bad, sorry. I still think Khaz Algar will be introduced in a .5/.7 patch and we will visit it in order to acquire the means to reach (maybe?) Avaloren

[Teriz]

But we're also proposing this is a continent hidden by a giant storm, ergo, we already have an answer to "how do we get through the storm?" "with mounts described as being specifically trained to do that."

TBF, we got the Tangled Dreamweaver in Dragonflight, and we don't need it to get to the Emerald Dream in 10.2.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Avaloren aside for a second.

Let’s say we do get a complete out of left field expansion, and it’s somewhere like Tel’Abim, K’aresh or Undermine as their own fleshed out continent, not just a zone but done like Kul Tiras, Zandalar and the Broken Isles. How do you separate the zones? What do you do with them?


My hope/idea for Tel’Abim at least would be - I’d have the following zones. A Central Asia/Indian inspired jungle. A desert zone along the lines of the Middle East; and it would be in perpetual darkness/starlight with lots of hidden caves of wonder, ruins beneath the sand. A city zone of which would be the WoW version of Agrabah. A tropical coastal styled zone.

I’m sure @Teriz has a cool idea for Undermine. I’d like to see it similar to Nuka World from Fallout 4.

That would be amazing for Tel'abim! Imagine how amazing this could look

[Murlocos]

Imagine starting Dragonflight with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Only to start the next expansion with an unknown Island covered by Storms, with Elementals antagonists

Holy hell

Not to mention it'll almost certainly have Titan theming, and a strong possibility of dragons being prominent again. We don't know exactly what it'll be like, but this is what the issue is when people go "we almost always go to new islands/continents, what's the big deal with this?" Avaloren just sounds far too similar to the particular set of islands we're on already, and there's fatigue over the Dragon Isles already. Even with popular expansions and locales, people generally want to move on to something different after 2 years.

To make a different example, imagine if the expansion after WoD was about time traveling to an alternate Outland. There'd be some shuffling of races with the Alliance and ethereals and whatever, they'd change the landmasses around for some nonsense reason, it'd be technically different, but imagine four years in a row of alternate dimension stuff.

We'll see what actually pans out in a week, so I'm not completely fretting over it, but it slots into a fear that I've had since they mentioned wanting the expansions to be tied together even more: losing that general reset we used to get between expansions, and being stuck with the same themes, similar locales, characters, etc. for years on end.