
Wait, can someone link the 'Shadows over Azeroth' one, please? I haven't seen this one yet.
Really? I feel like the quality between the two are miles apart.
The environments in the first 4 screenshots are in-engine without a doubt, the models, new creatures.
These ones are backgrounds, AI generated or not, they're flat backgrounds with text and a model imposed over it? At the very least the original 4 are at least real set pieces, with assets and characters in place.
Here.
I think there's a very low chance that they would make an expansion with a name so similar to Shadowlands. After how badly it flopped, I'd be surprised if they ever use the word "Shadow" in any expansion ever again.

If there's a barrier over Azeroth, how would Sargeras pull the sword free?
They share the spotlight as Main Villains.
The Scourge is certainly a major force in the Upper Kingdom, but the Faceless ones and Twilight's Hammer overran the lower depths, as could be seen in WC3 with the Forgotten One and its minions, and in the Ahn'kahet: the Old Kingdom dungeon. The final boss of that dungeon, and the entire WotLK Nerubian storyline, was Herald Volazj, Champion of Yogg-Saron.
No, but it is a dungeon where Old Gods are the unseen overarching antagonists.That trail of thought is so flawed. Is Blackrock Depths a Titan dungeon because the Titans created Earthen who then devolved into Dwarves?
Since the Dark Irons were enslaved by Ragnaros, who himself was a slave of N'Zoth, and Deathwing even sent Twilight's Hammer there to bring the Dark Irons into the Old God fold.
The point is that the Old Gods have burrowed deep underground with their tentacles and creations, so they will feature prominently in Underground expansion.
Very good DnD campaign I read a long time ago with an Ogre who wanted to be a mage. He was a barbarian with no intellect.
He would cast sleep, usually the enemy would just stare at him. He would get angry, bonk them over the head with his staff, then be happy they were sleeping. Often enemies would just "sleep" when they saw him if they knew of him.

yeah but from a marketing perspective you don't want to evoke the feelings people had with the worst expansion.
No returning player that quit in Shadowlands wants to see "Shadow of" and be reminded of how bad the game was.
They want to see a new title and think about what new features and journeys there are to go on, not the ones that made them quit.
I highly doubt they use the word Shadow in any other title.

The original 4 are handmade and in engine. Seriously people that compare them to some lazy AI fake that can be done in 10 min need to lay off the copium.
If the 4 screenshots are fake(im leaning towards them being real) they are by far the best fake this game has ever had.
Yeah I'm gonna be honest if Blizzard ever names an expansion "Shadows over Azeroth" they need to fire everyone that was involved with choosing that name.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands over Azeroth
Now we're talking