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

[Houle]

https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Sha

Thats really not even remotely the same thing.

[Eldryth]

Not that similar, is it?

Anway, small prediction:

- 11.1.5 on April 29th.
- 11.1.7 on June 24th.
- Midnight grand reveal on August 19th, along with a "make sure you check out the upcoming patch 11.2, launching in just a few days!"-type of video.
- 11.2 on August 25th.

The roadmap has 11.2 and Season 3 before the Midnight reveal. Given that Gamescom seems like the obvious place to reveal Midnight, I'd guess that you got that right and 11.2 is earlier.

[Joshuaj]

I wouldn't say "of course", since I don't think we've seen that ability prior or since?

Tbf here, we also haven't encountered a properly unleashed Old God prior to N'Zoth, so...

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https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Sha

Nope. That's Y'Shaarj's remnants, not the Old God itself.

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Not that similar, is it?

Anway, small prediction:

- 11.1.5 on April 29th.
- 11.1.7 on June 24th.
- Midnight grand reveal on August 19th, along with a "make sure you check out the upcoming patch 11.2, launching in just a few days!"-type of video.
- 11.2 on August 25th.

Given each major patch seems to have a 5-6 month release window (With patches in general releasing every 2 months), 11.2 might release in early August (especially since it comes before Midnight's reveal showcase on the roadmap).

11.1- February

11.1.5- April likely

11.1.7- June likely

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If this is true, the 11.2 PTR will likely come mid June, assuming Blizzard doesn't pull a fast one on us, ofc.

The 2 month patch time-frame could also imply this.

11.2.5- October likely

11.2.7- December likely (Housing to come not long after)

12.0 pre-patch- February or April of next year (Assuming it's a 4 month skip instead of a 2 month skip, as 10.2.7 came out 4 months after 10.2.5 to better lead into the next expac, and 11.2.7 doesn't seem to be doing that 4 month thing, so maybe the prepatch will do it instead? Idk maybe not tho.)

12.0's release- April (If 12.0s prelaunch follows the 2 month pattern) or June of next year (If 12.0s prelaunch is 4 months after 11.2.7).

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Regardless, if things continue this way, this means TLT for 2028 100%.

[Nymrohd]

The roadmap has 11.2 and Season 3 before the Midnight reveal. Given that Gamescom seems like the obvious place to reveal Midnight, I'd guess that you got that right and 11.2 is earlier.

That would mean 11.2 comes out earlier than expected tbh. By a hair (the 26 week cadence would have 11.2 on August 26th) but still. And the story is not revealed until the second week when the raid is released these days so you'd want it to be out on August 13 so S3 starts right as Gamescom begins and we enter the Midnight reveal with the final questline cinematic very fresh.

[Nymrohd]

So either 11.1.5 will have to drop below 8 weeks, or 11.1 7 will have to go from 9 to 8.

11.1.5 has several pieces of timegating btw. Horrific Visions timegates how you fast you can upgrade the Vision research (it should take 4 weeks to unlock so at least 6 weeks to get everything done which will be fairly hard to achieve) and Dastardly Duos also takes 6 weeks as an event with all duos available on week 6.

If 11.1.7 ends up on the PTR earlier than expected (so maybe two weeks before 11.1.5 releases) then we can expect a really short 11.1.5

[Dracullus]

Would be great, and a sensible way for Blizzard to get back on track with the schedule established in Dragonflight.

Back on track? What are you talking about, we have stable schedule since DF pre-patch.

[Dracullus]

Not really. TWW was a 1:1 copy of DF's patch cadence until the release of 11.1, which arrived a few weeks later than 10.1 did in Dragonflight. About 4 weeks.

Sigh, just look at DF patch dates, not every patch lasted 8 weeks, they lasted 8 weeks ON AVERAGE (and to this average we add 5 weeks long DF and TWW prepatch->launch window).

I tell you more, 10.2 from November '23 lasted 10 weeks and 11.0.7 from December '24 lasted exactly 10 weeks. It shows how well this schedule is planned, even 2 weeks Christmas break is written into it. There can be other reason to change schedule, 10.1 and 10.1.5 launch dates clearly moved apart to make room for Diablo 4 launch.

So when you take this flexibility into account, it's not hard to imagine some patch shorter than 8 weeks, 11.1.7 is good bet, probably this patch has nothing special and just serve as 11.2 intro.

But still, no matter what, we have new patch every other month. If Ion tell people in 2022 that they plan this, community would laugh for month and Asmon would make 15 ragebait videos.

[Joshuaj]

Have we heard anything about an S4 for TWW?

If they cut that out then they could probably keep 11.2.7 as a short patch and release Midnight in February or early March.

It'd be early or mid 2026 regardless.

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Not really. TWW was a 1:1 copy of DF's patch cadence until the release of 11.1, which arrived a few weeks later than 10.1 did in Dragonflight. About 4 weeks.

I think part of that is due to them delaying the release of the 11.1 PTR cause of the holidays, no?

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Seems everything else this year is going to follow the usual schedule, making 11.1 the outlier in terms of TWW's patch cycle.

Regardless, Midnight is coming in 2026, and TLT is coming 2028. Quick and to the point.

[Dracullus]

Dragonflight pre-patch: 5 weeks (3+2).
TWW pre-patch: 5 weeks (3+2).

Dragonflight launch: 8 weeks.
TWW launch: 8 weeks.

10.0.5: 8 weeks.
11.0.5: 8 weeks.

10.0.7: 6 weeks.
11.0.7: 10 weeks.

What am I missing that makes you so convinced?

You said: "Would be great, and a sensible way for Blizzard to get back on track with the schedule established in Dragonflight". You are implying 11.1 broke 8 weeks schedule because TWW isn't following 1:1 DF, conveniently showing only first two DF patches. I simply reminded you DF had longer patches and 11.1 date very likely is part of schedule (2 weeks Christmas break).

[Eldryth]

Have we heard anything about an S4 for TWW?

If they cut that out then they could probably keep 11.2.7 as a short patch and release Midnight in February or early March.

Their track record for the past two expansions suggests that would be the case even with a S4.

Dragonflight released almost exactly three months after 9.2.7, and TWW released almost exactly three months after 10.2.7. And in both cases, S4 started before X.2.7.

I really don't see them going backwards on that at this point. If 11.2.7 releases in late August as the roadmap says (unplanned delayed are always possible), then I expect that they'd be aiming to release Midnight 3 months later, in late winter.

[Joshuaj]

I can't wait for Midnight.

Imagine questing in freaking HD Eversong, with your spruced up Blood/Void/High Elf wearing some crispy new traditional forest ranger transmog and warpaint.

Birds chirping, the sun's shining, and everything is traditional Warcraft. Slay a few Forest Trolls and pay a visit to Silvermoon before going back home to your own cottage.

SoonTM.

I just wanna see Dimensius ngl.

We saw Sargeras and we saw Zovaal. We have patch art of them as well. Lemme see patch art of Dimensius' true form. I must complete the Warcraft Dark Trinity.

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Yeah, I like to call Zovaal, Sargeras, and Dimensius "The Dark Trinity" of Warcraft.

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There's just something badass about Blizzard's most iconic IP having a trademark "Dark Trinity", and I hope Blizzard makes it official. The 3 big bads of the "dark powers" in the Warcraft franchise. The Destroyer, the Jailer, and the All-Devouring.

[Cheezits]

I think they are going to go another angle for Dimensius versus Sargeras and Zovaal after they did two sexy Satans. Maybe an energy being/blob with a humanoid avatar (think the Epic Mickey Phantom Blot or the smog guy from Ferngully) like Xal and Iridikron, just big like Sargeras's avatar.

I think they may repurpose the "Ice King" Beta Zovaal look for Amanthul's final form.

Hopefully Darkhan comes back with his big cowboy hat from the manga and they do something cool with Odyns final form. Also hoping for a Redeemed(?) Nzoth humanoid avatar, one of my favorite crack theories, as well as "Nathrezim" Denathrius with hooves out and big wings.

[Joshuaj]

I think they are going to go another angle for Dimensius versus Sargeras and Zovaal after they did two sexy Satans. Maybe an energy being/blob with a humanoid avatar (think the Epic Mickey Phantom Blot or the smog guy from Ferngully) like Xal and Iridikron, just big like Sargeras's avatar.

I think they may repurpose the "Ice King" Beta Zovaal look for Amanthul's final form.

Hopefully Darkhan comes back with his big cowboy hat from the manga and they do something cool with Odyns final form. Also hoping for a Redeemed(?) Nzoth humanoid avatar, one of my favorite crack theories, as well as "Nathrezim" Denathrius with hooves out and big wings.

Well, Dimensius will be akin to a Warcraft Outer God.

Sargeras is WoW's Unicron (With some Khrone and Surtur inspiration mixed in there for sure), Zovaal is WoW's version of the Devil (The Maw is a literal Dantes Inferno reference. Also, him trying to claim the powers of the creators and defying them, all while having the title of "The Jailer"? Come on now lol), and Dimensius is maybe WoW's version of the typical "Darkness" antagonistic force you see in fiction, but given the Lovecraftian touch (So think the Darkness from Lovecraft but on a higher scale or something like that).

[Eldryth]

I think they are going to go another angle for Dimensius versus Sargeras and Zovaal after they did two sexy Satans. Maybe an energy being/blob with a humanoid avatar (think the Epic Mickey Phantom Blot or the smog guy from Ferngully) like Xal and Iridikron, just big like Sargeras's avatar.

I think they may repurpose the "Ice King" Beta Zovaal look for Amanthul's final form.

I think that, ideally, he and the other Void Lords should be completely alien and inhuman. They Void is supposed to be incomprehensible and drive you mad, so more Lovecraftian-influenced stuff like their minions mixed with the space themes of the Cosmic Void.

Come to think of it, back during Legion we had some teases for a "Crooked Serpent" with no eyes that feasts on stars:

An emerald sun dawns in the vault of the heavens, but it casts no shadow.

The world lifts her voice in terror, but only one can hear her cries.

From the space that is everywhere and nowhere, the crooked serpent feasts on stars.

It has no eyes to see, but it dreams of infinite endings and beginnings.

The crooked serpent with no eyes is watching from the endless sky.

Forked tongues flicker through the black pits in dead stars.

The veil between dream and dreamer slides away like skin from bone.

And even the darkness howls for the light it once despised.

All of that sounds like it could fit the Void Lords pretty well (especially Dimensius, with that talk about feasting on stars). Maybe that's our first description of his true form? Some kind of giant, eyeless, alien snake creature? No idea what "crooked" could mean in this context, maybe his body bends in weird ways?

[Joshuaj]

Dark Trinity!

We'd need a Trinity for in case Order, Light, and Life become antagonistic forces as well.

Maybe I'd call them the "Unbridled Trinity". Yeah, that makes sense. Too much Order leads to a 1984 situation, too much Light leads to what you saw with the Lightbound, and too much Life leads to a world like Draenor pre-Aggramar. Unbridled, uncontrolled forces with nothing to counter them.

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I think that, ideally, he and the other Void Lords should be completely alien and inhuman. They Void is supposed to be incomprehensible and drive you mad, so more Lovecraftian-influenced stuff like their minions mixed with the space themes of the Cosmic Void.

Come to think of it, back during Legion we had some teases for a "Crooked Serpent" with no eyes that feasts on stars:




All of that sounds like it could fit the Void Lords pretty well (especially Dimensius, with that talk about feasting on stars). Maybe that's our first description of his true form? Some kind of giant, eyeless, alien snake creature? No idea what "crooked" could mean in this context, maybe his body bends in weird ways?

I like to think this is talking about the 7th, as it exists in a space that is everywhere and nowhere, it dreams of infinite beginnings and endings, and it makes the dark howl for the light it once despised.

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Only the First Ones were stated to be entities that transcended everything and nothing at once. So them (especially the 7th) having that type of immense power makes sense.

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The 7th is WoW's Yog-Sothoth.

[Viridiel]

Can Xal still mind control the ascended Nerubians at whim? Maybe there's some future plot where we find a way to break that connection and they join us against her

That would be a great development. Maybe the kaja'mite will help with that. At the very least I imagine it could help Neferess regain her faculties.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Thinking about what's next for Xal'atath here. Her whole return to the story is anchored to the Dark Heart.

So... desperation moves incoming? Will she resort to Frieza on Namek-like measures to succeed? Just trying to conceptualize what could happen with her not having the Dark Heart; she was murderously furious when it cracked... but seemed just mildly annoyed when Gallywix gave it away.

[milkmustache]

Thinking about what's next for Xal'atath here. Her whole return to the story is anchored to the Dark Heart.

So... desperation moves incoming? Will she resort to Frieza on Namek-like measures to succeed? Just trying to conceptualize what could happen with her not having the Dark Heart; she was murderously furious when it cracked... but seemed just mildly annoyed when Gallywix gave it away.

My assumption here is that she's mildly annoyed at Gallywix because she knows the Ethereals pose a far greater threat to her... so it's a "Fuck you!!!" and quick port out compared to the rage she's taking out on us when we crack it.

But you're right, I'm not certain how she returns... unless we also go hunting for it.

[Cheezits]

That would be a great development. Maybe the kaja'mite will help with that. At the very least I imagine it could help Neferess regain her faculties.

I didn't even consider kajamite but it would make a lot of sense considering that we just had it confirmed it can "stabilize" void. Maybe it's some Blizzard idea to have Undermine tied to another neutral underground kingdom. The Goblins save the Nerubians Arcan'dor style.

Goblins don't have a "buddy race" after BFA (where they seemingly abandoned the "Horde Goblins and Forsaken work together" idea) besides AU Mag'har (now confirmed by the way, through Blackfuse/Darkfuse tech), it would be cool if they tied them to Nerubians as the two dominant underground cultures.

This may actually be lampshaded by there being a Goblin trading post in the Weaver's lair, but not one for other races...

[Viridiel]

I didn't even consider kajamite but it would make a lot of sense considering that we just had it confirmed it can "stabilize" void. Maybe it's some Blizzard idea to have Undermine tied to another neutral underground kingdom. The Goblins save the Nerubians Arcan'dor style.

Goblins don't have a "buddy race" after BFA (where they seemingly abandoned the "Horde Goblins and Forsaken work together" idea) besides AU Mag'har (now confirmed by the way, through Blackfuse/Darkfuse tech), it would be cool if they tied them to Nerubians as the two dominant underground cultures.

This may actually be lampshaded by there being a Goblin trading post in the Weaver's lair, but not one for other races...

Yeah, I would be much more OK with the Nerubian storyline having very little movement until now if it's because we needed to make this discovery with the goblins and get them to a point where they can use the technology to help the Nerubians.

I'm hoping it'll be either that or something from the Rootlands that saves the Ascended Nerubians from mind control. It really could be as simple as a special type of flower which grows there and has the ability to completely remove Void corruption. The roots are seemingly resistant to the Black Blood, it just becomes a threat when there's so much of it that it starts to overwhelm its resistance.