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

[Joshuaj]

Personally I would love to see Azshara try to steal Elune's power. An ultimate expression of her vanity trying to become a goddess herself.

I think that would be a much more fitting end for her than just getting offed in Midnight as some Void Lord pawn.

*Expansion about the war between Light and Shadow*

*Involves Azshara trying to steal the power of a Life Goddess*

Lol?

- - - Updated - - -

She'd want Azeroth's worldsoul before she'd want Elune's power

[Dracullus]

*Expansion about the war between Light and Shadow*

*Involves Azshara trying to steal the power of a Life Goddess*

Idea is brilliant. But, again, not for this Saga.

[Hitei]

She'd want Azeroth's worldsoul before she'd want Elune's power

I've assumed since DF that this was her new endgame. That she plans on somehow merging with the worldsoul.

[Eldryth]

One of the comments from the housing previews makes me wonder if Midnight might be coming even sooner than it had seemed. According to Dratnos's preview, housing is coming between prepatch and launch. Which makes sense... except the roadmap has housing at the very start of winter, which would be far sooner than we should have been able to expect prepatch even with the late winter/early spring release that the roadmap was pointing to.



Given that they probably wouldn't drop housing right on Christmas week, housing would probably release in early January based on that roadmap. If you assume housing is somewhere in the middle of pre-patch, that'd put launch in mid-late January. Maybe early February instead if it releases at the start of prepatch (or even an early January release if housing drops with the expansion itself rather than pre-patch).


Dratnos himself seemed to have a similar impression in the video itself (not mentioned in Wowhead's summary), though he didn't cite specific dates. He made it clear that it was only his speculation and not something anyone from Blizzard said outright, but he did say he had the impression that Midnight was coming sooner than expected and that they didn't want to do another Fated/Awakened season. (Edit: Timestamp didn't work, but it starts around 21:17)

I've assumed since DF that this was her new endgame. That she plans on somehow merging with the worldsoul.

Either that or just claiming its power for herself somehow. She's too ambitious to settle for anything less than attempting to become a god, I think, and the Prime Worldsoul seems like one of the best fits for her "True throne of power".

And she's certainly the most personal antagonist for all elves, so she absolutely fits that part of Midnight.

[Ersula]

One of the comments from the housing previews makes me wonder if Midnight might be coming even sooner than it had seemed. According to Dratnos's preview, housing is coming between prepatch and launch.

In the Preach interview he says Housing is coming with the pre-patch. It seems like nobody actually knows what the release schedule is, because nobody knows when it will be done.

But I severely doubt Midnight would come out that fast. Not to mention how pissed players would be if they bought the 90 dollar version of TWW just for them to charge 90 again less than 16 months later. I think Housing is coming out in its own patch. as implied by the roadmap. They wouldn't make that little, ominious house symbol the prepatch on the roadmap. Its largely a disconnected, expansion-neutral feature because its being developed by an entirely different team.

[Joshuaj]

Who's the say the house icon ain't for public testing regarding housing?

[Hitei]

And she's certainly the most personal antagonist for all elves, so she absolutely fits that part of Midnight.

I mean... not really? The Void Elves couldn't care less, the High Elves are neutral at worst, having previously been her own followers, and the Blood Elves are in the same place as the High Elves with the added factor that the Naga briefly looked out for them at the end of the Third War. The Night Elves were fairly uninvolved with her post Sundering forces outside of a few quick skirmishes with the Naga, and it's not like Azshara is even Tyrande's personal antagonist, because the worst Azshara really did to her personally was throw her in prison rather than executing her once.

If we're trying to reduce her to being a race's antagonist, it would obviously be the Darkspear who the Naga nearly wiped out.

I wouldn't be surprised if she shows up towards the end of Midnight (because she's tied to the Void and implied to be associated at least in passing with Xal'atath's ongoing plans), but it's not like really any of the elf races (especially the Thalassian ones) have some sort of lingering score to settle with her (unless I guess you could Farondis' ghost elves).

- - - Updated - - -

In the Preach interview he says Housing is coming with the pre-patch. It seems like nobody actually knows what the release schedule is, because nobody knows when it will be done.

But I severely doubt Midnight would come out that fast. Not to mention how pissed players would be if they bought the 90 dollar version of TWW just for them to charge 90 again less than 16 months later. I think Housing is coming out in its own patch. as implied by the roadmap. They wouldn't make that little, ominious house symbol the prepatch on the roadmap. Its largely a disconnected, expansion-neutral feature because its being developed by an entirely different team.

I mean, to some extent, they have no one but themselves to blame. Blizzard made it clear at Blizzcon when it was announced that they were trying to do quicker expansions, to the extent that they reorganized how the team was structured to work on them even more simultaneously.

[Ersula]

I mean, to some extent, they have no one but themselves to blame. Blizzard made it clear at Blizzcon when it was announced that they were trying to do quicker expansions, to the extent that they reorganized how the team was structured to work on them even more simultaneously.

Their exact words....

We can't get into specifics, but yes it will be faster. We want to ensure that players aren't completing this saga in 2030. Teams have been restructured to be able to create this whole saga.

So 14.0 will be out in 2030 or maybe even late 2029... that's literally the normal patch cadence. Even if its faster, 12.0 coming out in 2025 is rediculous. If that was the actual cadence of the wouldsoul saga, it would be over by 2028. They might be going faster but not 2 whole years faster.

[Limayria]

Their exact words....So 14.0 will be out in 2030 or maybe even late 2029... that's literally the normal patch cadence. Even if its faster, 12.0 coming out in 2025 is rediculous. If that was the actual cadence of the wouldsoul saga, it would be over by 2028. They might be going faster but not 2 whole years faster.

12.0 out in January 2026 then 13.0 in june-july of 2027 with 14.0 around january or febuary of 2029 doesnt seem out of the question with the goal of 3 6 month seasons per expac

[Scyth]

One of the comments from the housing previews makes me wonder if Midnight might be coming even sooner than it had seemed. According to Dratnos's preview, housing is coming between prepatch and launch. Which makes sense... except the roadmap has housing at the very start of winter, which would be far sooner than we should have been able to expect prepatch even with the late winter/early spring release that the roadmap was pointing to.

I thought based off of the roadmap it was pretty clear they aren't doing a fated season this time and that Midnight would release around February.

Lots of things could change obviously but I am expecting Midnight in February. Just hope it's not a buggy mess

[huth]

One of the comments from the housing previews makes me wonder if Midnight might be coming even sooner than it had seemed. According to Dratnos's preview, housing is coming between prepatch and launch. Which makes sense... except the roadmap has housing at the very start of winter, which would be far sooner than we should have been able to expect prepatch even with the late winter/early spring release that the roadmap was pointing to.

That just means we don't know of anything that comes before it in Winter, not that it comes at the start of Winter. By your logic, 11.1.5 should have released in March or early April.

- - - Updated - - -

I mean... not really? The Void Elves couldn't care less, the High Elves are neutral at worst, having previously been her own followers, and the Blood Elves are in the same place as the High Elves with the added factor that the Naga briefly looked out for them at the end of the Third War. The Night Elves were fairly uninvolved with her post Sundering forces outside of a few quick skirmishes with the Naga, and it's not like Azshara is even Tyrande's personal antagonist, because the worst Azshara really did to her personally was throw her in prison rather than executing her once.

Let's not forget that of those three groups, the majority was born millenia after the Sundering and has little real connection to her.

[Jolly Roger]

the only thing the roadmap showed is the 2025 plans
dont get your own expectations up because you will be let down
the housing logo might be there just to show you can expect it in winter

if introduced in prepatch i will assume taht means a longer prepatch just to get it rolled out

[Nymrohd]

Personally I would love to see Azshara try to steal Elune's power. An ultimate expression of her vanity trying to become a goddess herself.

I think that would be a much more fitting end for her than just getting offed in Midnight as some Void Lord pawn.

I'd like her to succeed! Azshara should steal someone's throne and Elune would be a great option. Somehow though I think she is after the First Ones

For some reason Azshara is the only one who can convince me she plays 4D chess in this setting. E.g. Xal'atath is kind of sold to us as a master schemer but the history just doesn't match. Why did she cause the Troll vs Aqir war, was she after making a deal with C'thun similar to the one she ended up making with N'zoth? Why when she got the Dark Irons under her control did she limit herself to Grim Batol instead of trying something grander?

[Dracullus]

One of the comments from the housing previews makes me wonder if Midnight might be coming even sooner than it had seemed. According to Dratnos's preview, housing is coming between prepatch and launch. Which makes sense... except the roadmap has housing at the very start of winter, which would be far sooner than we should have been able to expect prepatch even with the late winter/early spring release that the roadmap was pointing to.

1) Winter starts just few days before Christmas, so anything there is for 2026 realistically. (I know some countries use different method to count seasons, but not US and it's clear when you see when your tree mount change.)

2) Look on Classic roadmap, last part show even Winter/Spring, which further proves roadmap spills into next year.

3) Just 8 weeks between patches (which is already very tight schedule) lands Midnight around February/March, which is our prediction anyway.

4) It's not like schedule won't be packed: Legion Remix for late November/December, pre-patch in January with housing, TBC Classic somewhere in February (funny that it fits both Legion Remix and Quel'Thalas on Retail), Midnight launch in March.

[Zardas]

...I want you to re-read whatcha just said. Re-read it aloud, and SLOWLY...

"Marry Dimensius"

"MARRY" "DIMENSIUS!"

That's like someone marrying Azathoth or summ like that.

I mean, you can find artwork depicting exactly that on some websites. At least that's what a friend told me.

[Houle]

I'd like her to succeed! Azshara should steal someone's throne and Elune would be a great option. Somehow though I think she is after the First Ones

For some reason Azshara is the only one who can convince me she plays 4D chess in this setting. E.g. Xal'atath is kind of sold to us as a master schemer but the history just doesn't match. Why did she cause the Troll vs Aqir war, was she after making a deal with C'thun similar to the one she ended up making with N'zoth? Why when she got the Dark Irons under her control did she limit herself to Grim Batol instead of trying something grander?

Eh, with that kind of argument, the history also doesnt match for Azshara as a big master schemer. Every time she appeared, she was used by some bigger fish, in one way or another. Sargeras and N'zoth both used her to further their own goals, neither of them were planning to give her much afterwards.
Sargeras was after Azeroth only, while Azshara thought he was going to marry her.
N'zoth knew she was trying to usurp him, and used that to free himself and then put a leash on her.

So far, Azshara was pretty much always trying to play out of her league. Which very much makes sense for her character, shes so full of herself that she thinks shes one of the big fish.

[Darkarath]

What if Azshara is in K'aresh in possession of the Dark Heart? We know that she went off-planet, tired of dealing with "intermediaries and heralds".

She is aligned with the Void, so she would probably seek a Void Lord, and if we know of Dimensius and K'aresh, no doubt she knows too, and she might have started her search there.

The key thing here is if Xal'athat is still loyal to Dimensius. Does her pact with N'zoth work in favour or against the Void Lord? If the latter is true, Dimensius may know and have Azshara act as his new Harbringer. Also, Dimensius could just be tired of Xal'athat failures.

I believe that Xal'athat knowing that she does not have Dimensius support anymore is the only way in which we might not seen K'aresh in 11.2. She might be too scared of following the Dark Heart to K'aresh, so she might try... to bring back N'zoth in some way? I would kill for a humanoid form of N'zoth.

Maybe recover the Blade of the Dark Empire and try to stab some Black Blood to see if something happens?

Wild speculation, but I felt like it

[Limayria]

What if Azshara is in K'aresh in possession of the Dark Heart? We know that she went off-planet, tired of dealing with "intermediaries and heralds".

She is aligned with the Void, so she would probably seek a Void Lord, and if we know of Dimensius and K'aresh, no doubt she knows too, and she might have started her search there.

The key thing here is if Xal'athat is still loyal to Dimensius. Does her pact with N'zoth work in favour or against the Void Lord? If the latter is true, Dimensius may know and have Azshara act as his new Harbringer. Also, Dimensius could just be tired of Xal'athat failures.

I believe that Xal'athat knowing that she does not have Dimensius support anymore is the only way in which we might not seen K'aresh in 11.2. She might be too scared of following the Dark Heart to K'aresh, so she might try... to bring back N'zoth in some way? I would kill for a humanoid form of N'zoth.

Maybe recover the Blade of the Dark Empire and try to stab some Black Blood to see if something happens?

Wild speculation, but I felt like it

That's some interesting speculation especially considering that blizzard seemed to imply that xal is gonna be around for all three expacs

[Makabreska]

Kil'jaeden has been the final boss of an expansion and also the final boss of Tomb of Sargeras.

There was a much bigger time gap between both KJ fights and I was talking more about encounter design. BC was still a very much experimental phase of WoW while BfA is a modern game version. I doubt Blizz would put extra effort on themselves to try to reinvent Azshara fight, especially with how they like to iterate on classic designs when bringing back old bosses. I could see her being part of a council fight, or a final dungeon boss where we fight her indirectly.

[Joshuaj]

I'd like her to succeed! Azshara should steal someone's throne and Elune would be a great option. Somehow though I think she is after the First Ones

For some reason Azshara is the only one who can convince me she plays 4D chess in this setting. E.g. Xal'atath is kind of sold to us as a master schemer but the history just doesn't match. Why did she cause the Troll vs Aqir war, was she after making a deal with C'thun similar to the one she ended up making with N'zoth? Why when she got the Dark Irons under her control did she limit herself to Grim Batol instead of trying something grander?

I don't think she's after Elune's power or the First One's power (Assuming they still use Progenitor lore ofc...). She's likely just tryna claim our Worldsoul.

As for her convincing anyone she can play 4D chess? Maybe? But as soon as the Champion's appeared, her plans fell down the drain rather fast lol. Who's to say a similar situation won't happen here with Dimensius?

I simply think she's tryna join up with forces way beyond her reach, and I think that'll come back to bite her in the end.

- - - Updated - - -

Funny enough, if we're to assume Elune is an upstart goddess like Xal'atath states (Whether that's true or not is debatable, given her history with the other forces), then you can definitely see SOME similarities between Azshara and Elune in that regard. One is a former highborne queen who's always tryna hang with powers beyond her reach, and one is a Life Goddess who's tryna hang with pantheons and powers outside the domain of Life (Essentially, she is reaching outside her station).

- - - Updated - - -

Eh, with that kind of argument, the history also doesnt match for Azshara as a big master schemer. Every time she appeared, she was used by some bigger fish, in one way or another. Sargeras and N'zoth both used her to further their own goals, neither of them were planning to give her much afterwards.
Sargeras was after Azeroth only, while Azshara thought he was going to marry her.
N'zoth knew she was trying to usurp him, and used that to free himself and then put a leash on her.

So far, Azshara was pretty much always trying to play out of her league. Which very much makes sense for her character, shes so full of herself that she thinks shes one of the big fish.

I kinda hope Midnight continues this by having Dimensius lead her on in the worst way imaginable. Make her think she is this amazing Void Goddess, and make her believe that claiming Azeroth's soul is her destiny. And if she fails? Ditch her without a second thought cause she outlived her usefulness.

I REALLY hope Midnight doesn't have it to where she's actually outsmarting the Void Lords or so, especially since the Void Lords are a far far far greater power than the Old Gods. I need Dimensius to be this mighty, intelligent badass. Like, make it the Void's version of Sargeras and Zovaal (Say what you will about Zovaal, that dude was popping tf off throughout the Shadowlands expac, hell I'd argue he was closer to winning than even Sargeras).

Like I said before, lemme see the final guy of Warcraft's Dark Trinity lock in (Dark Trinity doesn't mean they're working together, that's just me grouping up the ultimate big bads of Warcraft's first 25 years).