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

[Teriz]

Dude you were doing that up until the evoker announcement

Actually I made two dragon class threads before the Evoker announcement. One of those threads came out in 2019, long before Dragonflight was announced.

That said, my point is that Blizzard isn't going to telegraph the next expansion to that extent before the expansion announcement. Whatever the primals are doing more than likely isn't going to bleed over into the next expansion. Just like nothing major from Shadowlands bled over into Dragonflight. WoW expansions (for the most part) tend to be self-contained affairs these days. If they can make N'Zoth and the Black Empire into a patch, the chances of us getting a void expansion is quite slim.

[Foolicious]

That's if the book is even about Azshara, I've read it multiple times. It's also plausible the queen is Xal'atath and the harbinger Iridikron, and considering the person in the silhouette is 99% Xal'atath. I wouldn't count any chickens just yet.

Iridikron isn't the harbringer.
"The Harbinger speaks of a primal power that seeks the end of Order. Such rage can be bent to serve our ends."

"A hunger lost to the ages will be reclaimed."

"A dark heart left broken awaits the taking."

From what we know now that clearly the harbringer talking about Iridikron wanting to end the titans and using him. We are now at the point we have to wait and see which dark heart they mean. My bet would be either Azeroth because most of the time we talk about her heart, we have the heart chamber, there are other whispers about a heart being filled etc. Or maybe Alextrasza because i still don't trust that manipulative dragon lady.

I also looked up the legion whispers of xal'atath because i remembered something about galakrond (which, turns out, was never in game and pointless for speculation anyway) when i found this again
"It is ironic that the weakest of us may be the ultimate victor. C'Thun, Yogg-Saron, Y'Shaarj, and... well. Only one would remain to consume the world, that was always meant to be."
Most of us always assumed it was about N'zoth and his 5000iq plan, but i would argue xal is talking about herself here. Makes sense her being the weakest of them(if she is an old god) and now being the only one that is still out there.

[Catastrophy349]

This is the problem, most Void-related stuff hasn't even been introduced, we don't know what the Void Realm is called, and we don't know any Void Lord by name nor what they look like.

So, going to "Voidlands" in 11.0 wouldn't be much different from going to Shadowlands in 9.0; although we knew the Death Realm by name, we didn't know anything about the Jailer, the Death Pantheon, or how Shadowlands looked like since it's the afterlife realm. The only clue we had was Sylvanas vision when she fell from the top of Icecrown in Edge of the Night.

That's why I think we need more supplementary material to give more hints and a cohesive transition to these cosmic planes expansions; if a World Revamp is not possible Blizzard should make another stand-alone/narrative-driven game such as Warcraft RTS or the canceled Warcraft Adventures (an animated TV series would work too), to give more depth to these comics planes/threats.

As it stands now, there're not many things that would hype me for a Void expansion, other than Void Elves and Alleria development, Ethereals, and K'aresh. I know we also have Xal'atath that is a known character that's pretty much confirmed to appear and perhaps Azshara although I wouldn't like to see her so soon. For the Light side, however, there's a lot more that I would like to see further development, such as Yrel and the Lightbound, Turalyon, and the Lightforged goals, a possible Scarlet Crusade comeback, whereabouts of Lorthraxion, more depth on Naaru lore.

Just my 2 cents.

You can go back to my post on 2023-07-22, 10:50 PM to see that I have already said and agree with this. Additionally, for the last year, I have been saying that cosmic isn't the problem, setting it up properly is. My question was simply to consider what a "Void" expansion "could" look like. Not pulling it out of thin air like SL.

[Woggmer]

Actually I made two dragon class threads before the Evoker announcement. One of those threads came out in 2019, long before Dragonflight was announced.

That said, my point is that Blizzard isn't going to telegraph the next expansion to that extent before the expansion announcement. Whatever the primals are doing more than likely isn't going to bleed over into the next expansion. Just like nothing major from Shadowlands bled over into Dragonflight. WoW expansions (for the most part) tend to be self-contained affairs these days. If they can make N'Zoth and the Black Empire into a patch, the chances of us getting a void expansion is quite slim.

The only reason I don't see a Pure Void expansion working is because it loops back to the same reason as why they won't make an expansion about the Emerald Dream.

No variety.

With Northrend, they were able to include Fjords, Tundras, an ancient decaying Troll Empire, an alpine forest, an untapped jungle full of wield life... (and even a whole insect empire built under the landscape).

What's there to include in a Void expansion? Having zones be realms based off each Old God that infected Azeroth?

[Santandame]

One of Azshara’s primary characteristics is that she is extremely vain. I imagine if she has the ability, she’ll choose to appear in her Highborne form over her Naga form.

I actually imagine she’ll end up receiving a new model that highlights her beauty and mystique, whilst retiring her Naga form and only using it in select situations such as a phase from a raid encounter.

[Hitei]

What's there to include in a Void expansion? Having zones be realms based off each Old God that infected Azeroth?

Pretty much anything there could be in any other expansion.

Not sure why you're equating a general theme to zone variety. That's like asking "How can there be variety in an undead expansion?"

[Xilurm]

They can always make shit up for any kind of expansion. I don't know why people still think they can't do it. That's literally the job of game devs, to make things up from nothing.

[Lahis]

WoD was hurt by devs scrapping it but still came out on top in zone and encounter design. Character remodels took a chunk out of their time, with no real shortcuts like Legion where we had less weapon models for more spell updates.

They can most definitely pull it off as shown in Cata and WoD. They’ve had years to learn from their patch/xpac cycles.

EK and Kalimdor are much bigger than Outland/Draenor. And then they will need to make actual new expansion zones for the current threath unless they want to repeat the Cata problem where every EK and Kalimdor zone is now about Deathwing and Twilight's Hammer.

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The thing I don't get is why would Azshara stay Void-aligned?

Becuase Void is power. She didn't care for dancing accordign to N'zoth's note, but she will most definetly love all the power she can get from it.

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I'm looking at the world maps. Not just the current one in DF, but like EVERY world map.

Kalimdor has been close to the Maelstrom in previous expansions... EXCEPT IN BFA... in the original BFA Alpha, they had it in the same spot, but when they were updating all the old maps, they put Kalimdor further away from the Maelstrom, by DF they fixed this issue.

So I don't think there's anything coming that's gonna sprout near Kalimdor as this was a mistake on whoever designed the maps.

Let me show you what I mean.
Here's the world map for Legion: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20180413203728

Here's the world map for BFA's Alpha: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20180609000227

Here's the map in BFA (Live): https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20220908202822

and here's the world map in DF: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20221227135450

None of these links work.

[huth]

Lmao, she'd have to be looking straight upwards to angle them back like that. You can see Iridikron is directly in front of her, not above her.

[IMG]

For that matter, the head would be visibly angled upwards in that case, which it quite definitely is not.

That is not Xal'atath, and i don't think the ear is the right proportions for Azshara either.

[Woggmer]

None of these links work.

Hang on. (They work fine on my end, even when I click them.) I'm not gonna post the whole images in the post because it'll take up a lot of space and it's not worth showing all of them.

7.0 (Legion) World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20180413203728

BFA's Alpha World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20180609000227

8.0 (BFA) World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20220908202822

10.0 (DF) World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20221227135450

If none of these links work, I'm just gonna send the link to where I found them. The whole point still remains that the when the maps were updated in BfA, they mistakenly put Kalimdor further away from the Maelstrom but in DF they corrected it.

Reference: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Aze...search#Gallery

[huth]

*A mysterious elf who has something to do with the void appears*

People on this forum: "THIS IS NOT XAL'ATATH!"

XD

We've got more than 3 characters and an entire player race that matches that description. Immediately jumping to specificially Xal'atath is the ridiculous part here.

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Hang on. (They work fine on my end, even when I click them.) I'm not gonna post the whole images in the post because it'll take up a lot of space and it's not worth showing all of them.

7.0 (Legion) World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20180413203728

BFA's Alpha World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20180609000227

8.0 (BFA) World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20220908202822

10.0 (DF) World Map https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...20221227135450

If none of these links work, I'm just gonna send the link to where I found them. The whole point still remains that the when the maps were updated in BfA, they mistakenly put Kalimdor further away from the Maelstrom but in DF they corrected it.

Reference: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Aze...search#Gallery

Pretty sure Wikia doesn't allow deep links.

[Woggmer]

Pretty much anything there could be in any other expansion.

Not sure why you're equating a general theme to zone variety. That's like asking "How can there be variety in an undead expansion?"

Because that's the exact reason they would never do an Emerald Dream expansion. Even Metzen said it himself on a South Korean videocast back in 2013.

"The Emerald Dream is a nice idea and the team has talked about making it into an expansion many times. Building an entire expansion worth of zones around a green lush forest theme would get very boring, so the Emerald Dream would be better used as raid, dungeon, or a subzone, not an entire expansion."

From here. https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Eme...lizzard_quotes

This same logic can be applied to a Void expansion, sure everything is warped and purple, but if that's all there is in terms of new zones, dungeons, raids, and conten; It will get boring fast and we don't know much about the these void or light realms. If this is something that's in Azeroth or in another plane of existence like with Shadowlands.

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Pretty sure Wikia doesn't allow deep links.

Well then I'm stumped. Just use the main link at the bottom and see the images themselves.

[Dracullus]

What's ridiculous is to assume that it could be anyone but not Xal'atath. This forum will always surprise me... xD

Nothing strange, people want to feel smart and reject most obvious answers.. which are usually true.

Also, same topics are discussed to death over and over again, it's hard to speculate about expac content cause it's instantly drowned by lore discussions. So no wonder people keep inventing new theories.

[Revamp Man]

Actually I made two dragon class threads before the Evoker announcement. One of those threads came out in 2019, long before Dragonflight was announced.

That said, my point is that Blizzard isn't going to telegraph the next expansion to that extent before the expansion announcement. Whatever the primals are doing more than likely isn't going to bleed over into the next expansion. Just like nothing major from Shadowlands bled over into Dragonflight. WoW expansions (for the most part) tend to be self-contained affairs these days. If they can make N'Zoth and the Black Empire into a patch, the chances of us getting a void expansion is quite slim.

WoD to Legion
BfA to SL
Technically speaking every couple of expansions are related and now they have DF planned as the new player intro makes it seem like the next expansion is going to be related

Iridikron is also not going to be in the next raid as his siblings are supposed to be

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*A mysterious elf who has something to do with the void appears*

People on this forum: "THIS IS NOT XAL'ATATH!"

XD

THERE ARE NO OLD GOD IN DF!!!!

[Murlocos]

I don't buy into patterns based around recycling the first few expansions over and over or Old God whispers being the secret plan all along for 7 years and running, so I really can't throw my hat into the ring for any 11.0 theory right now. If AU Yrel and the Lightbound don't show up this time though, I'm going to propose people just accept it was a one-off creation for a rushed allied race and not the future of the series.

Whatever happens with the Light vs. Void stuff, I'll be utterly shocked if we're marching off into another realm and going full Shadowlands again immediately after they've been trying such a hard 180 on it. Luck4 nailed it in his post: bring that stuff to Azeroth and gel it with the existing setting, make them feel like actual characters or factions and not just faceless servants of abstract ideas. "The Burning Legion" is way better than "the forces of Disorder".

[Nymrohd]

Question, what elf have we seen recently who has passed through a portal of the void and who has the exact same silhouette, who could go by the nickname "harbinger" and who is so much more than just a void elf?

you have 1 second.

What's ridiculous is to assume that it could be anyone but not Xal'atath. But no, it's probably Alleria, Azshara or Yrel of course. ^^

This forum will always surprise me... xD

We were just told Azshara is waiting beyond the Umbral Veil and the last time we saw her she opened a Void portal and left Nyalotha. But no, it's insane for it to be Azshara!

[Raetary]

*A mysterious elf who has something to do with the void appears*

People on this forum: "THIS IS NOT XAL'ATATH!"

XD

We totally won't go to Argus during Legion.
Sylvanas totally won't be the one to burn Teldrassil.
There are totally no Old Gods in BfA.
The Jailer totally was never the Arbiter.
The Runecarver totally isn't the Primus

The elf behind the void portal totally could not possibly be the most obvious character that could possibly be involved.
No, it's clearly Zovaal simply crossdressing as an elf, biding his time before he can accomplish his actual mega-master plan.

[Xilurm]

We were just told Azshara is waiting beyond the Umbral Veil and the last time we saw her she opened a Void portal and left Nyalotha. But no, it's insane for it to be Azshara!

Is that in the raid? So she is alright then?

[Teriz]

WoD to Legion
BfA to SL
Technically speaking every couple of expansions are related and now they have DF planned as the new player intro makes it seem like the next expansion is going to be related

Iridikron is also not going to be in the next raid as his siblings are supposed to be

WoD is pretty much the only example, and that was an AU Guldan and a Legion expansion was pretty much inevitable. BFA to SL really didn't have much to do with each other beyond Sylvanas being the center of both expansions. Most people at the end of BFA thought we were going to have a N'Zoth expansion next (until Shadowlands was announced), little did they know that we would be offing N'Zoth in a single patch.

Again, we wiped our asses with N'Zoth in a single patch. An entire void expansion seems a bit far-fetched. Especially since we're fighting them constantly.

An expansion where we battle against the Light on the other hand....

[Woggmer]

WoD is pretty much the only example, and that was an AU Guldan and a Legion expansion was pretty much inevitable. BFA to SL really didn't have much to do with each other beyond Sylvanas being the center of both expansions. Most people at the end of BFA thought we were going to have a N'Zoth expansion next (until Shadowlands was announced), little did they know that we would be offing N'Zoth in a single patch.

Again, we wiped our asses with N'Zoth in a single patch. An entire void expansion seems a bit far-fetched. Especially since we're fighting them constantly.

An expansion where we battle against the Light on the other hand....

And to be honest, I was hoping the idea that by accident we pulled a different Old God from the past to the present and then they messed with the future. (Based on that one quest with Chromie where we ended up in Ny'alotha and an Old God was whispering to us.)

Not N'zoth, Not C'thun, Not Yogg Saron... but Y'shaarj. (We didn't fight him in original state, we only fought the remnants of his body from the Sha or his Heart, but we never fought him directly.) And he's supposed to be the most strongest of the bunch.