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

[Ersula]

You know that different teams have no or limited access to each other's work? Why would someone working on Diablo have access to a work in progress, supposedly "confidential" WoW cinematic?

That's an extremely specific scenario I didn't even propose....if this is real, its probably from someone on the WoW team. In fact considering how many leaks ended up being real for WoW, an inconsequential leak like this might even be a fully-intentional marketing strategy. Either way, what matters is you said developers don't watermark their footage, when they absolutely do: Everyone in the industry watermarks their footage.

To be fair, it does look like an orc with the bone structure of the Laughin Orc Mask.

The laughing skull masks come from bugs wait now that I say that aloud that makes no sense

[Sondrelk]

It looks to me like it has a small number of elements from Fyrakk, like the strongly-pointed chin. He may have been used as an input in the prompt.

Looks to me like a generic fantasy orc amalgamation. So the print may simply have been "realistic orc standing in front of Iridikron in humanoid form".

Explains the weird orc that looks vaguely like it might be from WoW, as well as the humanoid in the background with what looks like an attempt at replicating his horns.

[Worldshaper]

Well, that Kaldorei Heritage Quest was certainly one of the quests of all time.

To be fair, it does contain a lot of typical Night Elf flavour. The face marking ritual. Fighting the Legion. Maiev. A Highborne Mage. Felwood adventures in a barrow.

But the scope was way smaller than I had imagined.

[Sondrelk]

That's an extremely specific scenario I didn't even propose....if this is real, its probably from someone on the WoW team. In fact considering how many leaks ended up being real for WoW, an inconsequential leak like this might even be a fully-intentional marketing strategy. Either way, what matters is you said developers don't watermark their footage, when they absolutely do: Everyone in the industry watermarks their footage.
The laughing skull masks come from bugs wait now that I say that aloud that makes no sense

I feel that if it was a real leak for the purpose of hype then there would be at least one thing that is immediately apparent as something we know. And nothing in this picture fits that bill. The Orc or whatever in the front doesn't even look like a WoW orc, and the humanoid in the background isn't clearly anyone either.

[Hitei]

There was SL box leak way before Bolvar store SS.
It depicted Bastion or w/e that big white castle was.

On that 1 we also had "dark ranger customization" with pre-order.

So yeah.... Stick your arrogance where Sun doesnt shine.

The bastion picture wasn't on the box, it was a digital blurb, and a picture of a box (which again, it wasn't) still isn't an angled low quality photo of a monitor, so that has nothing at all do to with what is being talked about. All of that stuff leaked as part of the digital assets for the Blizzcon announcements alongside OW2's assets.

Dark Ranger customization was a late Shadowlands feature (9.2.5) first datamined years more than a year after Shadowlands had already been out, not a pre-order feature. The """leak""" claiming it was part of shadowlands was edited from the press kit files above.

Please stop. You are embarrassing yourself and have zero idea what you are talking about.

[ChairmanKaga]

To be fair, it does look like an orc with the bone structure of the Laughin Orc Mask.

Now I'm wondering what those masks come from. They aren't Orgon skulls.

[Sondrelk]

Well, that Kaldorei Heritage Quest was certainly one of the quests of all time.

To be fair, it does contain a lot of typical Night Elf flavour. The face marking ritual. Fighting the Legion. Maiev. A Highborne Mage. Felwood adventures in a barrow.

But the scope was way smaller than I had imagined.

Tends to be the case with heritage questlines. You would never fit everything worth mentioning about a race, from lore to iconic questlines and locations all in one convenient package.

Hopefully we eventually get a world revamp so we can actually get the lore bit of said races, seeing as the heritage quests usually focus on iconic questlines. Like humans killing bandits in Westfall, or Forsaken commiting warcrimes.

- - - Updated - - -

Now I'm wondering what those masks come from. They aren't Orgon skulls.

There was a weird bug in Gorgrond that I believe looked like that. Presumably a developer never figured out whether it should be an orc skull, or a bug facial exoskeleton.

[Teriz]

Somehow this image feels legit for me. Either this or guy behind leak is really smart, many people after work with image would put elaborate 2 page summary of fake expansion as "leak".

Definitely first person look like Orc, likely twisted in some way. Background of course is much more interesting.

It looks like a twisted Orc to me as well. The question is in current WoW, where would a twisted Orc be coming from? Further, a twisted orc with grey skin and yellowish eyes?



Just putting it out there....

[ChairmanKaga]

There was a weird bug in Gorgrond that I believe looked like that. Presumably a developer never figured out whether it should be an orc skull, or a bug facial exoskeleton.

I thought the Grinning Skull Reaver mount was just supposed to be a WoD Ravager with the skull mask stuck on it. ie the skull is from something else.

[Ersula]

It looks like a twisted Orc to me as well. The question is in current WoW, where would a twisted Orc be coming from? Further, a twisted orc with grey skin and yellowish eyes?

You mean grey skin & glowing orange eyes? Lots of orcs have those.

I feel that if it was a real leak for the purpose of hype then there would be at least one thing that is immediately apparent as something we know. And nothing in this picture fits that bill. The Orc or whatever in the front doesn't even look like a WoW orc, and the humanoid in the background isn't clearly anyone either.

I mean it was posted directly to this forum. If its some sort of false flag leak that Blizzard posted intentionally they would want it to be ambiguous. If it were a fake creation or a rogue leaker, it would make something easily identifiable.

[Sondrelk]

You mean grey skin & glowing orange eyes? Lots of orcs have those.I mean it was posted directly to this forum. If its some sort of false flag leak that Blizzard posted intentionally they would want it to be ambiguous. If it were a fake creation or a rogue leaker, it would make something easily identifiable.

I don't think they would want it to be that ambiguous. Especially not for a first proper leak.

Start us out with something specific to debate, then add in the weird stuff that we have no idea about.

- - - Updated - - -

I thought the Grinning Skull Reaver mount was just supposed to be a WoD Ravager with the skull mask stuck on it. ie the skull is from something else.

[img]

So it is. Been so long since WoD that I actually forgot what it looked like.
I guess it's just the skull of weird Grognosh Bonespurs.

[Mecheon]

Well, that Kaldorei Heritage Quest was certainly one of the quests of all time.

To be fair, it does contain a lot of typical Night Elf flavour. The face marking ritual. Fighting the Legion. Maiev. A Highborne Mage. Felwood adventures in a barrow.

But the scope was way smaller than I had imagined.

I kind of rate it on par with the gnome quest or the like. Just "Yup, here's an adventure that kind of ties into things". Nowhere near the highs of the human or orc ones, but hardly the worst thing ever or the like. Also turned "Wonder woman reference" quest from Vanilla into a more serious thing is def interesting

It looks like a twisted Orc to me as well. The question is in current WoW, where would a twisted Orc be coming from? Further, a twisted orc with grey skin and yellowish eyes?

Lightforged aren't really 'twisted' though and Lightforged don't have 'yellow-ish' eyes, we can see from Turalyon that its just flat out yellow. And, well, could be lighting but those eyes look red if anything. Plus, the more iconic Lightforged colour schemes tend to be white and yellow, if he was supposed to be a Lightforged it'd be going along that I feel

I'm erring on the side of 'unrelated image being presented as an orc' given that it looks a bit too 'generic spooky demon', and it'd hardly be the first time we had fake screenshots being presented early. Don't forget that whole ghost navy in Stormwind Harbor

[Worldshaper]

It looks like a twisted Orc to me as well. The question is in current WoW, where would a twisted Orc be coming from? Further, a twisted orc with grey skin and yellowish eyes?



Just putting it out there....

Since when does the Light cause you to become twisted and ugly? Past evidence suggests it makes you look more regal and pure.

[Teriz]

You mean grey skin & glowing orange eyes? Lots of orcs have those.

They look a bit too warped to be Dragonmaw, but I take your point.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Since when does the Light cause you to become twisted and ugly? Past evidence suggests it makes you look more regal and pure.

Teriz likes to twist things for whatever narrative he seems to have. So grain of salt.

[Teriz]

Since when does the Light cause you to become twisted and ugly? Past evidence suggests it makes you look more regal and pure.

If we're dealing with the light as an antagonistic force, and we're dealing with malevolent Naaru, it stands to reason that the Light as a cosmic force can twist people just like fel, void, or order can. Why couldn't it?

- - - Updated - - -

Lightforged aren't really 'twisted' though and Lightforged don't have 'yellow-ish' eyes, we can see from Turalyon that it's just flat out yellow. And, well, could be lighting but those eyes look red if anything. Plus, the more iconic Lightforged colour schemes tend to be white and yellow, if he was supposed to be a Lightforged it'd be going along that I feel

Well yeah I'm not saying the Lightforged are as twisted as the "orc" in that supposed leak, but it wouldn't take much for Blizzard to simply state that the Lightforged were in the beginning stages of being twisted and the Lightbound are in a more completely twisted state due to the influence of the Naaru that controls them. Again, if it's a Lightbound invasion, we're in uncharted territory in terms of the light being an evil force. The closest we ever got to that was the Scarlet Crusade.

As for the difference in color, CGI vs. ingame graphics.

And yes, I'm fully aware this image could be completely fake as well.

[huth]

Well yeah I'm not saying the Lightforged are as twisted as the "orc" in that supposed leak, but it wouldn't take much for Blizzard to simply state that the Lightforged were in the beginning stages of being twisted and the Lightbound are in a more completely twisted state due to the influence of the Naaru that controls them. Again, if it's a Lightbound invasion, we're in uncharted territory in terms of the light being an evil force. The closest we ever got to that was the Scarlet Crusade.

Doesn't change the fundamental issue. The Light does the pretty and regal aesthetic regardless of whether it is good or evil. Something twisted like that would fit better with Death, Disorder or Void.

[Mecheon]

If we're dealing with the light as an antagonistic force, and we're dealing with malevolent Naaru, it stands to reason that the Light as a cosmic force can twist people just like fel, void, or order can. Why couldn't it?

Because the Light's visual design doesn't turn people into slathering monsters.

If the Light were warping people, I'd be expecting less "Spooky zombie orc, indistinquishable from a mid-tier Diablo enemy" and more "Sin eater", if you know your FFXIV, for the simple fact they'd want to visually show its the Light doing this. If it just looks like a zombie, then that's bad visual design

[DiscipleofCazicThule]

The leak doesn't look like a Warcraft orc. It looks a lot like an Age of Sigmar Orruk Kruleboy to me though.

[Teriz]

Doesn't change the fundamental issue. The Light does the pretty and regal aesthetic regardless of whether it is good or evil. Something twisted like that would fit better with Death, Disorder or Void.

Because the Light's visual design doesn't turn people into slathering monsters.

As far as we know.....

Also CGI orcs are pretty ugly to begin with;