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

[Scyth]

Considering Smolderon disappeared in BFA, wasn't around in Shadowlands, and then there was a five year timeskip... you defnitely can. Shamans aren't relevant to the current expansion for whatever reason.

Expect it to be a sidestory thing or 11.0 related.

Possible, yeah. Still don't understand how Shamans are irrelevat this xpac.

I mean isn't it pretty straight-forward? The Incarnates whole deal, though they take individual approaches, is undoing Order control and retaking the planet for the primal forces (i.e. Elements). They're pretty unambiguously helpful from the pov of the elementals, it's not surprising that even one of the Elemental Lords joined up. The Earthen Ring voted for him, but they're also perfectly content letting the elements stay handicapped for the sake of the whole planet remaining in its current status quo.

Fair, that makes sense. From that POV it's not hard to imagine the elemental lords siding with them, especially the Fire one which has always been very all about destruction. It still rubs me the wrong way that we don't get any story about this though, it's just too sudden.

Odd choice. If there’s no intention of attaching any story to his being there then Blizz could have just opted for a newly created fire elemental character. Unless of course they just want a well known name their to make the raid seem more interesting. But again, what’s the point if there’s no story?

Just have to hope they address it eventually but unlikely lol

[ro9ue]

So Blizzard Korea have taken down the VoD of Bellular’s latest stream from YouTube - in which they showed and discussed the recent cinematic photo “leak”.

Blizzard telling on themselves? Drogbar expansion confirmed??

When Bolvar leaked, it was pretty obviously pro level. It will be trickier to know what is legit now that AI is in the mix. The cinematic "leak" looks really good quality wise, but it's not obvious what the hell we're looking at. AI's weakness is generating something specific. If we were looking at a well rendered out Thrall, I think we could be more confident in the legitimacy.

If we assume it's real, looks like a fire-infused orc. Can potentially line up with the elemental theme of DF. Or something from Diablo

[Revamp Man]

When Bolvar leaked, it was pretty obviously pro level. It will be trickier to know what is legit now that AI is in the mix. The cinematic "leak" looks really good quality wise, but it's not obvious what the hell we're looking at. AI's weakness is generating something specific. If we were looking at a well rendered out Thrall, I think we could be more confident in the legitimacy.

If we assume it's real, looks like a fire-infused orc. Can potentially line up with the elemental theme of DF. Or something from Diablo

I'd say more earth infused because it looked like a stoneborne with anger issues and an ED

[Cheezits]

When Bolvar leaked, it was pretty obviously pro level. It will be trickier to know what is legit now that AI is in the mix. The cinematic "leak" looks really good quality wise, but it's not obvious what the hell we're looking at. AI's weakness is generating something specific. If we were looking at a well rendered out Thrall, I think we could be more confident in the legitimacy.

If we assume it's real, looks like a fire-infused orc. Can potentially line up with the elemental theme of DF. Or something from Diablo

I think it's either a Drogbar (Iridikron ally?), a new species entirely (lines up with Back of Azeroth and Revamp), or simply not WoW.

[Woggmer]

I think it's probably Diablo honestly. So a legitimate leak, but not WoW.

I don't think it's Diablo related. Diablo's style goes for a more realistic look, while this image is more cartoonish looking.. especially around the teeth/tusks.

[Ebonn]

That’s not what Orcs look like!!!

[Well Done Steak]

I tried copying it into discord, let's see if this works for ya.

Sick, thank you!

[Houle]

That’s not what Orcs look like!!!

Normal orcs? No, not really.
Potentiallly fire/nature/whatever empowered orcs? Could very well be how they look.

[huth]

Normal orcs? No, not really.
Potentiallly fire/nature/whatever empowered orcs? Could very well be how they look.

I dunno, the chin doesn't really make much sense. Same for Drogbar. Both races have flat chins as a fairly prominent part of their design.

[Kiivar86]

Sick, thank you!

Welcome!

As for the pic it does kinda look like a drogbar to me now that I compare though there are differences. I realized what I thought was like quills or something was actually an ear.

[Mecheon]

Blizzard telling on themselves? Drogbar expansion confirmed??

I'm telling ya, vampire orc. Dentharius unleashing a vampire plague or something on Azeroth

[Well Done Steak]

What if it's just a new void creature with red eyes staring down a naaru, which is the light source.

The hallow Mr Jefferson nose throws off any chance it's an orc.

[Chickat]

I dont know that I can handle 7 more weeks of this.

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Also im barely in the top 50 posters this time. Ive had a lot going irl the last year so its understandable, but I feel like I was always top 15 or 20 last few threads.

[Hitei]

That’s not what Orcs look like!!!

It actually looks a lot like an orc. Especially the tusks/teeth.

In fact, I'm tempted to guess that, assuming it's AI generated, it's been fed screenshots from the saurfang and WoD cinematics, and that the reason why there's the weird shift on the tusk is because the sources its been given both have rings breaking up the tusk shape. Likewise, the ridge up at the top of the head might also just be mimicking Saurfang's widow's peak, and the slightly braided look to the blended hair/cloth around the neck (which is imo the biggest indication that this is probably AI generated) is just mimicking Saurfang's braids.

But of course that could just all be coincidence.

[Chickat]

Given it's an updated build number for 1.15, I'd guess if anything something classic related is more likely. Probably new seasonal stuff or something, maybe they'll finally do HD classic.

Doing HD classic+ with the assets they are building for the mordern revamp would be genius.

[Ebonn]

Normal orcs? No, not really.
Potentiallly fire/nature/whatever empowered orcs? Could very well be how they look.

No I mean it’s fundamentally structured differently than an Orc.

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It actually looks a lot like an orc. Especially the tusks/teeth.

In fact, I'm tempted to guess that, assuming it's AI generated, it's been fed screenshots from the saurfang and WoD cinematics, and that the reason why there's the weird shift on the tusk is because the sources its been given both have rings breaking up the tusk shape. Likewise, the ridge up at the top of the head might also just be mimicking Saurfang's widow's peak, and the slightly braided look to the blended hair/cloth around the neck (which is imo the biggest indication that this is probably AI generated) is just mimicking Saurfang's braids.

But of course that could just all be coincidence.

Except it doesn’t look like an orc… except for the tusks, I don’t see how anyone sees an Orc lol.

[Rezzyk]

It's going to be a happy ending because that's the entire theme of the expansion, IMO. The only bad thing that will happen is probably Tyr/Odyn/more turning their back on the aspects, especially now that they aren't shackled to him.

Unless Tyr straight up murders Vyranoth and peaces out.

Honestly I’d love it if Tyr gets awakened, looks around, and says “what the fuck happened here?” And goes off to try and reorder the world. It would leave the Aspects in quite a bind with their creator no longer aligned with their mission. And it means they would have to call up Iridikron and be like “hey Buddy, so uh, Tyr is getting some Titan pals and wants to get rid of all of us. Can you come back with your plan to get rid of them?”

[Cheezits]

Honestly I’d love it if Tyr gets awakened, looks around, and says “what the fuck happened here?” And goes off to try and reorder the world. It would leave the Aspects in quite a bind with their creator no longer aligned with their mission. And it means they would have to call up Iridikron and be like “hey Buddy, so uh, Tyr is getting some Titan pals and wants to get rid of all of us. Can you come back with your plan to get rid of them?”

I think that's the going to be the general idea. Tyr is built up all through the patches, but apparently the Dragons get empowered without him. In addition, it's hinted that he may have forcibly ordered some protodrake babies, and experimented on others. He's been built up as both a sweet guy in flashbacks and also foreshadowed as a truly dubious and Order-minded figure at the same time.

Considering the expansion seemingly concludes its main story with Amirdrassil being saved, I think Tyr is going to link the two expansions unless he is killed in the last chapter. Both of which could lead to a Keepers/Titans vs Azeroth story, and as the Aspects are possibly getting empowered by Elune I think we are inevitably going towards a "Elune and Azeroth vs everyone else" storyline.

Elune seems to be this ambitious entity with multiple powers (Light, Life, Order) so maybe she is symbolic of freedom vs the other gods that are so heavily tied to just one force of magic?

[Ebonn]

Honestly I’d love it if Tyr gets awakened, looks around, and says “what the fuck happened here?” And goes off to try and reorder the world. It would leave the Aspects in quite a bind with their creator no longer aligned with their mission. And it means they would have to call up Iridikron and be like “hey Buddy, so uh, Tyr is getting some Titan pals and wants to get rid of all of us. Can you come back with your plan to get rid of them?”

I would honestly love if we got to fight the Titans lol. Every moment leading up to this expansion has led us to believe Tyr is a good, stand up guy - would be fun to flip it and be like oh shi—- okay guys we were wrong come back and help us bring these baddies down!

[Cheezits]

I would honestly love if we got to fight the Titans lol. Every moment leading up to this expansion has led us to believe Tyr is a good, stand up guy - would be fun to flip it and be like oh shi—- okay guys we were wrong come back and help us bring these baddies down!

The Dragonscale Expedition vault quests basically revealed he experimented with baby whelps and elemental powers just to see what would happen. The flashback shows a void creature taunting him that Alex will turn on him.

It's getting very likely he will be fighting us because he goes against both normal mortal values and the values of Alex and Vyranoth.