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

[Dracullus]

Actually I think that the CE mount for Dragonflight , the green dragon, got leaked/spoiled ahead of Blizzcon. I think it's possible that the next CE mount is in the files right now or at least assets attached to it.

Maybe related?

https://x.com/keyboardturn/status/16...851294770?s=46

CE dragon was already in 9.1.5 files cause they likely planned reveal+pre-order on Blizzconline that was cancelled. CE mount for 11.0 could be in 10.2 or 10.0.7 files if they plan pre-order on Blizzcon, but this could as well start closer to Alpha like they did with Legion, BfA and DF, only SL had pre-order same day it was revealed.

[Houle]

I imagine both the Void and Dreadlords would fit into a revamp anyway. They’re pretty much evergreen villainous factions. They’ve always been around and likely will be up until the very end of Warcraft.

Theyve not always been around. Dreadlords werent a thing until WC3 (and even then, they were still purely demons serving the Legion, not Death agents) and the Void wasnt even counted as a seperate thing from the Nether until WoD and Chronicles.
If anything, the Legion/Disorder/demons are the only major villain whove "always been around". Everything else was introduced significantly later (except orcs ofc, but they arent major villains anymore).

[Hitei]

It looks like it might be meant as a retexture of the Alabaster Stonetalon Gryphon, which is a second remodel of the gryphons (after MOP gryphons).

The green effect is interesting. I'm thinking Return to the Shadowlands is likely boys!

Nah, they're totally different texture maps and don't actually look alike beyond base features (different beak shapes, different numbers of feathers, etc.)

[Santandame]

Theyve not always been around. Dreadlords werent a thing until WC3 (and even then, they were still purely demons serving the Legion, not Death agents) and the Void wasnt even counted as a seperate thing from the Nether until WoD and Chronicles.
If anything, the Legion/Disorder/demons are the only major villain whove "always been around". Everything else was introduced significantly later (except orcs ofc, but they arent major villains anymore).

Aye, but as one of the major cosmic forces (Void) I imagine enemies focused around them will be around for a long time. Regardless of the Warcraft games though, as far as WoW goes the Dreadlords have been a constant since vanilla and Blizzard clearly don’t want them gone as they’ve found a way to extend them past the Legion’s defeat by having them be these metaphorical chess players that have been infiltrating and playing all the big players so we’re likely stuck with them for the foreseeable as far as enemies goes; and rightfully so - they’re awesome.

[Cheezits]

Theyve not always been around. Dreadlords werent a thing until WC3 (and even then, they were still purely demons serving the Legion, not Death agents) and the Void wasnt even counted as a seperate thing from the Nether until WoD and Chronicles.
If anything, the Legion/Disorder/demons are the only major villain whove "always been around". Everything else was introduced significantly later (except orcs ofc, but they arent major villains anymore).

WC3 had a hint or two that the Nathrezim were doing their own thing. Not that they were spies or death creatures but its there.

[LemonDemonGirl]

The name is awful yep, but it follows the whole "single word" thing we've had with Legion, Shadowlands and Dragonflight! I'm not saying this one is the one, it came out too early imo, but it could work I think

Well, they can't call it Shadowbringers.

[Nymrohd]

I will bet you several dollars that they are not going to have an expansion with Darkness or Shadow in the name for a looong time.

Call it The Darkness and we start in a Naaru vessel going to K'aresh and intercepted by an octopus Old God monstrosity?

[Raetary]

Could be an update of this one
does that picture only contains wings or everything? Im having a hard time seeing what it is meant to be

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I think some questline with turalyon and lothraxion would be interesting if dreadlords will end up being involved in next expansion.

Im not sure 100%, but i think we haven't seen lothraxion since legion and only read about him in SL.

[Makorus]

Underground works with an elemental theme. As WoW's premiere Shaman, Thrall fits within that as well, especially if the goal of going underground is to heal Azeroth.

In terms of Goblin relations, Thrall is very close friends with Gazlowe, whom he brought in during WC3 to help build Orgrimmar. Throughout the history of WoW Gazlowe served as a close ally to the Horde despite officially being neutral. That was in large part due to his friendship with Thrall. Later Thrall convinced Gazlowe to take over the Bildgewater Cartel after Gallywix left. So Gazlowe is currently in the Horde because of Thrall. In addition, the playable Goblins rescued Thrall in their scenario, and Thrall was the one who brought the playable Goblin race into the Horde.

I'm also pretty sure that in terms of sheer development history, Thrall and Gazlowe were created at the same time, and a huge part of their backstories come from the cancelled Warcraft Adventures game where Gazlowe was going to be Thrall's pilot as they traveled around the world together.

Keep in mind, the trick for the key art is that you put up a major character that still fits the expansion concept but doesn't give the game away. If it's a Lightbound Invasion, you can't use Yrel. If it's an Undermine/Underground expansion, you can't use any Dwarves, Goblins or Gnomes. Thrall is the perfect poster boy for both.

Your thinking is backwards though.

"Thrall makes sense because..." rather than "Undermine makes sense because Thrall is there". I could think of a Million things that would fit with a vague hint from Towellie and the Thrall keyart, and then work my way backwards explaining how all the pieces fit together.

[Ersula]

How strongly do we think this is the pre-order mount for the next expansion? Because its giving Drust vibes. And the Drust aren't strictly related to the shadowlands; its nature spirits that were removed from the great cycle entirely. So add Drust to the list of potential evil invading forces.

[Sondrelk]

How strongly do we think this is the pre-order mount for the next expansion? Because its giving Drust vibes. And the Drust aren't strictly related to the shadowlands; its nature spirits that were removed from the great cycle entirely. So add Drust to the list of potential evil invading forces.

I think it's a strong possibility. It wasn't the new Dragonriding mount for 10.2 like I though, but it still has to be used somewhere, and nowhere in 10.2 does it make sense to have it.

[Hitei]

How strongly do we think this is the pre-order mount for the next expansion? Because its giving Drust vibes. And the Drust aren't strictly related to the shadowlands; its nature spirits that were removed from the great cycle entirely. So add Drust to the list of potential evil invading forces.

Drust are blue/cyan associated, not aquamarine.

[Teriz]

Your thinking is backwards though.

"Thrall makes sense because..." rather than "Undermine makes sense because Thrall is there". I could think of a Million things that would fit with a vague hint from Towellie and the Thrall keyart, and then work my way backwards explaining how all the pieces fit together.

The thing is though that Towellie hinted that the expansion would be underground. He even showed a picture of a cave to drive the point home. You take that hint and you run through the possibilities of a WoW underground expansion. When you do that, Undermine is front and center for a host of reasons. You take that, and then you look at the key art which showcases Thrall and you consider what connections he would have to such an expansion, and he has plenty. You can then go a step further and consider the Chinese prediction of an elemental expansion and you again run it through the other clues and once again they all work. We can run this frontwards, backwards, sideways, whatever; No matter anyway you slice it, the clues all line up with one another.

Now, does that mean that the next expansion for sure is 100% going to be Undermine? No, of course not. However it should be considered a very strong candidate due to the evidence we have on hand. I'd give that evidence more credence than a bunch of AI pictures from twitter.

[Santandame]

How strongly do we think this is the pre-order mount for the next expansion? Because its giving Drust vibes. And the Drust aren't strictly related to the shadowlands; its nature spirits that were removed from the great cycle entirely. So add Drust to the list of potential evil invading forces.

The only thing I see Drust featuring in would be a world revamp. Obviously they’d feature in an Emerald Dream expansion but we know now that we’re never getting that as an expansion.

They would definitely fit a revamp and I could see them in any of the following zones:

- Darkshore, Ashenvale, Felwood, Azshara, Stonetalon
- Ghostlands, parts of Lordaeron, Gilneas, Silverpine
- Elwynn, Westfall, Duskwood, Deadwind, Swamp of Sorrows

They could possibly show up in a new landmass like Avaloren? But outside of the Emerald Dream, I feel like they most fit a world revamp where they invade several zones.

But as Hitei has said too, that’s not really their colour scheme.

[Raetary]

How strongly do we think this is the pre-order mount for the next expansion? Because its giving Drust vibes. And the Drust aren't strictly related to the shadowlands; its nature spirits that were removed from the great cycle entirely. So add Drust to the list of potential evil invading forces.

I guess.

But the colors don't match up.
On one hand the bird is too purple, on the other hand the blues are too green.

Drust magic is a vivid blue and black, not that turqoise looking color.
And purple, that they are definitely not.

[Ersula]

Drust are blue/cyan associated, not aquamarine.

Not strictly. The Blighted Horrors & Witches used aquamarine. Imagine this with the existing blue/cyan spell effects projected onto it.

My guess is that or its "Medivh's Ravengryph Mount" & its a world revamp & we're getting a lot of classic throwback loot.

[Hitei]

Not strictly. The Blighted Horrors & Witches used aquamarine. Imagine this with the existing blue/cyan spell effects projected onto it.

My guess is that or its "Medivh's Direraven Mount" & its a world revamp & we're getting a lot of classic throwback loot.

Nah, they are also blue.

[Fiercelord]

Not strictly. The Blighted Horrors & Witches used aquamarine. Imagine this with the existing blue/cyan spell effects projected onto it.

My guess is that or its "Medivh's Ravengryph Mount" & its a world revamp & we're getting a lot of classic throwback loot.

That would be nice!

[Ersula]

Nah, they are also blue.