11.0 zone pics?

[Biomega]

Too funny how people look at a screenshot and cry the expansion is going to suck and is going to be the same again

Don't need ANY screenshots to know this going to be the case

[Arlette]

Looks boring as hell so I'm inclined more to believe its real.

[RobertMugabe]

I posted this on the other Speculation Thread, but I did a full on in-depth of the Dwarf-ogre from the Webpage Leak that aligns with these images. Like Wall of Text sized. This can apparently, according to the answers, be faked with AI. But the process itself would apparently still be more work to fiddle with than just somebody skilled whipping it up in Blender and if we're assuming this is a custom Blender Fake, it is still way too much effort either way to fake.

But I agree that this is real at this point. I stand by my original points for why it probably wouldn't be fake and we're more or less agreeing on the same thing. It's in the details.

You're making it all sound so much more complicated than it actually is. There are some very advanced tools nowadays that let you export WoW models, edit them and create entire custom maps and then host them on a private server. I've used a tool like that called Noggit some 10+ years ago and nowadays these tools are even more advanced and easier to use.

If I really wanted to I could probably produce something like what OP has posted in a day or two. You can even see for example in the dwarf winter pic that they've clearly reused existing assets, like the Dwarf statues from Loch Modan and the Bird statue from Aerie Peak.

There are some forums out there that create custom world of warcraft "expansions" and they look very legit. Sadly I don't think I can share any names or whatever here, because private server and modding talk can get me easily banned, but if you google wow modding you should find them pretty easily.

[Dismayxz]

I know we are not a hive mind but i just find some people on this community funny.

They go "we don't want off world, underground, in the sky or underwater. In azeroth!".
Blizzard goes "ok, here it is".
They go "these zones are so generic and boring!".

Literally no winning. This is what you say you want guys. If you want original and unique, we need to go to other environments you say you don't want.

"REWORK REWORK REWORK!" "Ugh why do the barrens just look like the barrens, but uprezzed, so unoriginal. Man, Blizzard Developers SUCK, they just don't get us."

[potis]

Literally no winning. This is what you say you want guys. If you want original and unique, we need to go to other environments you say you don't want.

This is just mmo-champion being mmo-champion.

This forum has been for averagely 7 years an echo chamber of "Give me free epics".

It doesnt matter what content they add, they will dislike it, unless its free Mythic items.

Oh my god, a developer reused the same ground textures for dirt and mud? RECYCLED CONTENT WTFFF BLIZZARD I BOUGHT 20 TOKENS TO GET CARRIED IN M+ (which i dont reveal in mmo-champions so they wont mock me) AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?

[Bwgmon]

AI can make very good images nowadays if you missed it

It's still pretty easy to tell when it's AI. I really doubt someone could get it to make an adult version of the Briarback Thornling pet that fully matches the adult Direhorn model though. Have you seen the DALL-E thread?

If it's fake, an actual artist was definitely involved.

[hulkgor]

„You want a World Revamp? You want Housing? You want Evergreen-Features? Nah, cmon here are 4 new zones, 8 dungeons and a minor feature that lasts for this one expansion. Now fuck off sheep!“

So, the 'successful' formula over the past couple of decades?

[Pakheth]

Damn, I sort of hope these aren't real. I was personally hoping for something a bit more fantastical, maybe even otherworldly. These feel almost too grounded and similar to what we got in DF. While they look nice, I feel shaking it up with something different each expansion is wise to avoid visual burnout.

[Biomega]

So, the 'successful' formula over the past couple of decades?

I believe there is considerable debate about the "successful" part in that statement.

[Yarathir]

From the 2007 Blizzcon feature trailer, they list New Continent: Northrend

2:24

Yes, but I was talking about as patch content.

[Ateo]

None of these zones exist in game

The harpy and triceratops are legit looking

This may be real. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a 10.3 patch tbh tho. Same vibes as Argus announcement.

[ercarp]

I know we are not a hive mind but i just find some people on this community funny.

They go "we don't want off world, underground, in the sky or underwater. In azeroth!".
Blizzard goes "ok, here it is".
They go "these zones are so generic and boring!".

Literally no winning. This is what you say you want guys. If you want original and unique, we need to go to other environments you say you don't want.

Exactly. These zones do a really good job of capturing the Azerothian vibes if you ask me. The only one I'm not too keen on is the first screenshot—and that's not because it's "bad"—but because it feels visually a bit too similar to Grizzly Hills. And we literally just had Grizzly Hills 2.0 with Azure Span.

As for the other zones, you have a snowy zone (that's giving me Storm Peaks vibes) filled with dwarf shenanigans. Perfect. Love it.

Durotar/Thousand Needles esque zone with harpies doing harpy stuff. Awesome.

And finally, a zone that's basically a reimagined Un'Goro Crater with a bit of Sholazar Basin mixed in. Titans! What's not to love?

If people want Azeroth, this is it!

[Ashapls]

I believe there is considerable debate about the "successful" part in that statement.

Comfortable and risk averse are better descriptors

[Biomega]

Damn, I sort of hope these aren't real. I was personally hoping for something a bit more fantastical, maybe even otherworldly. These feel almost too grounded and similar to what we got in DF. While they look nice, I feel shaking it up with something different each expansion is wise to avoid visual burnout.

Community is somewhat split.

Some say "fuck off with the cosmic BS that's background lore I don't want to see it that cheapens everything and makes it impossible to emotionally connect".

Other say "fuck off with the normie exploration bullshit I want anime powers to kick literal gods in the balls".

You can never please everyone. It's hard to tell from the outside who's winning, but I'm sure Blizzard has at least some idea.

[verylargeprime]

Dwarf xpac confirmed! Retail is back, baby.

(j/k retail is dead forever but did you guys know that Hardcore Classic is amazing fun?)

[Dismayxz]

You're making it all sound so much more complicated than it actually is. There are some very advanced tools nowadays that let you export WoW models, edit them and create entire custom maps and then host them on a private server. I've used a tool like that called Noggit some 10+ years ago and nowadays these tools are even more advanced and easier to use.

If I really wanted to I could probably produce something like what OP has posted in a day or two. You can even see for example in the dwarf winter pic that they've clearly reused existing assets, like the Dwarf statues from Loch Modan and the Bird statue from Aerie Peak.

There are some forums out there that create custom world of warcraft "expansions" and they look very legit. Sadly I don't think I can share any names or whatever here, because private server and modding talk can get me easily banned, but if you google wow modding you should find them pretty easily.

My Guy, I do play on the Private Server that is probably the prime example of what you are talking about. Which is why when the Webpage originally leaked, I put a bit of effort into trying to actually debunk it. This is just what came out of it, with plenty of oppinions injected after getting more Feedback to what I came up with. Even IF somebody used Noggit or Private Servers to make this, there are still original assets in the original Webpage picture of the Dwarf-Ogre, that would've taken effort and work with Blender Edits, Noggit and/or AI. I am not going to debunk something purely of the fact that it blatantly rips Assets and uprezzes them, because Blizzard can do so and has done so before. I also mentioned in the Speculation Thread just now.. while there are confirmed reused assets on those 4 pictures, most of the assets actually shown are not. You can't just go and look at 10 Assets in a Screen that combines 30-40 of them and go "Well, I saw 10 of them and I know them", whilst then ignoring every single Asset that had to be made for the Fake, that is actually original. 1st Screenshot pine trees, the shapes and dimensions are new (and yes I know old Noggit could just resize assets at a whim, but not change their shape and characteristics on the fly). They may be evocative of older themes at times, but then the shapes are different. And yes, I know that this could still ultimately be done by somebody trying to Fake it, to fool us. But that would, once again, mean that the Leak has taken effort to fake that goes beyond just making a Text Leak, an AI Leak etc. and won't be properly debunked until we know what's actually coming. The Bird Statue from Aerie Peak is just how Gryphon Roosts have been depicted since literally Warcraft 3. We have actual, factual in game info that refers to these Dwarves on Avaloren going through a similar (but not entirely the same) evolution cycle as our Mainland Dwarves. We also know that Blizzard wouldn't be BEYOND just ripping the asset and uprezzing it, precisely because in the case of them actually doing a Revamp (remember the uprezzed Goldshire Inn?), that would make perfect sense from a production pipeline PoV. They can just use that new Model further down the line, elsewhere. I'm all for debunking Leaks and being careful about one wishes for, but most of the points people bring up about this shit has been the same stuff that people would usually try to bring up to debunk legit Leaks in the past. I like speculating and figuring out what's real. So of course I am going to go deeper into it and consider all possibilities rather than just giving it a singular look and going "Eh, I could whip that up in Noggit/Blender in an hour" only for said person to be exaggerating how little effort would actually have to go into it.

[Holdodlig]

Exactly. These zones do a really good job of capturing the Azerothian vibes if you ask me. The only one I'm not too keen on is the first screenshot—and that's not because it's "bad"—but because it feels visually a bit too similar to Grizzly Hills. And we literally just had Grizzly Hills 2.0 with Azure Span.

As for the other zones, you have a snowy zone (that's giving me Storm Peaks vibes) filled with dwarf shenanigans. Perfect. Love it.

Durotar/Thousand Needles esque zone with harpies doing harpy stuff. Awesome.

And finally, a zone that's basically a reimagined Un'Goro Crater with a bit of Sholazar Basin mixed in. Titans! What's not to love?

If people want Azeroth, this is it!

First zone is a Tiragarde Sound with dwarves.

But yeah, that's the most Azeroth thing they could have made. I would be disappointed to have big dwarves instead of vrykul tho if SoA is real too.

[Swnem]

Dwarf xpac confirmed! Retail is back, baby.

(j/k retail is dead forever but did you guys know that Hardcore Classic is amazing fun?)

I'd rather get my teeth pulled than play WoW hardcore. That's how fun i find it.

[Varodoc]

I know we are not a hive mind but i just find some people on this community funny.

They go "we don't want off world, underground, in the sky or underwater. In azeroth!".
Blizzard goes "ok, here it is".
They go "these zones are so generic and boring!".

Literally no winning. This is what you say you want guys. If you want original and unique, we need to go to other environments you say you don't want.

You're acting like it's still Shadowlands era. Yes, people wanted more grounded and standard fantasy zones after the 4000IQ Cosmic setting of Shadowlands, and Blizzard delivered in Dragonflight, which is praised mostly for being a much-needed cool-off period after all the Cosmic BS from Shadowlands.

Now why we need another expansion like Dragonflight? It's been almost 2 years since Shadowlands, the Cosmic fatigue is gone, we don't need another grounded, boring, mundane setting like Dragonflight.

[Dismayxz]

You're acting like it's still Shadowlands era. Yes, people wanted more grounded and standard fantasy zones after the 4000IQ Cosmic setting of Shadowlands, and Blizzard delivered in Dragonflight, which is praised mostly for being a much-needed cool-off period after all the Cosmic BS from Shadowlands.

Now why we need another expansion like Dragonflight? It's been almost 2 years since Shadowlands, the Cosmic fatigue is gone, we don't need another grounded, boring, mundane setting like Dragonflight.

The Look of these Zones doesn't actually say a lot about how the Story in them is going to go. I'm not seeing Rainbows and Sunshine everywhere, no dragon daycares. Just because the Theme doesn't look cosmic or wartorn and bleak, doesn't mean the Zones themselves can't deliver something fundamentally different from what Dragonflight in essence IS. Which then also means that if we were to give it some manner of credibility, we would take the Webpage's Descriptions at face value, which already paints a very different picture about the inhabitants here than what Dragonflight has been doing so far.

It also goes to say, that nothing in these Screens look like a big landmark, as others have pointed out, safe for maybe that snowy place with the typical Gryphon Roost and dwarf statue, which could be seen as two landmarks. Nothing here speaks volumes about anything story-related. It's just Art Assets.