Theory: WoW announcement at Blizzcon will be underwhelming

[Monoxide]

Yes, they could very well do that. And if they did that every hater would be in the streets squealing about how the BigBadBlizzard had been brought to their knees by YouTube and that Wow and all the other Blizzard IP's were dying...

You act as if they don't do that already. If your only justification for why a WoW expansion must be revealed at BlizzCon and only at BlizzCon is to appease the doomsayer haters, then you're gonna be pretty disappointed no matter what Blizzard does.

[Varitok]

As I've asked others that have floated this idea, and still havent' gotten an answer. When and where do you expect the expansion announcement if not at Blizzcon?

Gamescom 2020. It will be at Blizzcon this year but next Gamescom wouldn't be farfetched.

[Starter]

I am going to watch Blizzcon with low expectations and still wind up disappointed.

[Dziubla]

Gamescom 2020. It will be at Blizzcon this year but next Gamescom wouldn't be farfetched.

Except by the time Gamescom rolls around, it will be time to actually play the new expansion, not announce it. From announcement there's still months before premiere, with alpha/beta If they wanted to announce it at gamescom we would be stuck with Nyalotha for over a year. Sounds like the very definition of "farfetched" to me.

[Seranthor]

You act as if they don't do that already. If your only justification for why a WoW expansion must be revealed at BlizzCon and only at BlizzCon is to appease the doomsayer haters, then you're gonna be pretty disappointed no matter what Blizzard does.

I'm not going to be disappointed... I'm not going to care what gets announced or what doesn't.

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Gamescom 2020. It will be at Blizzcon this year but next Gamescom wouldn't be farfetched.

By next Gamescon you'll be playing beta and slobbering waiting for the release.

[Lei]

Next expac will be announced for sure. Question is what is it gonna be like. You would think the playerbase can see through the PR BS by now, but damn, some people are like toddlers when you tell them "guess what, you get a croissant!" while inside disneyland at the gift store and they be like "YASSSS! Best day of my life!".

[Atrea]

Sure... when the game isn't profitable to continue to run anymore. An MMO needs roughly 500k subscribers to be self-sufficient, and I'm sure WoW is still running at least 2-3 million (not including Classic). It would be financial suicide for them to not have an expansion after this one, even before considering all of the shitty rep they're currently getting.

There are a lot of small-scale MMOs that operate with far fewer than 500k players.

For instance, an old MMO named Dark Ages, has a playerbase of about 100 players, at most - and even some would argue that that number is being generous.

It's still in existence because it's still profitable, even with that small of a playerbase. If Dark Ages (which just celebrated its 20th anniversary) is still around after all this time, it stands to reason that World of Warcraft - the official Blizzard version, even - will exist in one form or another for a very long time to come.

[GenericDragon]

There are a lot of small-scale MMOs that operate with far fewer than 500k players.

For instance, an old MMO named Dark Ages, has a playerbase of about 100 players, at most - and even some would argue that that number is being generous.

It's still in existence because it's still profitable, even with that small of a playerbase. If Dark Ages (which just celebrated its 20th anniversary) is still around after all this time, it stands to reason that World of Warcraft - the official Blizzard version, even - will exist in one form or another for a very long time to come.

Okay, my mistake, meant mmos that are larger scale like WoW. But, point taken.

EverQuest 1/2 ran for 20 years (in EQ's case, EQ2 is on 15 years with WoW) and I doubt they reach more than 500k subs across the two games, and even offered a lifetime membership to their subscriptions last year and as far as I'm aware they're still going now, assuming Daybreak doesn't implode in the next couple years. So I can see WoW still going for a long time.

[RyudoTFO]

I expect them to announce the name and some major game features, like if they implement a level squish or a new class they will talk about that. I don't expect them to tell us much about the story. By the time BlizzCon launches, the new raid won't be probably cleared once, likely not even released. They won't spoil the story of the next expansion and the 9.0 transition into it. That's probably why there is also a WoW Update panel the next day. They will talk a lot about 8.3, maybe even 8.3.5 if there will be one or 9.0 and what features we can expect soon(TM).

I expect more Diablo and eSports talk during this BlizzCon than anything else. They need to win the Diablo community back and promote eSports, like they always do.

[Muxtar]

It means nothing. They can make cool announcement on 2nd day all the same.

[Mirishka]

Who says there's even gonna be an expansion?

Blizzard. Blizzard says it.

During press for Warlords they explicitly stated they had already mapped out "the next 6" expansions, of which we've seen two. How's your math?

[KSM899]

They will announce it during the opening ceremony because that's available for free streaming.

All Announcements for new games are done on the opening Ceremony, the other panels are for details.

Looking at the schedule, I bet there will be 3 other major games announcements beside WoW expansion: Diablo, Starcraft, Overwatch and maybe a new IP.

1 week to go, just wait.

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+ Why would they announce 8.3 just few weeks before blizzcon if they are not planing on announcing an expansion? It make sense to save for Blizcon!

[Kolvarg]

the first panel has another WoW panel running in parallel to the first panel, on a different stage. If the first panel was a WoW panel, I don't think they'd put another WoW panel right at the beginning to run at the same time.

And most likely if there is a Diablo 4 announcement it makes sense to have it take centerstage.

You answered yourself. There is almost certainly a big Diablo announcement, and especially given what happened last year with Immortal, it will almost surely be the first "Coming Soon" panel. The WoW expansion feature will be one of the other 3 "Coming Soon" panels on Friday.

I'm sure they'd just reveal it to be a WoW What's next panel and not make a secret out of it, since everyone is expecting an expansion announcement anyway.

Why would they? All those "Coming Soon" panels in a row in the first day are much more exciting than one of them saying "World of Warcraft - Systems and Gameplay" or something. Despite everyone expecting it, it hasn't been announced, so there's no good reason to step off that habit.

Looking at the schedule and seeing that there is a WoW Update panel on the second day, it makes me wonder how important WoW will be at Blizzcon.

Well you might be right on this one, but not because of the reasons you think.

Simply put, this is looking to be the Blizzcon with the most big announcements to this day. Blizard devs have been hyping it for the entirety of the last year, and the amount of "Coming Soon" panels certainly seem to support that. So yes, the new WoW expansion will be comparatively less important this Blizzcon, simply because it will be sharing the stage with multiple other big(ger) announcements (when it usually only shares it with 1 or 2 other big announcements). You said it yourself that everyone expects the expansion announcement, so the new games announcements will be much more exciting and will take precedence when it comes to panels on the main stage.


That or, you know, they're just trying to spread things a bit more and have more exciting panels on Saturday.

[exsanguinate]

oh look, another fresh account with this type of theory.

Oh look, another "oh look" post to be the coolest in the schoolyard and to show his aversion for something instead of writing something constructive.

[KSM899]

You answered yourself. There is almost certainly a big Diablo announcement, and especially given what happened last year with Immortal, it will almost surely be the first "Coming Soon" panel. The WoW expansion feature will be one of the other 3 "Coming Soon" panels on Friday.



Why would they? All those "Coming Soon" panels in a row in the first day are much more exciting than one of them saying "World of Warcraft - Systems and Gameplay" or something. Despite everyone expecting it, it hasn't been announced, so there's no good reason to step off that habit.



Well you might be right on this one, but not because of the reasons you think.

Simply put, this is looking to be the Blizzcon with the most big announcements to this day. Blizard devs have been hyping it for the entirety of the last year, and the amount of "Coming Soon" panels certainly seem to support that. So yes, the new WoW expansion will be comparatively less important this Blizzcon, simply because it will be sharing the stage with multiple other big(ger) announcements (when it usually only shares it with 1 or 2 other big announcements). You said it yourself that everyone expects the expansion announcement, so the new games announcements will be much more exciting and will take precedence when it comes to panels on the main stage.


That or, you know, they're just trying to spread things a bit more and have more exciting panels on Saturday.

I agree....

[Axxy]

Who says there's even gonna be an expansion?

I'm sure that Blizz wouldn't just stop WoW without at least one last expansion to end the story as such, and not just leave it in the middle of nothingness..

[Soulwind]

Yeah, no.

Blizzard needs this Blizzcon to be a massive success and a huge PR boost. If they screw this one up too, there may not be one every year afterwards.

[PrimiOne]

Who says there's even gonna be an expansion?

My friend says it. I'll introduce you to him.

$

[Lenis]

Looking at the schedule and seeing that there is a WoW Update panel on the second day, it makes me wonder how important WoW will be at Blizzcon.

Let's just say they announce Diablo 4. It makes sense that they would leave out the first few panels and not say what they are about. Even if it just says Diablo What's next, for like the first 4 panels of the first day, people will be able to put one and one together.

And most likely if there is a Diablo 4 announcement it makes sense to have it take centerstage.

If one of the "Coming soon" panels was a WoW panel on the first day, I'm sure they'd just reveal it to be a WoW What's next panel and not make a secret out of it, since everyone is expecting an expansion announcement anyway.

Also the first panel has another WoW panel running in parallel to the first panel, on a different stage. If the first panel was a WoW panel, I don't think they'd put another WoW panel right at the beginning to run at the same time, because who is gonna watch that after an expansion announcement. If the first panel is Diablo 4 however, people who don't play Diablo can watch the WoW panel.

So the fact that there is no WoW What's next panel on the first day makes me fear whatever they announce for WoW will be sort of underwhelming, otherwise we'd get a panel on the first day. It might not even be an expansion announcement.

I don't know.. Did u ever watched Blizzcon? Opening Ceremony will probably have majority of announcements for new expansions and games. Those four Coming Soon! panels will be for in depth preview of the new content. There will be one for: WoW, Overwatch, Diablo and X. It seems HotS and Hearthstone panels wont happen on Main Stage so the last one might be anything. Maybe Classic/Warcraft3 Reforged thing, maybe new game. No one knows.

edit: before I get shit by Hearthstone fans, ye it might just be HS panel. I might be under rating HS.

[MrLachyG]

Who says there's even gonna be an expansion?

there will definitely be an expansion announcement at Blizzcon. as for whether it is underwhelming or not, well that largely depends who you ask....