Shadowlandscreated a lull, so fans are expecting a lot
Blizzard has announced theWorld of Warcraft Dragonflightexpansion todayduring their “expansion reveal” stream: two months after their canceled BlizzCon 2022 event would have taken place (the opening for today even had BlizzCon nostalgia shots in it).This is theninthexpansion forWorld of Warcraft, a feat in and of itself.
Presented by Holly Longdale (lead producerWoW Classic), John Hight (franchise general manager), and Ion Hazzikostas (game director and VP), the roundtable of devs noted that they “needed to do better,” and incorporated feedback into the future of the game. They reiterated cross-faction play is part of update 9.2.5, as a way to give people more chances to play with one another, as a “closing chapter forShadowlands.”
Dragonflight, however, is the near future. It’ll be “going back to Azeroth,” and plays off of events from thousands of years ago. “The awakening of the Dragon Isles” will be the key component, which has “removed the [convenient] concealment” of the region that cordoned it off from the rest of Azeroth.
World of Warcraft Dragonflightfeatures:
While theinitial receptionto the current expansion (Shadowlands) was fairly positive, fans have turned on it over time. Not only did the game itself fail to compel people to log in on a constant basis, fail to deliver interesting updates, and fumble storylines for long term classicWarcraftcharacters; butthe series of Activision Blizzard scandalshave soured the perception of the company as a whole, leading fans to leave in droves forFinal Fantasy XIV.
A lot of pressure is onDragonflightto deliver the goods and actually shake upWoWin a meaningful waythat alsogoes over well with long-term fans; many of which are the lifeblood of the game. It’s an unenviable position from a developmental standpoint, but there are many inspirations to draw from as well, including the game’s own history.
As a reminder, the Microsoft and Blizzard deal will apparently close, according to the former, in the “fiscal year of 2023,” which begins in July of 2022 and ends at the end of June 2023. So by the timeWorld of WarcraftDragonflightarrives, it could be the firstWoWexpansion under Microsoft’s umbrella.
