It would seem that Blizzard has been busy and recently revealed at Blizzcon 2023 that it has not one, not two, but three expansions for its long-running MMO for the PC, World of Warcraft. It would seem that the developer has taken a page from Marvel’s cinematic universe, as these three expansions are part of what’s called World of Warcraft’s “Worldsoul Saga.”
According to Chris Metzen, who recently returned to Blizzard, the Worldsoul Saga will serve as a bridge between the already-released World of Warcraft games and whatever Blizzard has planned next. The first expansion is called The War Within, the tenth expansion for World of Warcraft, and will be the start of whatever Blizzard has planned, followed by the eleventh and twelfth expansions called Midnight and The Last Titan.
During the reveal, two trailers were shown. The first features fan favorites Thrall (Green Jesus) and Anduin, initially getting into a heated debate about what’s happening and what needs to happen. You see, during WoW: Shadowbringers, Anduin has been through and has seen some shit. So, he’s not thrilled to jump into whatever is coming next. But of course, everyone’s buddy, Thrall, believes in him.
The trailer ends when both characters look upward, and the camera pans upward to see a massive sword shoved into the planet of Azeroth. Then they wonder, just who was this sword thrown at? Well, that’s a good question that players will no doubt figure out when The War Within is released in Fall 2024. Of course, if you’ve played WoW long enough, you’ll realize that this is the sword of Sargeras, and it’s been stuck in Azeroth’s hide for quite some time (Legion).
Fans had wondered for years when Blizzard would finally address this, ever since Sargeras tossed the sword at Azeroth, fearing that the planet, or World-Soul, should awaken would be more powerful than he. And seeing how the Old Gods are trapped inside of Azeroth, there’s the possibility the planet would be corrupted, and that’s a bad thing. Well, here you go.
Midnight, the second expansion, will focus on the Void and the Light fighting against each other yet again. This expansion looks to be focused on the Old Gods. Meanwhile, The Last Titan, the last expansion of this Worldsouls Saga, will focus on the Titans and likely a clash between them and the Old Gods, which sounds like an “End of the World” situation. We’ll learn more about these expansions, likely after The War Within has kicked off.
The War Within will introduce the dwarf-like Earthen as a new recruitable Allied Race, a new level cap of 80, new Hero talents for every playable class, introduction of account-wide Warbands for reputation and shared resources, new zones, eight new dungeons, and one playable raid instance at launch. The Nerubian will make their turn, a race of Spider-like creatures that players have encountered ever since Wrath of the Lich King. This is where the second trailer shows off the new features, including the new zones, Hero Talents, and more.
It’s a great time to be a fan of World of Warcraft, and several friends are excited to see what Blizzard has planned. As for me, I haven’t played World of Warcraft since Legion, and I’ve made my intentions known that I had no plans to return. Something about playing the MMO since day one, having a wife and kids, and other responsibilities will do that to you. I’ll admit I have been keeping tabs on some of the history, as the universe and lore have always interested me. I mean, you odn’t play a game for 12 years and then forget it existed. As for me making a return of my own, we’ll see.
World of Warcraft: The War Within will be launched in the fall of 2024.
