Summary
The next chapter inWorld of Warcraftis going to be unveiled at BlizzCon 2023, but players may have just gotten their first real glimpse of the new expansion pack through its most credible leak yet. ThoughDragonflightis nearing its fiery climax as Fyrakk prepares his assault on the World Tree,rumors of the nextWorld of Warcraftexpansionhave slowly been whispered in the background. Concepts such as Light and Void, a primordial landscape untouched by modern civilization, stormriding, and even bizarre “tall dwarves” made up the majority of leaks and speculation.
Most of the rumors sprung up from the Public Test Realms for Patch 10.2, whenWorld of Warcraftplayers came across a mention of Titan Keepers sending failed expeditions to the lost continent of Avaloren in Azeroth’s distant past. According to the writings of Watcher Perethales, Prime Designate Odyn sought to pursue a group of heretics to Avaloren, but their defenses ended up being too strong for Odyn’s forces. Coupled with the dinosaur pet obtained from the Titan-themed time rift in Patch 10.1.5, it would seem that Blizzard has certainly been building towards a Titan-themed expansion.
However, therecent leak posted on the officialWorld of Warcraftsubredditby Upset-Setting-501 has given plenty of credibility to the rumors of Avaloren being the nextWorld of Warcraftexpansion’s setting. Not only does it seemingly confirm Avaloren’s role as the new continent that players will be able to explore, but it also confirms that the datamined Algarian Stormrider mount does, in fact, point towards the upcoming expansion via its associatedWorld of Warcraftachievement. Furthermore, a player named cinamonjackz expertlyconnected the architecture of the structures in the leaked image to the BlizzCon propsthat are being prepared for the show.
Given thatDragonflightfamously leaked its key artdays before BlizzCon, the window for credible leaks cropping up in theWorld of Warcraftcommunity has certainly come. Though the title of the next expansion remains unknown, the names that are considered the most trustworthy include Stormbreak and Storms of Avaloren. If one were to associate the recent image leak with earlier rumors, players might expect to see the Algaren as a new playable race (available to both Horde and Alliance) that resemble stone-skinned dwarves of tall stature.
If the leaks turn out to be true, the new capital city will end up being Khaz Algar, and the continent of Avaloren will debut with four playable zones at launch. The popularity ofAugmentation Evokers inDragonflightwill allegedly see the new expansion introduce more support specs, though some players are worried that it will come at the cost of losing the modern Enhancement, Arcane, and Survival playstyles. Ultimately, fans will be able to find out more during the opening ceremony at BlizzCon 2023, where Chris Metzen will take stage for the first time since 2015.
