Blizzard Have Upended World of Warcraft

We're entering a new era of World of Warcraft. Check out the new Bellular site: bellular.ghost.io The team's working hard getting Blizzcon content out!

[@BellularGaming]

Check out the new Bellular site: bellular.ghost.io The team's working hard getting Blizzcon content out!

[@MrSedarion]

will there be a dark mode for the website?

[@nyleen]

Will you continue the youtube videos or is everything moving over to your new platform?

[@c0wb0y.crypt0]

I am ecstatic... PURELY about the outdoor content FINALLY being developed for solo end game content! Like.... WTF! That shit is great! One of the most enjoyable things about WoW here lately is being able to just hop on with my Steam Deck, run around knocking out some world quests and hunting down mounts and pets... Doing all the outdoor content... I don't even use half the gear I get anymore, but I still do the content, because it's fun to hop on and play... I can get a minipet or a mount or some new transmog in the time rifts, and I LOVE THAT! The same for the dreamsurge content... To me, all of that stuff is perfect, so hearing this is being pushed forward too? Dude, I'm gonna have a BLAST with so many toons!

[@BellularGaming]

​@@nyleenOh DW, KZbin will rock on!

[@Demosthenes84]

I really want to believe Chris. I hope this isn't just a deception.

[@joetheno87]

I teared up a bit when he said it was time to come home. He showed more love for this franchise in 10 minutes than Blizzard as a whole has shown in years.

[@THREEASKATE]

@@jonathansoko1085no but Midnight and The Last Titan do

[@sardonicspartan9343]

​@@jonathansoko1085does for me.

[@XiLock_Alotx]

⁠@@jonathansoko1085midnight feels right. And tbh, if I’m gna get excited for midnight, I’m going to start at the beginning with The War Within. I’m coming home

[@bravefastrabbit770]

@@jonathansoko1085 The braindead cattle will fall for it every single time.

[@joetheno87]

@@jonathansoko1085 Agree for War Within, but I'm excited about them going back to the old world again for the latter two.

[@Keiral92]

So bloody happy to see Metzen back. Hearing the audiences reaction to him walking out on stage is such an amazing thing. Really just shows, that Metzen was, and is the face of Blizzcon that we remember. The way he gets the audience's attention, their absolute rapt attention, in a way that no one else have done since he left. He's back, and he's still got it. I am so fucking happy to see it happening.

[@joetheno87]

And he seemed like the only person who was comfortable up there presenting, not using a teleprompter, just up there talking about WoW. It was great.

[@LamhirhAbriel]

That entire opening keynote didn't feel like Blizzcon AT ALL until he walked out on stage. Up til then, it was all corporate speak (and the question of whether they were talking to us as players or the shareholders at Microsoft was in my head the whole time)...but Metzen walked out exuding pure passion and it started sounding like the Blizzcons I remembered 15 years ago.

[@spaceowl9246]

I almost cried when I heard his voice.

[@spaceowl9246]

@@LamhirhAbriel Big factor was also for me that many of the people that used to stand up there on stage are gone. Only when Metzen walked up there I knew "ah yes. this is it."

[@hopefulpellinore5490]

The guy has some great presence for sure, smart move to bring him back. I'm not sure anyone else would have been able to sell this. It hit a lot of us long time wow players right in the feels to see him onstage again, didn't it?

[@Deku-yg1vz]

Metzen was the heart of Blizzcon. He lives and breathes Warcraft, and it has been extremely noticeable not having him at Blizzcon.

[@manthe3711]

I don't know. I'm just SO tired of fucking Thrall man, and now that Metzen is back, Thrall is on the spotlight again being the morally superior character...Urgh.

[@aFoolsMartyr]

​@@manthe3711dunno, Anduin seems like he is going to be hugely impactful.

[@megamanx627]

​@manthe3711 I mean what do you mean thrall really didn't have a roll in bfa or sl or df I think the last expansion where he was actually impactful was mop ? I mean yeah he had the whole show down in wod Is in a very minor cut scene in legion but Aside from that ? It's been a while since we've even seen thrall

[@manthe3711]

@@megamanx627 Yeah because Metzen was away lol.

[@megamanx627]

@manthe3711 well ya You can't have the character really without the voice actor

[@tayhnke3088]

I like how Nobbel put it: "Remember that big sword I had Sargeras plunge into the world in Legion? Yeah, forget everything y'all have done in BFA and SLands while I've been gone, we're going back to that" - Chris Metzen.

[@Chesscape]

If they wanted us to forget SL, they shouldn't have given us a flashback to that in the cinematic. That was such a buzzkill for me "Hey guys, remember your favourite expansion?"

[@Krannski]

​@@Chesscapeunless they intended to hard retcon Shadowlads and just say it didn't happen -- I definitely wouldn't mind that -- they can't just pretend like it didn't happen or that Anduin want traumatised. I'm sure Metzen is aware what a mess that expansion created and is trying to fix it in a relatively non-confrontational manner. At least I hope so.

[@Snoozems]

Anduin in the cinematic was SCARELY good. At times it looked real, wild.

[@suzandouglass5241]

think he'll switch specs and go shadow priest instead of holy?

[@bravefastrabbit770]

Dude. It was objectively the worst fucking cinematic blizz$hit has ever produced. The hyperrealistic rendering was good, for a fucking CG movie, not a warcraft cinematic. But even then, it felt more like War of Soycraft than Warcraft.

[@maurinux1985]

the tech of the cinematics is good but the content is pure crap

[@Snoozems]

@@maurinux1985 for sure, my WoW days are over, but I can still admire the things the art department cooks up

[@omarcomming722]

@@maurinux1985 which is sad really, the ingame cinematics have also never been better from the technical pov but the content has never been worse. I really wish we had this back in Wrath > Legion days.

[@TarisRedwing]

Also that sword scene at the end I'm glad they showed the Sword is in reality waaaaaaaay more massive then it appears in game and is only big as it is for game constraint reasons.

[@weluvmusicz]

What sword?

[@blackrose8418]

​@@weluvmusiczsargeras' sword that's stuck into silithus

[@STOREpappa]

​@@blackrose8418what sword, i haven't seen anything like that. Who is sargeras is he like the jailer

[@Dervraka]

I think they might finally be going the FF14 path and shifting to these large multi-expansion story arcs, instead of each expansion sort of feeling like its own thing. All in all, I think it's a good thing if they do it right.

[@michaelthomas5433]

A good thing if they also mix that with the old feel. Otherwise you get Dragonflight.

[@twocatsgaming6628]

They're going the FF14 path with more than that. If you're familiar with the entirety of the Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc, the glaring similarities in what Metzen describes jump right out at you. I noticed it, and I'm seeing comments from others who noticed the same things. It's like Blizzard can't help but lift major story beats from FF14 anymore.

[@michaelthomas5433]

@@twocatsgaming6628 I don't mind that but combine it with that heavy metal WoW feel not just continuing to make WoW into ffxiv.

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

@@michaelthomas5433 A healthy mix would definitely be the best for wow if you ask me. DF is a step in the right direction.

[@megamanx627]

​@@michaelthomas5433I mean to be fair Dragon flight Is still better than bfa or sl.

[@arthurmussi9897]

I stoped playing wow in 2019...what makes me want to come back is that this feels like a true continuation of legion and the story i was invested on...im a bit iffy on the price tough

[@Nick-4K]

The collecting mogs even if they aren't your specialization is the best change in years. Wish they'd implement it now.

[@Aaron-zl5gq]

Just finished the what’s next panel and imo it was the best what’s next panel in years so you got Ion trying to fix gameplay and bring down the walls in the game and Chris providing the story direction , wow has a “chance” to rebound in a good way

[@ParzivalMcfly]

After viewing the panel myself I’m DEFINITELY coming back to WoW when this releases. It’s an easy win for me.

[@toddhoward6553]

Dont.. Its a trap

[@plarpoon]

@@toddhoward6553 It really isn't, the product is on display. If you like what you see you buy it, otherwise that's it, not much to do. With this three expansion plan displayed early on you are given the option to make an informed choice.

[@saetia7]

Both of those things are good but they are still beholden to the executive suite that are going to want to continue cramming it full of microtransactions, time-gating content (to keep you subbed), and retention / engagement metrics to justify their bonuses and jobs. WoW sounds like it is heading in a better path but the last 10 years have been shit. The company is rotten throughout. Its going to take more than sweet promises to win people back

[@ParzivalMcfly]

@@toddhoward6553 such is life my friend. Pick your trap and enjoy the ride.

[@Trazynn]

Every expansion having to revolve around a single existential threat that has to be taken out at the end of it means there's only one story that can be told repeatedly. Decoupling the setting from that is great. Promising that the next three expansions take place on Azeroth, even more so.

[@erikholum4772]

Yeah, the one big baddy at the end is so played out by Blizzard. They just need to make more and more bad guys that are worse and worse and it just feels... pointless.

[@colinbenesch7971]

Bellular! Your amazing, it was an absolute pleasure meeting you at BlizzCon! Your as genuine as it come and just a solid guy. Much love from long time follower! Keep up the good work

[@trxe420]

Did anyone else feel like the cinematic between Thrall and Anduin was kind of a metaphor wow as a whole and maybe even Metzen coming back?

[@BaskingInObscurity]

Well honestly, Chris Metzen is the one and only person I trust to give us the real WoW, the emotionality, the music, the lore, and continuity. That's seriously been lacking for a long while.

[@Nelogenazea]

Chris Metzen is just one guy. It's still the same team that's been producing the last couple expansions. I wouldn't hold my breath.

[@PSXman9]

the whole company including him is just farming ESG points. stop the cope.

[@ToreOnYouTube]

@@Nelogenazea Exactly! This is still 99% the same people, who have been working on all the earlier projects. You won't shift that many people in a corporation with set procedures, just like that.

[@kyotheman69]

sometimes one person all you need, people think its room full of people for video games not so much, there's famous ones its done by one or two people, Dragon quest literally done by two writers

[@tinybadass4759]

I know Battle For Azeroth got a lot of shit, but I remember how amazing it was when all those crazy cinematics and pre-quests came out and everything. This next expansion really is giving me that same vibe of excitement so I'm really hoping he can make it happen.

[@JPLOWMAN2]

If you’re referring to the big glowing crystal thing in the Arathi zone, I don’t think that’s the tip of Sargeras’ sword as you’re implying. They’ve supposedly been down there for centuries, and the description of the zone said something about the crystal’s light always coming back on after flicking off. That seems to imply that it’s been around for a very long time, not just the relative few years which Sargeras’ sword has been stuck in Azeroth.

[@josebatista4932]

Midnight sounds like an expansion made for me, I am VERY BIG fan of blood elves and elves in general, the revamp of Quel'thalas is like a dream come true, my hope it is as good as it sounds because I will be a veeery happy if it is!!!!

[@niteshimmeror9847]

Hopefully, they will add flying. 😁

[@Husker_XIII]

Hopefully the Void destroys the Sunwell. Fuck elves. It's always the same in each fantasy setting with elves being uptight, snobbish, grandiloquent peckerheads the Cringe elves are no exception. The only ones that don't follow this trope is the Dragon Age series.

[@shirox11]

I love Chris’s passion, but i am not gonna cheer to the heavens until i see more from this hopefully good new direction. Blizzard has burned me far to much in recent years to not keep any hype i have very measured.

[@CosmicCleric]

Yep, need to know this isn't just the drug dealer selling us into captivity again, but honest ethical game development for their customers.

[@Johndoe-gd4tb]

dragonflight has been super good already. we’re in a good spot

[@Prawnsly]

a lot of people dislike dragonflight, especially with the lore/characters @@Johndoe-gd4tb

[@shibaraccoon8740]

@@Johndoe-gd4tbgame is still overloaded as fuck. They need to cut out like half of the abilities and then we are getting somewhere

[@atacama677]

The deep dive the day after this was super good. Really excited about the future.

[@ScytheNoire]

I like what I saw. Feels like a lot of things for the common players, and not just the elites. Having a three expansion storyline means lots of community engagement with theories for a few years.

[@gosonegr]

Also, if it’s years of planning we will have pre patches, patches, raids and seasons done before deadline and not rushing and cutting content, last expansion that had nothing shaved of it was cataclysm, and it’s been years

[@omarcomming722]

Who gives a shit about fan theories other than content creators and the passionate few on social media

[@shamba4406]

@@gosonegr Cataclysm had loads of cut content wtf u talking about

[@rizzzzzza4643]

@@omarcomming722People who actually enjoy more than just the surface shit you get by playing casually? Some people enjoy the lord thoroughly, read the books, and enjoy reading fan theories as well. It’s not a big deal to you, but it is for MANY others who actively enjoy Warcraft lore.

[@Desu-Desu-Chan-San]

@@rizzzzzza4643 Imagine playing a game where all the good lore is not even in it...

[@rooktm8935]

I had a massive smile across my face the entire time Metzen was on stage. So happy to see him back

[@michaelg1778]

One of my biggest wishes for WoW is to have a narrative that is developed over multiple expansions instead of this habit of one-and-done, so needless to say this Saga announcement is music to my ears.

[@erikholum4772]

I'm not SUPER into the lore of WoW but I've been playing it for 16 or so years. You're absolutely right about this though, the one and done shit just doesn't feel great. I love going to new places and exploring new areas. But at the end of the day, all the past Xpacs do is add new systems that get wiped in the following Xpac. You lose all progression you made over the last two or so years just to start again. Nothing build on the previous story, content, systems, etc. DF was a great starting point for them in adding those "evergreen" systems and WW just seems to further enhance that. I haven't been this excited for WoW since the LK announcement. Here's to hoping this Saga really turns this game around!

[@sericsson1996]

What you just did was so funny! People will call this new expansion... WoW WW! Try saying that out loud! xD@@erikholum4772

[@kevindenis9551]

Really wish they had done this instead of Shadowlands, it actually seems like a continuation of the Legion story and honestly, I like it, lol. Should’ve just not done Shadowlands, have Dragonflight as a side story for those who want more dragon lore, and have this as the msq for WoW. But for now, going to wait and see. A part of me really wants this game to be fixed and righted, a part that refuses to die.

[@GuilhermeMartins212]

I miss when expansions lasted 3+ years and i didn't had to pay $70+ and go through all the hoops of leveling and gearing before doing the content i want to do every 18 months

[@kennythereaver1]

I got out when the big thing happened with that poor girl that died. As a father I couldn't support that company but from what I can tell. All those people involved have been sent to justice and no longer are part of this company. This has reinvigorated me to get back in. I have played since 2004 and this game has always been a close second home to me. Safe space for me when I was in the military. I hope this is what they are saying. I wanna get back in the fight.

[@joshuasmith4643]

Honestly the thing that might get me back into WoW is the Classic update. The whole Seasons of Discovery and being able to Shaman tank has been something I've wanted for years.

[@TheoRae8289]

I did manage to Lock tank a couple times, so that tempted me where I never bothered with classic before.

[@boxblame]

They didn't announce three expansions. They announced three Paid patches.

[@niteshimmeror9847]

With the reunion in Midnight of the elves, makes me wonder if they will bring back Sylvanass in that patch.

[@Shadonicus0652]

xpac

[@blackrose8418]

Seems a little early from an eternity of paying for her crimes

[@Electric_]

I feel like Metzen already straightened out the story enough without resorting to retconn. I would have preferred retconning back to pre-BFA, but I’m finally excited to see some retail lore again

[@aidancampbell5644]

I think I speak for everyone with this statement. This just makes me conflicted. Part of me is so hyped. That part of me has also been let down too many times.

[@greedance6583]

💯 I left just after MoP, dipped back in a couple of times but never felt the same. Not sure where they go after this “saga” though… WoW2?

[@captainnakou]

when we saw the beginning cinematic, during the closeups, we had a moment with my girlfriend when we weren't sure if it was live action or 3D. how far we come in term of quality...

[@whispersalone6673]

I think it's a necessary risk. Too often does the focus shift from expansion to expansion with little to no reason sometimes. Here. We see a clear line with a through thought so there's no question what comes next. Focus over surprise. It makes sense because it means you're locked into a project and there's no deviation into other worlds or factions.

[@kenny187ful]

I really forgot how much Lord Metzen gets me hyped for WoW until he walked out on that stage.

[@Relhio]

- "It's time to come home!" - So we're finally getting player housing? - "Lmao no, just a different standard adventure players will hate after having to grind it for two months and cry over how fun it could've been"

[@Naeinsengimnida]

Not just Metzen but even Ian looked finally happy, truly happy. Thanks to Microsoft for freeing Blizzard

[@HH-hd7nd]

I like what Metzen presented and I also liked what Ion Hazzicostas presented in the deep dive. All in all I'm really happy with what they're doing right now with WoW.

[@lantern214]

Ion was very nervous, but as the crowd gave him good feedback, he eased up, but the sigh of relief on his face at the end made his day. Now they just have to deliver.

[@Yepheonix]

Idk man I’m still skeptical

[@mirroroftruth9874]

I highly appreciate the announcement of three upcoming addons for World of Warcraft. The Worldsoul Saga seems to rightfully continue the story where Legion left off for years to come. Nonetheless I always wonder whether Blizzard would release Warcraft IV at some point, which would give fans of the franchise another new title in the series. Metzen and his team seem to focus on the MMORPG for now, which is as great as long the hype can be sustained. If I had a wish for Blizzard and Warcraft as such, I'd want them to release Warcraft IV after the Worldsoul Saga takes place.

[@setsuna1f1seiei]

yeah i was emotional over this then i saw the base 70 dollar price tag and immediately laughed and said nevermind

[@jani14jani]

The war within cinematic itself was way better than Dragonflights. The features sound amazing. In war within i'm not "forced" to run M+ to get some decent gear, delves are a great addition when you want something more relaxed and still make process. This sounds like they want to make M+ more about the points and people can still compete and have their bragging rights.

[@BeefLoverMan]

It's just nice to see that even after melding with the Blizzard HQ and becoming part of the ship, part of the crew, Metzen can still project his image on stage.

[@Darthnihilus1122]

I am happy that Metzen is finishing the tale that he started. I am sure his speech moved hearts of many wow players who left the Azeroth during the last three expansions.

[@Volkbrecht]

That would imply that they still care. In the end, it's just a video game. Those that leave generally move on.

[@OpEditorial]

Microsoft freed Blizzard from the shackles of Activision by purchasing both companies outright. There's a notable feeling of relief and apprehensive hope at this year's Blizzcon.

[@BlueFireDrakka]

its really weird being cautiously optimistic for once, I know with Metzen back the cool dudes doing cool shit should be roaring back at full force, but its a little too early to really be excited for the newest expansions since we don't know how the little dragonflight package is wrapped up with its little bow. personally, I'd love to see Racial or Class Skins to abilities, like how they made Glyphs give us fun effects for our spells A Beast Master Hunter being able to skin Arcane shot that makes it look like its a bolt of lightning as a tie to Hati or titanstrike, or a Night elf hunter specifically could have it so Arcane shot looks like a shooting star, Dark Iron Dwarf Paladins being able to have Ragnaros fires to their spells. Kul'tiran priests getting tidesage water effects and so on.

[@porecemusnox8805]

Good to see Metzen back - still being appalled by the price tags/monetization model.

[@toddbrickley]

Meanwhile, ff14 just added the second expansion to their free trial.

[@joelcaughell4777]

I love the content you and the team make for world of Warcraft!! It really keeps me interested in the game!

[@jimdevera2984]

I'm surprised you didn't speculate that the Midnight expansion is going to reveal more about Elune or potentially get a showing from her.

[@Pandamonium492]

Great meeting you at the Hilton Lobby!!!! lol You are one cool dude man! The highlight of people I got to meet for sure! Hope you enjoying your AMF lol

[@Dracounguis]

I assume these are going to come faster than normal. (12-18 months?) Probably have less content than a 2-year expansion but they're still going to want a full $70 expansion price. 😉 Just like COD gets it every year.

[@Nick-4K]

I'm surprised that they didn't announce the Xbox version. Tho, since Phil was there, we all know it's coming.

[@TheItalianiancommenter]

Metzen Is such a Legend he makes the best lore ever

[@FightClass3]

He just copies other popular lores...

[@narwhal_dust5458]

@@FightClass3 Gets inspiration*

[@CheckpointGuard]

@@FightClass3 🤓

[@FightClass3]

@@narwhal_dust5458 Copies + modifies.

[@veryontron4279]

@@FightClass3 You mean like nearly every other property in existence?

[@Lockecole81]

The CGI of Anduin reminded me a lot of some of the stories in Love Death and Robots. They'd do 3d scans of actors to make the models, and then have the actors also play the parts. A couple of the stories were Shape-Shifters and Beyond the Aquila Rift.

[@krognak]

That's a very good point about Blizz relying on the next expec, and that being somewhat redundant now. I hope they know what they're doing, next year is going to be absolutely critical to get right. If they don't, that's YEARS worth of content soured. I'm not sure how many of us will have the resilience to look past that given the long-term plans in place.

[@devonwrayn]

I been in classic for years. This actually makes me want to go home to retail again if things play out right

[@Ninetailsmaster16]

I really miss when wow was just about me being a little guy beating some stuff up for gold sometimes.

[@YoureSoCreezy]

dude, Metzen is incredible. I havent touched WoW or anything blizzard since 2019. I have paid 0 attention to it, but when I seen Metzen was taking the stage I tuned in just to see what he had to say. He is such a great hype beast that his energy alone is enough to have me interested again. I just may resub for war within

[@Wickybizob1]

I really like your view on what its going to be like to cover this new content. Like instead of the WoW youtube community forced to become investigators finding any sign of a good story, lets let them be journalists exploring a world and showing how awesome it is to everyone at home!

[@jonathanatwood5922]

Don’t know if I’m reading in to this too much…….but when Anduin thrusts his sword out in the cinematic, it’s looks spookily similar as Arthus does in wrath cinematic? Tinfoil hat?

[@jtowensbyiii6018]

That's on purpose, he was controlled the same exact way, it scarred his soul and mind

[@jonathanatwood5922]

@@jtowensbyiii6018 yeah I thought that, the jailer left his mark

[@danielkover7157]

I'm really curious about Anduin's story. Brother clearly has PTSD and no surprise why. I want to see his development more than ever. He's grown up a lot since he was that little wide-eyed boy in the throne room, and those eyes have seen so much. ❤

[@terongray1019]

This is them sunsetting WoW. Calling it now.

[@Thats_Andrew]

I just came back to the game and highly enjoying it, Looking forward to coming in for the recent expantion and of course the new ones I'm hyped.

[@SpaceAntlers]

Ohhh I think I misunderstood something from the announcement that you just cleared up for me; when Chris said Midnight and The Last Titan were "going back to the old world" I interpreted that as time travel, like OLD world 😅 I was a little thrown but optimistic, but "old world" as in "we're staying in zones that already exist and bringing new stories to them" makes much more sense and makes me much happier. I'm really excited for the new direction the game and the story is taking, I just wish there had been a little more to show at the con I guess? I was watching via streams so it could be that there were panels that weren't televized but I feel like in the past I could spend the whole day watching artist panels, story panels, sit-downs with voice actors and live artist demos, discussions with hosts and community stuff. I had friends over to watch with me and after the 45 minute wow panel was over each day we were left feeling unsure of what to look at next. I'm sure there will be blog posts and updates going forward but I miss being able to lose a whole weekend buried in this event

[@user-ds2cp4zc2g]

I'm one of those who saw this and was like oh I don't have to return to wow because it won't ever be what I want it to be. I haven't played wow since the beginning of shadowlands; but I have followed it all this time. I'm actually quite glad for this, it finally has ended the speculation of whether or not I may or may not care about wow in the future. Like ripping off a band-aid I can just safely ignore wow, maybe check up on it again in 10 years if it's still around.

[@Honethite]

Metzen brought me back to WoW. It was a great Blizzcon and the future of WoW is incredibly exciting, not seen that for many a year. That cinematic shown at Blizzcon brought chills, it was so very good.

[@e2rqey]

I think the trilogy is the ultimate admission that up until now they've largely just been making shit up as they go. Hopefully the hiring of Metzen and trilogy structure will mean the lore and narrative for WoW is much higher quality and more coherent. As opposed to seeming like bad fan fiction being ad-libbed in real-time.

[@ladytwinklefangs921]

This is great news! Especially with Metzen back! But what I would like to know is what the cost of all this is: Cost of Subscription + microtransactions + battlepass + expansions....??? I won't be going 'back home' (as much as I would like to) until I hear people who have played this new world and say this isn't another cash grab, greedy move. What do you guys think?

[@Thromash]

Prediction. War Within, Iridikron won't show up at all or not until the end, instead be off getting juiced up by the Void. Either come back to Trigger Midnight or come back to Trigger The Last Titan either way being the cause of the Titan's return. We probably lose in War Within, Xal triggers a Void invasion lead by Iridikron juiced up by the Void causing heavy infection & damage to Azeroth triggering the Titans to come back. But when they do, will it just be them? Will Sarg come back Ordered? Will Illidan come back? Will he still be Fel infused? Will he be Ordered? By choice or force?

[@Barkebain]

I like the direction they are showing at this Blizzcon. The best part is that Ion is not front and center, and has had nothing to do with talking about story (something he clearly cares nothing about). With things like Warbands, account wide reps, and day one dynamic flight, I enjoy picturing Ion fuming somewhere backstage.

[@wackywarrior001]

nothing they said will change the elite jerk aspect of the game, retail is still ians retail

[@seantierson2633]

The energy when the whole audience knew he was coming on stage before he was announced. That was a hell of a moment to watch him come out. I haven’t been this excited since WotLK was announced

[@Nightstalker314]

Metzen basically went on stage and told us: "You will play WoW again because I SAID SO!"

[@comical4609]

Ah yes, the daily "Is Blizzard finally listening?" Bellular video.

[@bastianrhone9390]

I really like the laying out method of Storytelling I like magics plane centered blocks it allowed for really flushed out planes I hope that's the idea

[@FernandoMartinez-zh6jz]

I loved the lore videos you make, but the last few expansions always felt like a nothing burger tbh. Because it never lead to anything, like the writers were establishing things without really knowing where they were going. Hear Chris say "we are moving with purpose" it made me so happy I just can't describe it. And then "it's time to come home" there I cried... Man WoW is home to me... I feel empty while playing anything other than WoW and God of War... I need to see WoW being epic and inspiring. I just feel so good I fucking love Metzen...

[@Metafron]

I quit worrying about the story, especially after Shadowlands. Shit was just ruined for me, and instead i focused more on "ok am i even having fun in the game, with the classes and the gameplay loop? Am i enjoying the areas, the dungeons, etc?" and the answer I found was No. I wasn't having fun at all, i felt like my time wasn't being respected and it all just felt boring and arbitrary. It felt like Blizzard had no idea what they wanted to do and were throwing player feedback out of the door. However, I do have hope for the next expansion. Like maybe this will be the one that pulls me back in and I can enjoy this game, one ive been playing since the beginning since I was a teenager, one ive created so many memories in and had so many experiences with. Ion and Chris and this new direction give me hope at the very least. So we'll see how it goes.

[@oswaldovzki]

I'm so glad they announced three expansions already!

[@WenisGuchman]

Metzen is like the Steve Jobs for Blizzard. I hope one day he takes full control of Blizzard one day, and now I feel excited for WoW again.

[@TheBlackMage3]

All of the new gameplay changes looked really solid! I'm just praying that this saga allows them to tell a really nice story. WoW is years behind FF14 in terms of telling stories, intermittent cutscenes (which help the world feel alive), and story cohesion! I hope this changes with Metsen back!

[@sean1035]

Even if the story is 10/10, we still have to "PLAY" the game. They have their work cut out for them on that front for me.

[@icholi88]

To win people back, it needs to be good and consistently good. I don't or won't trust them until they can deliver and keep momentum. That's not next expansion and it may be as far as an expansion and a half before I think about it again and only if its good.

[@Getsugaru]

Now that they're sending us back underground, I think now's a good time to make Sethrak playable. Originally they intended to have an underground zone in Voldun, as I recall, something we partially saw in the Temple of Sethraliss dungeon giving glimpses into the caverns below.

[@firesoy]

sethrak and naga are more likely now since they made drakthyr and were like "yeah you can't see 90% of your armor, just deal with it"

[@mattulrich2810]

There is no saving retail.

[@bravefastrabbit770]

But there is milking the braindead soys mantits* dry!

[@jtowensbyiii6018]

Dude trolls don't get respected

[@ravnos04]

It makes me happy that a content creator is acknowledging the net positive of not only Anduin’s part in the cinematic trailer, but his trauma. He gets a LOT of hate from the crowd on this, but anyone that’s been through similar traumas in war knows that’s exactly how it would play out. It’s not solely I have PTSD or I don’t…it’s exactly how it played out. There are things that trigger us and immediately bring us back to a place we deliberately try to avoid. And even when we are in that mindset, there are things that bring us back into the fight. Good job Blizzard on that Cinematic. I can say that after my departure from Dragonflight, I am excited to see where you take this game next.

[@Bish186]

I had literal goose bumps when Metzen came on stage.

[@72APTU72E]

I actually cried, just an incredible edging entrance.

[@Iad83]

Good to see Metzen back. I sometimes get the itch to return, but then I remember what happened to my warlock in Legion and think nah I'm good.

[@Ysylla5]

I'm worried about the yearly $60 expansion.

[@thesunthrone]

You mean yearly 90$ expansion, surely? You aren't poor and are going to play on the launch day, right? :)

[@Ysylla5]

@@thesunthrone don't need a 3 day head start for extra money.

[@ForOne814]

I mean, people buy CoD every year, and it has way less changes than WoW between expansions.

[@Ysylla5]

@@ForOne814 doesn't make it any better. Just because one game franchise does it doesn't make it better. I would not like to see WoW be the next Madden.

[@ForOne814]

@@Ysylla5 I didn't mean it this way. What I mean that is people are willing to pay yearly. I'm very much sure that there's going to be plenty of gameplay changes between expansions. I'd like to see faster expansion cycle myself, especially considering that they now produce more content more often more consistently. I am in no way hopeful about WoW's future, MMOs are a dying genre for boomers, but the game at least can try to be decent. Dragonflight honestly was not bad, except for the story, which was never good, but at least it wasn't about women talking.

[@kirksaintpatrick3921]

Thanks Bellular for all you do. I'll check out the website.

[@Pancakespls]

You guys never learn. You allow flashy marketing and nostalgia to reel you back into supporting corporate greed

[@tessa8484]

It's the same cycle every single time.

[@basicfacekick]

Glad you called out how Metzen addressed the crowd. It's like he was talking to an audience full of little Metzens out there. Not shareholders. Or subscribers. Or buyers. Or bags of money he wanted to scoop up. Just gamers, people who love fantasy stories, players who love Warcraft. He built the hype, bought the hype, and wanted us onboard with him. It really makes the difference. I won't say that a lot of the devs who spoke at BlizzCon didn't feel similarly jazzed about their work, they're not all corporate goons for sure... but Chris has a certain way of pumping people up.

[@AgentOroko]

I want to be excited for the announcements, but I'm ultimately not interested. WoW Retail needs a complete reboot. It's just too bloated and overly complicated at this point. There are so many useless systems like pointless reputation and currency grinds who's main reason to exist is to drive time /played instead of providing enjoyable content. There are so many Mounts, Pets, and Titles are impossible to get due to being removed, or are tied to incredibly low drop rates at the end of very long raids like Siege, ICC, or DS and the best ones are all on the shop at $25 each instead of being in game rewards. New players are non-existant now becuase there's so much information and understanding of systems and currencies needed now, that it is beyond daunting. There is content in DF especially, that is considered as offensive to an entire politically minded portion of the potential customers, that has no reason to be in game other than for "virtue signaling". That content pushed many long term players away from Retail and are concerned that more future releases will also have devisive content in it, again potentially turning off potential customers from being interested in engaging with the content. Currencies. Do I really need to elaborate on the problem with currencies and upgrade systems in game at this point? Personally, there are so many fantastic games on platforms like Steam that don't have any of the aforementioned issues I raised, not to mention, that don't have a sub + cash shop trying to nickel and dime the remaining customers. Yes, there is many DLC packs for those games, but they are completely optional and when purchased help the actual game devs instead of A-Holes like Bobby Kotick. Finally, raiding is still going to be too hard because of the devs constant battles with modders. The difficulty ceiling will never stop, making raiding more and more niche. Raiding needs to be easy enough that mods are not needed to complete the content, but again, that's not likely to happen unless Blizzard just bans all mods, which is also likely never to happen without a complete world reboot. I think a reboot would be the best option for WoW's future, but it looks like that's not going to happen, meaning the aforementioned problems will likely never be addressed, new players will still be incredibly rare, and even the ones that come and try it, are likely going to be overwhelmed and leave, and the player base is going to continue to stagnate or shrink. For me: Hard Pass.

[@adrianreichelt7057]

The combination of Metzen talking Story and Ion doing Systems as usual, was a really really good contrast. Ion's a funny guy at times, but his announcements lacked that Metzen factor. The crowd went wild over Metzen and in stark contrast, when Ion is just doing Systems and gets to do that with his signature presentation style, it also got the crowd a lot more hyped than usual, among a lot of W announcements system wise. I feel like these two are very strong in their respective bubbles of Development and the combination is going to do very very good things for the franchise.

[@rock2k14]

The saddest part about this is all the seals clapping along like anything is going to change for the better, the damage has long been done (shadowlands will always exist now in its "it was my plan all along" stupidity and turning life and death into a very boring literal machine) Chris lost his touch long ago, you know, where for example he gave us wonders like Warlords of Draenor, that had Grom commiting genocide for the vast majority of the game only for us to all high five at the end and for him to act like he did it all himself, nevermind the countless draenie his armies massacred

[@leandroP2323]

It is essentially a 5-year plan (approximately) that allows planning both the story and the content development process pipelines, similar to those used in good television series. Certainly this alone is no guarantee that WoW will be good again, but I would say that it will certainly help the development team to create more consistent stories and perhaps finally maintain the release of content without having cuts/delays that hurt them so much.

[@eclypsik6701]

Thanks Bellular! I believe in you and the team. You are appreciated and I’ll be here for the long haul. It’s a great time to be a WoW player.

[@KyriaTheMystic]

I may disagree with a lot of your criticisms about Dragonflight, but I think most of us can agree that this direction for the game looks really solid. The intent and communication, even after the deep dive today is clear. They are in this for the long haul. They want to improve WoW's narrative, gameplay, systems, everything. Now let's see if they can deliver. I genuinely hope they can. Let them prove they can be consistent in this upward trend.

[@azjeep26]

systems is good in DF but the storyline sucks ... i think DF was made for little kids like 10 year olds.

[@gosonegr]

For what it has been, BFA and Shadowlands were a fire really hard to put out, DF has worked, the issue is that it was planned before they knew shadowlands was a fail so they share way too much in common, we will see, most likely the next expansion will be the final step to steer wow in another direction and the two after to complete Metzens plans, like TBC and WOTLK were basically what was cut from WoW vanilla for lack of time and tech. Also, since we now play basically merged and phased, they just pull the rabbit out of the hat and throw one server, that would make the world to feel alive again and not just rushing to endgame

[@criminon_]

Was great to meet you at Blizzcon!

[@aaronjohnson2215]

Paid early access ruined this for me. The giant that carries wow on his shoulders being thrown stones under his feet with such a shitty pr decisions.

[@thesunthrone]

Yep. Really not a great start for the "new chapter".

[@grizzlygraeme]

Ngl, when Metzen said "Now is the time to come home" I teared up a bit. So glad Metzen is back ❤

[@em3sis]

Blizzard are the masters of getting its consumer base excited for the next disappointment

[@bison_life]

That "War Within" trailer was Blizz's story without Metzen in a nutshell. Thrall being Metzen, Anduin being Blizzard. Anduin screams that he's not that person anymore and Thrall consoles him. Great times are coming for Blizzard and as an old player, I'm excited to be back for another round of WoW.

[@truthnaut7829]

Hopefully Quel Thalas with the other Blood Elf Zones will be re worked so that we can start flying in those zones. The Azuremist and Bloodmist isles also

[@Ma55ey]

I kind of think that the whole story of wow since classic should be the world soul saga... I'm glad that they are now focusing their attention on this and not dancing around it like they have been doing for years.. I stopped playing wow properly after cataclysm.. I've played through mists and bfa and I'm somewhere through shadowlands?? but the drive to play isn't there so I've not played any dragon Isles yet. But I have to admit that I'm excited for wows future.. and can see myself coming back at launch for the next expansion..

[@marsupialsr]

I can't envision myself playing wow for years to come whatsoever. But I can sure finally hope to see the story develop the way it should've been developing for the past few years.