World of Warcraft is nearing the end of its alpha testing for Dragonflight, meaning the breadth of the games’ files are within range of dataminers. As such, the animated login screen for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight has been discovered by fans, and it is as breathtaking as the rest of the Dragon Isles.
The new screen itself is the background players will see every time they log in to World of Warcraft once Dragonflight releases. This time, the screen depicts Tyrhold, the fortress seen in the Dragonflight announcement cinematic.
The Dragonflight login screen shows a gorgeous panorama shot of Tyrhold, its beacon bright in the sky. In the animated version, mist rolls off of the cliff sides in the background as the foreground focuses on the towers and aqueducts that lead up to the Titanic facility. The brightly-lit and open scene paints an optimistic picture for Dragonflight, a fitting tone for an expansion which focuses on exploration and rediscovery.
Historically, previous World of Warcraft login screens have depicted a gate of some kind. Many of them, including the one from vanilla World of Warcraft, depicted the Dark Portal in one of its various incarnations. The login screen for Dragonflight is reminiscent of the one from Wrath of the Lich King, which depicted the frozen ramparts of Icecrown Citadel. In many ways, with similar structures yet a different feel, Dragonflight’s login screen is its foil.
Fans were in awe of the beautiful scene from the Dragonflight login screen. The World of Warcraft art team consistently delivers high-quality content, and this screen is no different. Many players especially enjoyed how the open aesthetic of the screen clearly communicated the positive shift in tone Dragonflight is creating with its story so far.
That said, players do have one major question about the new login screen: where are all the dragons? One of the greatest parts of the cinematic trailer for Dragonflight was seeing all the dragons coloring the sky around Tyrhold. Yet, in the login screen, the idyllic sky is quiet and empty, bereft of any creatures whatsoever. It is possible the login screen will have another layer of animation added to it in the future, like how Sindragosa flies into the foreground in Wrath of the Lich King's login screen. Players will have to wait and see if any dragons–perhaps Alexstrasza herself–swoop into the login screen when it is finally added to the game.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC, with the Dragonflight expansion set to launch later this year.
Source: Wowhead