Summary
- World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas suggests that a world revamp is likely to happen in the future, potentially as a sequel to Cataclysm's overhaul of old world zones.
- The release of Patch 10.2, Guardians of the Dream, indicates that World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is halfway through its lifespan, leading players to anticipate an expansion announcement soon.
- While Hazzikostas's words are not a confirmation, the possibility of a world revamp has fans excited, as they believe it could help rebuild trust and bring back the elements that made them fall in love with the game.
World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas has gone on the record saying that a world revamp is “likely to happen.” While he couldn’t give any exact details, his words seem to indicate World of Warcraft will get its long-awaited sequel to Cataclysm’s overhaul of old world zones.
The advent of Patch 10.2, Guardians of the Dream, indicates World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is likely about halfway through its lifespan, meaning another expansion announcement is imminent. What’s more, next year is WoW’s 20-year anniversary, leading players to have high hopes for the next expansion. Many are hoping 11.0 will be a second world revamp akin to the Cataclysm expansion in 2010.
In a recent interview with GameSpot, Hazzikostas weighed in on the likelihood of a world revamp. He confirmed one would probably happen in the future, but that the team would have to be careful about doing it. Cataclysm removed some parts of Vanilla WoW–a fact Hazzikostas called a “shortcoming”–so it would have to take steps with modern technology to ensure the old versions of Azeroth were still available. That said, his words suggest a revamp expansion is something World of Warcraft desires as well.
Fans are understandably excited about the possibility of a World of Warcraft world revamp. One of the biggest criticisms of Shadowlands was its high-concept zones that seemed distant from what made players fall in love with Azeroth. Dragonflight has done a lot to turn things around for the game, but World of Warcraft still has a lot of work to regain all the trust it has lost over the years. Many believe an old world revamp would be the exact win WoW needs.
It is important to remember that Hazzikostas’ words are a soft confirmation at best. There is no guarantee World of Warcraft’s next expansion will be a world revamp, or if it will come to the game at all. Indeed, his candidness about such an idea with an expansion announcement likely coming soon suggests 11.0 probably won’t be one. Even so, the chance of getting a revamped version of Azeroth seems better than ever now.
Fans might not have to wait long to learn what’s next for Azeroth, however. Though World of Warcraft only just announced Patch 10.2, Blizzcon is set to take place on November 3 and 4. Many players are expecting to hear an announcement for World of Warcraft’s next expansion there, so the question of what 11.0 is about may be answered in a couple of months.
World of Warcraft is available now for PC.
Source: GameSpot