Summary
- World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas showcased new gameplay systems, such as Hero Talents, Delves, and Warbands, in the upcoming expansion and Patch 10.2.5 at BlizzCon 2023.
- Delves will offer 10-15 minutes of exploration in the depths of Khaz Algar with seasonal NPC companions, various difficulty tiers, and rewards. The Great Vault and dungeon tab will be updated to accommodate world activities and casual players.
- Hazzikostas revealed the Earthen Allied Race, available at level 80 and after completing a specific quest series. Hero Talents were primarily focused on Druids, and different Hero Talent names were revealed for each class. Interface changes were made to help colorblind players, and Dynamic Fight will be used in Patch 10.2.5.
On the second day of BlizzCon 2023, World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas gave players a deeper look into the gameplay systems that will be featured in both The War Within expansion and the upcoming Patch 10.2.5. In addition to new content such as Hero Talents, Delves, and Warbands, Hazzikostas showed some improvements to the user interface and the Great Vault that are being made as Blizzard prepares for the Worldsoul Saga of World of Warcraft.
The World of Warcraft Deep Dive panel followed up on the Delves that were revealed as one of the gameplay elements of The War Within. According to Hazzikostas, Delves will last around 10 to 15 minutes, as players will explore the dark depths of Khaz Algar with a seasonal NPC companion, with several difficulty tiers and rewards to pick from. Hazzikostas said that the Great Vault would be adjusted to account for world activities such as world quests and delves, and that Patch 10.2 will see the dungeon tab updated to include Heroic and Timewalking dungeons for casual players.
World of Warcraft: The War Within Lets You Pay for Early Access
The upcoming World of Warcraft expansion The War Within lets players pay extra to get early access to the MMORPG.
Hazzikostas then revealed that the Earthen Allied Race would be available upon reaching level 80 and completing a specific quest series on one character. Once World of Warcraft players have the Earthen unlocked, they will be able to play as any class except Druid, Demon Hunter, and Evoker. As for classes themselves, Hazzikostas then said that the development of the Hero Talent system started with a focus on Druids first, since they had four specializations and were trickier to balance compared to other classes such as Paladin and Mage. Hazzikostas then revealed the names of each Hero Talent that players can choose from.
World of Warcraft: The War Within Hero Talent Names
- Death Knight: Deathbringer, Rider of the Apocalypse, San'layn
- Demon Hunter: Aldrachi Reaver, Fel-Scarred
- Druid: Druid of the Claw, Elune's Chosen, Keeper of the Grove, Wildstalker
- Evoker: Chronowarden, Ruby Adept, Scalecommander
- Hunter: Dark Ranger, Pack Leader, Sentinel
- Mage: Frostfire, Spellslinger, Sunfury
- Monk: Conduit of the Celestials, Master of Harmony, Shado-Pan
- Paladin: Herald of the Sun, Lightsmith, Templar
- Priest: Archon, Oracle, Voidweaver
- Rogue: Deathstalker, Fatebound, Trickster
- Shaman: Farseer, Stormbringer, Totemic
- Warlock: Diabolist, Hellcaller, Soul Harvester
- Warrior: Colossus, Mountain Thane, Slayer
Hazzikostas then stated that Warbands would be able to share resources via a new bank tab. The system was built to be added onto in the future as a way to counteract some archaic systems that involved reputation and the way items were handled in the past. He then showed a new weapon type called "Warbound Until Equipped," which would be at a lower item level than normal Soulbound gear. Hazzikostas then gave World of Warcraft players a glimpse at some interface changes to the quest log and spellbook and cited that some changes were done as a way to help colorblind players out with finding objectives.
To close the panel, Hazzikostas confirmed that Dynamic Fight would be used going forward as an evolution of Dragonriding, and that Patch 10.2.5 would allow older mounts to use regular flight and Dynamic Flying. All in all, World of Warcraft players will have a lot to chew on soon.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- pc, ps
- Cross Save
- yes
