Chris InglisHaving spent the last month dodging any forms of leaked titles and information, I woke this morning to news that overnight, Blizzard has announced their latest expansion to the long-running MMORPG with World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. After the difficult and testing year that Blizzard has gone through, I’m hoping that this is a sign of good times ahead, especially as Shadowlands didn’t leave too good an impression for me. I enjoyed the first few hours of Shadowlands but slowly fell back into the same gameplay loop of old and moved on.
For World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, there will be a new continent, new race and class, revamps to talents, crafting and HUD interface, and more so there’s a lot to dive into. Here’s a high level overview of the changes coming soon, with no firm release date yet and for more detailed information visit the official website.
New Continent – The Dragon Isles – There will be four new zones for players to explore as well as a new starting zone for the new Dracthyr race. “The Dragon Isles are the ancestral home of the dragonflights of Azeroth. When the world was broke apart in the Great Sundering, magic drained away and the land went dormant. As the Dragon Isles awaken, so too do old feuds and long-dormant threats.”
New race and class combination – Dracthyr Evoker – Dracthyr Evokers freely switch between two customisable forms. Players can choose between being a humanoid visage and a fearsome draconic form and can play for either Alliance or Horde. Dracthyr Evokers can fight from mid-range with claws and fiery breath attacks (Devastation spec) or draw upon the life-giving magic of renewal to bolster their allies (Preservation spec).
Revised talent system – Gain talent points with each level-up and spend them in two distinct talent trees. Class talent trees feature utility skills for your class, while Specialisation trees boost your offensive or healing powers.
Revised professions and crafting – Become a Dragon Isles artisan and fulfill crafting orders for your realm as well as request another player to craft something for you, even if you don’t have the skill or have the right profession to do it yourself.. Hunt down rare ingredients and create ever more wondrous items as you unlock specialisations for your profession.
Revamped user interface – A new edit mode feature allows players to move, tweak, and personalize UI elements like never before, while still retaining a familiar look and feel.
Dragonriding gameplay – Use your new riding abilities to keep yourself and your Drake in the air. As you grow in skill, you and your Drake will master new maneuvers. Fight against exhaustion and the pull of the earth, and soar above the Dragon Isles. Continue to improve your Dragonriding skill at max level by hunting down ancient glyphs and advancing your new Dragonriding skill tree. Once you reach maximum level, you can conquer additional challenges all over the Dragon Isles to unlock even more customization options for your Drakes.
There will also be a new level cap of 70, a new raid and new dungeons to explore. I enjoyed the expected quality of the reveal video linked above. Blizzard have been outstanding with their cinematic trailers and this is no different, albeit with a lot of new things that I don’t have an instant connection with. Nonetheless, there is a little bit of excitement at seeing more as the year goes on. Will it be enough for me to reactivate my sub? Not at this stage, however I love MMORPG’s and WoW has a special place in my gaming heart, so who knows. If a few of my mates are keen to jump in then I’ll give it a go, but I want to see more about the gameplay elements in the months ahead. What about you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. To read more detail about each of the new additions with World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, be sure to head over to the official page.
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