Warcraftlover: Welcome to my Hearth

Author: Spyells

  • Poll: Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    Poll: Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    Who is the Jailer in World of Warcraft Shadowlands? Now that we know Shadowlands is the next expansion the most fun part begins: speculation. The Jailer’s appearance has also been leaked which has caused a lot of drama. We learned at BlizzCon that the Jailer is a new lore character. Which means he’s never appeared in the game, a novel, or a comic. By the way, this article is pure speculation and will contain a lot of my own opinion.

    So, what is a Jailer? Well, a jailer is a person who’s in charge of prisoners. They keep them from escaping from their jail cells. The term ‘Jailer’ has come up before. Most notably during the end of Wrath of the Lich King when Bolvar asks Tirion to place the Helm of Domination on his head. Bolvar said he was going to become the jailer of the damned. So it’s possible that the Lich King could share the Jailer’s powers. But, the Jailer we’re concerned with isn’t Bolvar, Arthas, Bwonsamdi or any known lore figure associated with death.

    Our concerns are with the shadowy figure in chains who appeared in the features trailer. Honestly, my first thought was Arthas as the figure appeared to have long hair. Now Blizzard is saying that the Jailer isn’t a character we know. So Arthas is automatically knocked out of the running. I’ve wondered before if the Shadowlands are influenced by time though. So could it be a character we knew from the past, or maybe someone we’ll meet in the future? Could the Jailer be a character from an alternate reality? We do have alternate realities with Draenor so it’s a fun thought.

    Who do you believe the Jailer is? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

    Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    World of Warcraft Cosmology Chart

    alt="Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands? - wow chart"/>

    Before we talk about the Jailer let’s take a look at this cosmology chart. In the World of Warcraft Chronicles, this chart is like the rules of the Warcraft universe. On the chart, we discover how powerful elements like light and arcane relate to each other. We’re going to focus on the right side of the chart. The circles of disorder and death are connected. Crumbled buildings at the top segue into broken bones at the bottom. Underneath Death is Shadow. So it looks like disorder leads to death which then leads us to darkness (shadow).

    Disorder is connected to Fel. The Fel is a type of substance used by the Burning Legion. Kil’jaeden is a dread lord from the Burning Legion who created the first Lich King. He did this by trapping an orc named Ner’zhul inside of the Helm of Domination. The helm wasn’t crafted by Kil’jaeden because the helm comes from the Shadowlands. So the Lich King is a creation of Fel and Deathlike influences. It’s like disorder and death are clashing to create one entity. The Lich King controls the Scourge which is considered the army of the damned. There are also chains in Icecrown Citadel’s design which is reminiscent of the chains on the Jailer. The Jailer is wearing what appears to be a crown. It’s similar to the design on Icecrown, and to the helm the Lich King wears.

    World of Warcraft Cosmology Chart Continued

    What this tells us is that disorder is an important part of death. Death is something that is apart of the natural order of existence. Disorder can also lead to a tremendous loss of life. Without disorder, death may cease to function. Existence relies on both life and death to thrive. Without death than life doesn’t flourish. Dead things can provide fertilizer for plants to grow.

    Naturally, the order is on the left side of the chart. The order is tied to the arcane. What’s unique about this though, is that order is closer to darkness (shadow) than disorder. Order makes me think of judgment. So maybe the Arbiter could fall into the order category. Regardless, the chart is a great jumping-off point for where we’re headed.

    Let’s Examine Chaos From Each Expansion

    alt="how to do world of warcraft's 15th anniversary as a new player - time swirly"/>

    The Jailer is working with Sylvanas. She wants to avoid truly dying because she fears the darkness waiting for her. Sylvanas met the Jailer in Wrath when she fell off of Icecrown and died. The Val’kyr are the ones who returned Sylvanas to undeath. Blizzard has stated that Death is broken. Sylvanas’s death and resurrection could’ve messed with the way death functions. Which may have caused souls not to be sent to the Arbiter. The Arbiter is the being who casts judgment on a soul when they enter the Shadowlands.

    Now we don’t know what caused death to break. Sylvanas’s death isn’t the only time death could’ve been broken. WoW has had three Lich Kings, but maybe that power was never meant to be tossed around like a ball. Frostmourne was a powerful blade with connections to the Shadowlands. So it’s shattering could’ve affected the way death functioned.

    We are meeting the being who forged Frostmourne and the Helm of Domination. Maybe the Nathrezim and Kil’jaeden journeyed to the Shadowlands to create Frostmourne and the Helm. They could’ve worked with the forger. We were always told that Kil’jaeden created the Lich King when he trapped Ner’zhul in the helm. So maybe this explains the lore.

    Examination of Chaos Continued

    We also have to examine each expansion since Wrath of the Lich King. We’ve dealt with dragon aspects, the Sha, alternate timelines, the Burning Legion, and soon death again. At some point, any of those forces could’ve upset the balance between the physical world and the spiritual. Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    Chaos From The Cataclysm

    alt="how to do world of warcraft's 15th anniversary as a new player - Raganors"/>

    For example, in Cataclysm we dealt with the Dragon Aspects. The Dragon Aspects were granted their powers by the Pantheon. The Titans wanted the aspects to protect Azeroth. Each Dragonflight had its unique power. The blue Dragonflight was arcane, the green Dragonflight had power over the natural world and sleep, the red Dragonflight protected life, the bronze Dragonflight defended time, and the black Dragonflight protected the Earth.

    When Cataclysm concluded the Dragon Aspects gave up their powers. The Dragon Aspects don’t influence other worlds because their job was to protect Azeroth. But the power they held was cosmic as it was a gift from the Titans. The absence of these powers may have upset the balance. Time, life, and sleep are the powers that could’ve caused the most chaos. Death is a natural state and affects all life. As time passes death draws near. Sleep is sometimes used as a euphemism for death. Some fans have speculated that Mueh’zala who’s referred to as the Lord of Sleep is the Jailer. Again, this doesn’t work because Blizzard said it’s a character we’ve never met.

    Cataclysm Continued

    alt="who is the jailer in world of warcraft shadowlands? - cataclysm"/>

    Now the Emerald Dream is connected to the Shadowlands by the new zone Ardenweald. Ardenweald is said to be the mirror of the Emerald Dream. So while the dream is bright and sunny, then Ardenweald is dark and mysterious. The Emerald Dream was protected by the green Dragonflight. Yesera, the Dreamer, was the leader of the flight. Besides Ysera giving up her powers in Cataclysm we’ve also had other problems crop up over time. The dream was besieged by the Nightmare. The Nightmare is a corrupting force that taints the dream and traps dreamers within its clutches. During Legion, Yesera was killed and Elune made her a celestial in the sky.

    So if the Emerald Dream is supposed to be a positive mirror to Ardenweald, but it’s had a lot of chaos this could’ve upset the balance. But you might be wondering who is the Jailer in World of Warcraft Shadowlands, and how does examining chaos from each expansion answer that question? All will be revealed.

    Chaos From the Mists

    alt="world of warcraft story so far - the tavern in the mists"/>

    Mists of Pandaria took us to the gorgeous land of Pandaria. We were introduced to the Pandaren, and also to the Sha. The Sha are dark beings created from negative emotions. Sha was spawned from the Old God Y’shaarj after he was killed by the titan Aman’thul. Pandaren kept the Sha in order by preserving peace and harmony. The conflict brought to the continent by the Horde and Alliance made the Sha go out of wack. Again, it’s another example of the spiritual and physical planes going out of sync.

    Chaos From The Past

    alt="CORSAIR Scimitar Pro RGB draenor"/>

    Warlords of Draenor took us to the past. We visited an alternate timeline where the Dark Portal wasn’t open yet. Time is linked to death because all living things die. So far we haven’t heard what the repercussions of our jaunt through time will be. Journeying to the past may have prevented some characters from dying. Could this be what’s causing death to be broken? Messing with time always has consequences, and it might answer who is the Jailer in World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    Chaos From The Legion

    alt="legion"/>

    On the Broken Isles, we faced the Burning Legion. Legion is when we discovered Sylvanas made a deal with Helya. Helya is the ruler of Helheim. Helheim is like the Underworld. This is where Vrykul who doesn’t ascend to the Halls of Valor go. We also journeyed to the world of Argus. Over the course of the expansion, we lost King Varian Wrynn, Vol’jin, and Tirion Fordring. Legion was the expansion where Vol’jin was told by a mysterious force to make Sylvanas the new warchief.

    Now, this is the only time where the Mueh’zala theory could make sense. Only a loa could’ve told Vol’jin to make Sylvanas warchief. Who else could speak to Vol’jin and tell him that? The problem with the theory is Blizzard is saying we’ve never met this character. Technically we’ve never seen Mueh’zala in the game. So maybe it is Mueh’zala and Blizzard just wants to get us off the trail. Death was already broken by Legion. So it’ll be fascinating to discover why.

    Chaos From Azeroth

    alt="would a world of warcraft faction merge be a good thing - Saurfang funeral"/>

    The Horde and Alliance conflict has concluded for now. But as we saw in Mists of Pandaria the wars between the Horde and Alliance have upset Azeroth’s balance. Our negative emotions have the power to destroy the world. Ever since the second war, the Horde and Alliance kept going back and forth on whether we were enemies or allies. Honestly, this conflict has brought about a negative spirit Azeroth. That feeling was made physical during MoP with the Sha. Each time our blades clash it leads to ruin. Sylvanas and the Jailer were hoping to bring about as much death as possible. Fanning the old flames of hatred were the perfect way to achieve this goal.

    Although the Horde and Alliance have reached a truce there are still conflicts on the horizon. Tyrande is angry with Sylvanas and the Horde for destroying her home. The Burning of Teldrassil caused thousands of innocent Night Elves to lose their lives. King Anduin Wrynn is so focused on having peace that he’s not understanding how Tyrande feels. But, Tyrande is certainly on a path of darkness which of course only brings more chaos. Now that Tyrande is the Night Warrior we may have connections to Ardenweald. I wonder if the Night Warrior borrows inspiration from Nyx the Goddess of the Night in Greek myth. Elune is the Moon Goddess and Night Elves worship her. They are also staunch protectors of the Emerald Dream. The Battle for Azeroth might be over, but the after-effects of the conflict are not. We’re going to feel the repercussions for years to come.

    Azeroth Continued

    alt="would a world of warcraft faction merge be a good thing - troops waiting outside of Orgrimmar during war campaign"/>

    N’Zoth is going to be defeated in the next patch. But the only Old God who’s died so far is Y’shaarj and he was killed by a titan. So Old Gods may not be destroyed. They are a creation of the Void Lords who sent them out in the Great Dark Beyond to corrupt a World Soul. Old Gods are like manifestations of chaos themselves. There’s a possibility that the chaos which is leftover from the faction conflict and the Old Gods has spilled into the spiritual plane and caused a bigger rift.

    The Black Empire existed thousands of years ago, and it’s one of the earliest records of chaos from Azeroth’s history. The titans created the worlds but they also created chaos too. Sargeras is the fallen titan. He created the Burning Legion and then set out to end creation. Sargeras is probably not as chained to that throne as we’re led to believe. Fel and death blend together on the World of Warcraft Chronicles chart. So although we’ve stopped Sargeras and the Burning Legion, for now, the demons are still out there. Disorder and death will clash again soon which will lead to shadow.

    Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    Could The Jailer And The Arbiter Be Connected?

    alt="Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands? - the arbiter"/>

    Who is the Jailer in World of Warcraft Shadowlands? Let’s discuss the Arbiter for a moment. She’s a powerful being who casts judgment on souls. The Arbiter resides in the city of Oribos. In Greek Mythology the Underworld had three judges. Their job was to judge the deeds of the deceased and to make the laws for the Underworld. So the judges provided order. They weren’t beings of light or darkness, because they were neutral. That neutrality is what makes the judges so interesting.

    Now the Arbiter is probably loosely based on the three judges of the Underworld. She may not create the laws for the Shadowlands, but it’s believed the Arbiter existed long before the titans. This means that the Shadowlands (the realm of death) most likely exists outside of the rules of time. World of Warcraft could have an infinite amount of realms we’ve never visited. Each of these realms would contribute to the existence of life and death, and they would also influence the natural order of the physical and spiritual worlds.

    World of Warcraft doesn’t have a central God figure. Most of the races in the game have their own beliefs. We know that the titans created the worlds. So if the Arbiter precedes the titans she’s either an angelic being or a titan herself. This makes me wonder who created her and who created the Jailer? Well, in Greek mythology the Jailer of the Underworld is Tartarus. Tartarus is both a place and a person. They are the first entity to exist. Tartarus is where the light and cosmos are born. They were one of the entities born of the void of chaos.

    The Jailer And The Arbiter Continued

    alt="blizzcon 2019 virtual ticket - silvermoon city"/>

    The void of chaos is a term from Greek myth. It’s referring to the original state of the universe before the separation of heaven and Earth. In Greek myth, the primordial deities were born of the void of chaos. The primordial deities gave birth to the titans. The titans Cronus and Rhea gave birth to Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, and Demeter. They overthrew the titans causing a warring of the Gods with Zeus as the victor.

    Now I’m not implying that we’re going to have another war but this is World of Warcraft. A war between the Shadowlands and the Pantheon would be interesting, but it’d only make sense if the Arbiter and the Jailer were born from the void of chaos. What if the Arbiter and the Jailer are the same entity but they’ve been split into two? The Jailer would be disorder while the Arbiter is order. They may be two halves of the same coin. The  Great Dark Beyond could literally hinge on their existence. Maybe they’re the yin-and-yang of the cosmos. Which would make the Shadowlands an important player in a game of never-ending chess game, and we’re just the pieces on the board.

    How the Void of Chaos and the Chaos of Warcraft Led To This

    alt="Corrupted Gear Is The New Titanforging In World of Warcraft - darkmoon faire"/>

    Maybe all the chaos since the end of Wrath has led to where we are in the story. Earlier in this post, I mentioned several types of chaotic examples from each expansion. Not only has the original void of chaos led to the creation of the Jailer, the Arbiter, and the Shadowlands, but all the recent chaos has caused death to break. The natural order of life and death is now out of sync, and we must journey to the Shadowlands to fix it back.

    Wait…Does The Jailer Connect To The Void Lords?

    Who is the Jailer in World of Warcraft Shadowlands? Well, if the Jailer and the Arbiter were born from the void of chaos do they connect to the void lords? That’s a great question! Now Shadowlands is supposed to deal with the themes of life and death not light and void. Light and void will come up in another expansion. We’ve certainly gotten a lot of void stories lately though. Between Old Gods, Nazjatar, and void elves it seems like the void is everywhere right now.

    The Jailer and the Arbiter are probably not connected to the void lords. All of them were most likely created from the void, but they don’t all serve the same purpose. The void lords will probably be the final boss of World of Warcraft. So far we haven’t encountered any monstrous beings which make me think void lord. There are smaller void lord beings which we’ve fought within the game, but it’s not quite the same. I’d imagine the void lords to be as large and powerful as the titans.

    Is The Jailer The Villian In World Of Warcraft Shadowlands

    alt="caverns of time"/>

    The Jailer is being set up as the villain of the Shadowlands expansion. We don’t know the Jailer or Sylvanas’s true motives. The Jailer may be just as trapped as his name suggests. If the Jailer and the Arbiter are connected, then maybe the Arbiter is the actual villain. We’re being led to believe that the Arbiter is an impartial being. This means that because the Arbiter is neutral, they don’t have any ill will toward anyway.

    We don’t know for sure how the Arbiter and the Jailer came to be though. Even if the are two-halves of a coin that doesn’t explain how they ended up in their roles. Maybe no one assigned them, but both figures appear to be stuck where they are. The Arbiter is in the center of Oribos, and the Jailer has chains on his form. Neither of them could be free. Maybe the Jailer wants to break free and that’s why he’s working with Sylvanas.

    So…Who Is The Jailer Again?

    alt="Who Is The Jailer In World of Warcraft Shadowlands? - the jailer"/>

    The Jailer and the Arbiter may be the same entity but split. While the Arbiter is order, the Jailer represents disorder. These beings existed before the titans. So the Jailer and the Arbiter were probably created from the void. They aren’t connected to the void lords, but they are the reason life and death exist. Chaos created the Jailer and the Arbiter. The chaos we’ve experienced in every expansion has led to death being broken. At the center of the Shadowlands expansion will be chaos. We’ll need to find a way to calm it or fix it to set things right. There’s also a chance that the Pantheon and the Shadowlands denizens are complete opposites. So we could have a warring of the Gods which is existed within Greek myth, but in World of Warcraft, it’ll mean that life and death will wage war against the other.

    How do you feel about my theory? Do you believe the Jailer and the Arbiter are the same beings? What about the role of chaos within the World of Warcraft? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

    If you enjoyed this speculation article please be sure to share it. There are social media icons at the bottom of the post. Social media icons are also in the sidebar. Thank you.

    Before you go, check out what’s the fastest way to level in WoW, the seven most exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft, the World of Warcraft sound artists interviewed by BBC in the Studio, and how to participate in World of Warcraft’s 15th anniversary as a new player.

    Thank you for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • How To Do World of Warcraft’s 15th Anniversary As A New Player

    How To Do World of Warcraft’s 15th Anniversary As A New Player

    World of Warcraft’s 15th Anniversary kicked off today. The celebration will run from Nov. 5th. 2019 – Jan. 7th. 2020. If you’re a new World of Warcraft player you may be wondering how you can participate if you’re not level 120. Not everything in the event requires you to be at level cap.

    You don’t need to be at level cap to participate in the Alterac Valley of Olde battleground. At level 10 you can queue and you’ll earn experience from monster kills, completing quests, and doing battleground events. Completing the battleground will grant you a new mount. Alliance players will receive the Stormpike Battle Ram, and Horde players will get the Frostwolf Snarler as a reward from the achievement of Alterac Valley of Olde.

    To participate in the Memories of Azeroth raid you’ll need to be level 120. The raid includes iconic raid bosses from WoW’s history like Ragnaros, Archimonde, and the Lich King. Completing the raid will award the achievement Memories of Fel, Frost, and Fire. As a reward, you’ll receive the Obsidian Worldbreaker mount which looks like Deathwing.

    There are several ways in which you can level quickly or can obtain a level-capped 120 character.

    How To Do World of Warcraft’s 15th Anniversary As A New Player

    How To Level Faster As A New World of Warcraft Player

    alt="how to do world of warcraft's 15th anniversary as a new player - time swirly"/>

    So if you’re a new World of Warcraft player and you don’t want to use a boost how do you level fast? Well, I’m going to list a few tips which may help you out.

    1. Check Your Mailbox

    When you first login during the anniversary be sure to check your mail. Every year players receive gifts during the anniversary. This year’s gift is a token which will grant you a 15% experience boost. The boost will last the duration of the event.

    2. Check Your In-Game Calendar

    There are several holidays coming up in the game. Most holiday events usually have an experience boost which should stack with the anniversary boost. Some holidays offer dailies which are repeatable quests which might give you experience. The holidays coming up are:

    • Darkmoon Faire (Happening Now) – This is an event that happens in the first week of each month. If you play Alliance you can visit Darkmoon Island by taking the portal in Elwynn Forest. On the Horde, you can visit Darkmoon Island by visiting Thunderbluff. You get the experience boost by riding on the carousel or the roller coaster, but you’ll need Ride Tickets.
    • Pilgrim’s Bounty (Nov. 25th – Dec. 2nd, 2019) – This is the in-game version of the American Thanksgiving holiday. Be sure to visit the holiday quest givers in your factions major cities. Pilgrim’s Bounty is known for being a great holiday to level up your cooking skills.
    • Feast of Winter Veil (Dec. 16th, 2019 – Jan. 2nd, 2020) – The Feast of Winter Veil is Azeroth’s version of Christmas. During this time you’ll be able to complete quests in Ironforge and Orgrimmar for the event.

    Leveling Continued

    alt="nefarian"/>

    3. Run Dungeons Or Battlegrounds

    You’ll receive more experience from running dungeons or participating in battlegrounds. Especially if you have the experience boosts on your character when you run the instances. Don’t forget to grab the dungeon quest at the beginning of each dungeon. They give you more experience which helps a bunch.

    4. Do Gathering Professions

    Gathering Professions give you experience. So if you’re a miner, herbalist, or skinner you’ll earn experience every time you gather a material. It’s a great way to gain experience while you quest or wait for a dungeon queue to pop.

    What if you don’t have time to level?

    alt="chromie"/>

    Now if you don’t have time to level there are ways to bypass the issue. If you purchased Battle for Azeroth you should’ve received a 110 character boost. Right now the digital deluxe edition of BFA is currently 70% off. The character boost will allow you to level one character to 110. Then you’ll only need to level 10 more levels until 120. Afterward, you’ll need to level your gear score to 398. The easiest method is to visit Nazjatar and get Benthic Gear. You can level the Benthic Gear by using Prismatic Manapearls.

    You can also pre-order the Shadowlands expansion. Doing this will grant you a 120 level character boost. The Base edition doesn’t have the boost, so you’ll need to pre-order the Heroic or Epic editions.

    If you’d like to still level you can make a Death Knight. They’re a hero class and they start at level 55. So you’ll be level 60 by the time you leave the Death Knight starter zone. You won’t be level 120, but you will be a lot closer. So hopefully it will cut your leveling journey in half.

    Another strategy is to make a Demon Hunter. They’re a hero class. To make a Demon Hunter you need a character at level 70. So you could level a Death Knight to 70, and then start a Demon Hunter. As a hero class, Demon Hunter’s begin the game at level 100. So you’d only have 20 levels to go from there.

    How To Do World of Warcraft’s 15th Anniversary As A New Player

    alt="caverns of time"/>

    Hopefully, this post answered how to do World of Warcraft’s 15th anniversary as a new player. If you have any questions please leave a comment below. Don’t forget to share this post with the social media icons at the bottom of this post.

    Be sure to check out who is the Jailer in World of Warcraft, should the best music in World of Warcraft have an orchestra tour, the seven most exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft, the World of Warcraft sound artists interviewed by BBC in the Studio, and the World of Warcraft Shadowlands is the next expansion.

    Thank you for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • CONFIRMED: World of Warcraft Shadowlands Is New Warcraft Expansion

    CONFIRMED: World of Warcraft Shadowlands Is New Warcraft Expansion

    World of Warcraft Shadowlands is the new Warcraft expansion. All of the Shadowlands leaks were true. For months fans have speculated that Sylvanas Windrunner would become the next Lich Queen, but Blizzard did something shocking. There won’t be another Lich anything.

    The trailer began with Sylvanas doing a voice-over as she walked into Icecrown. Bolvar was waiting for her with his undead army. What followed was an intense duel between Bolvar and Sylvanas. She trapped Bolvar with chains and pulled off the Helm of Domination. Then she tore the helm in half, which in turn caused a rift to open between the realm of the living and the realm of death.

    On Blizzard’s website, Shadowlands has this description:

    Brave The Beyond

    The veil between life and death is no more.

    With a single act of destruction, Sylvanas Windrunner has ripped open the way to the afterlife. Azeroth’s staunchest defenders have been dragged into all-consuming darkness. An ancient force of death threatens to break its bonds and unravel reality.

    Hidden realms of wonder and horror await any who would pass to the other side. The Shadowlands is home to an entire realm of the departed; it is a world between worlds whose delicate balance preserves life and death itself.

    As one of Azeroth’s greatest champions, you have been granted the power to cross over in body and soul. Now you must investigate a conspiracy to unmake the cosmos, and help Warcraft legends journey back… or fulfill their ultimate destiny.

    World of Warcraft Shadowlands Is The New Expansion

    What Features Should You Expect From World of Warcraft Shadowlands?

    World of Warcraft Shadowlands New Expansion will have a level squish. Players will start at level 50 and the new level cap is 60. There’s no Artifact Power to grind out this time. There’s new character customization. So humans can have new races and features. Dwarfs can look like Wildhammer Dwarfs and have tattoos. Trolls can customize tattoos, and Undead can hide their bones.

    Oribos, the Eternal City, will be the main player city in the expansion. The Arbiter is located within the city, and she cast judgment on souls when they die. Death is broken in the expansion and souls aren’t passing through the Arbiter as they should be.

    As a pre-expansion event, there will be a Scourge invasion 2.0 now that there is no Lich King. Sylvanas is working with someone called the ‘Jailer’ and their common goal will be revealed in time.

    All Allied Races and Pandaren can now become Death Knights, and they’ll be led by Bolvar.

    New Zones and Covenants to Explore!

    alt="World of Warcraft Shadowlands New Expansion -bastion"/>

    Screenshot from Wowhead.com

    Shadowlands will have four new zones. The zones are Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, and Revendreth.

    Bastion is the playable demo at BlizzCon. Uther the Lightbringer ended up in the Bastion zone when he died. The zone is ruled by the Kyrian who are the forebearers of the Spirit Healers and the Val’kyr.

    Maldraxxus is where the Scourge is from. The zone is like the Eastern Plaguelands but much worse. The heart of Shadowland’s military is here. Draka ended up here after she died.

    Ardenweald is like an enchanted fairy forest. A race called the Night Fae lives here. Basically it’s the opposite of the Emerald Dream. Cenarius can be found here.

    Revendreth is a creepy goth type of zone. All the souls who are flawed and prideful are sent here. The zone is ruled by the Venthyr. Kael’thas ended up here after he died.

    Players will have four covenants to choose from. There’s one covenant in each zone and they control the Shadowlands. You can choose a covenant to ally with at level 60. Each covenant will give you unique armor and abilities for your class and spec. Instead of having either a Horde or Alliance end game campaign, now you’ll have one for your covenant. So there will be four end game campaigns instead of two.

    World of Warcraft Shadowlands Leaks Was True!

    alt="possible world of warcraft expansion leaks - leaked screenshot of stormwind harbor"/>

    World of Warcraft Shadowlands leaks hit the internet a few months ago. At the time we were also hearing rumors about an Age of Darkness expansion, a possible Dragon Isles expansion, or even something to do with Elune. As the summer went on more Shadowlands leaks came out. We saw leaked artwork of Stormwind Harbor with ghost ships and ghostly figures. There was also a leaked Shadowlands logo with a green background. A Shadowlands map was also leaked, but none of those zones were real.

    Rumors abounded of Sylvanas attacking Stormwind or Thunderbluff, which turned out not to be true. We also had rumors of a new Tinker class. So far there’s been no mention of a new class or a new race announcement. Now the rumor of Sylvanas becoming the Lich Queen was a popular one. She didn’t become the new Lich Queen, but she did duel the Lich King.

    A few days ago we also received more Shadowlands leaks. The expansion began to look more likely when we saw a screenshot of the Lich King on Blizzard’s official website. The image was promptly removed but fans began to speculate immediately. No one could’ve seen that trailer coming though.

    She Did WHAAAAT!?  – Trailer Reaction

    alt="World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak May Be Real - Lich King Bolvar Fordragon"/>

    Sylvanas dethroned the Lich King.

    I’m not sure how that happened. We’ve always been told there must always be a Lich King. When I first saw the trailer I couldn’t stop saying “Whaaaaat!?” Nothing happened the way I thought it would at all. The duel was epic, but the more I thought about it the more I was disappointed. Everyone was excited to see the Lich King be active in the next expansion.

    The Lich King is a compelling figure. There’s something about the character which is mysterious and dark. Ner’zhul was the first Lich King. His soul was placed inside the Helm of Domination by Kiljaeden. Then Arthas merged with Ner’zhul when he placed the helm on his head. Bolvar became the Lich King after we defeated Arthas. It’s disappointing that Bolvar didn’t do more.

    Legion made it seem like Bolvar was coming up with dark plans, especially because he had us raise the Four Horsemen from the dead. Maybe Blizzard has more plans for his character? Bolvar isn’t dead he just isn’t wearing the helm anymore. What does this mean for the Scourge though? Does this mean that Azeroth will be overrun by the Army of the Damned?

    Sylvanas is overpowered. A deathly figure appeared in the features trailer behind her. He must be the one Sylvanas has made a pact with. This figure doesn’t appear in WoW lore. Warcraft lore mentions the Titans, Old Gods, and Void Lords. We also have other deities like loa, Elune, and Cenarius. If this mysterious figure is ‘Death’ we’ve never met him yet. Hopefully, he sticks around for a while. It’s not like you can kill death.

    World of Warcraft Shadowlands Is The New Expansion

    More To Come Soon!

    alt="23 must-have gifts for world of warcraft fans - draenor"/>

    BlizzCon 2019 isn’t over yet. So there should be more information coming soon.  Blizzard is already offering pre-orders for World of Warcraft Shadowlands on their website.

    What do you think about World of Warcraft Shadowlands? Are you excited for the new expansion announcement? Please leave a comment below.

    Before you go be sure to check out corrupted gear is the new titan forging, the World of Warcraft sound artists interviewed by the BBC, and the seven most-exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft.

    Thank you for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak May Be Real

    World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak May Be Real

    The last week has been full of World of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion leaks. BlizzCon 2019 begins on Friday so leaks were bound to happen. It was only a few months ago when the Shadowlands leak first appeared on the interwebs as a possible expansion. Now we’ve found a screenshot of the Lich King Bolvar looking menacing and super epic. The image was removed from Blizzard’s online store, but it hasn’t stopped everyone from speculating like crazy.

    Shadowlands seems like the most likely choice. There’s been a lot of death-themed hints in the game lately. Death is talked about as if it’s a character we’ve yet to meet. Sylvanas mentioned that even N’Zoth would eventually serve Death.

    Now a Shadowlands expansion is exciting. It feels like it’d be a Wrath of the Lich King 2.0. On the one hand, we’ve done this plot before, but on the other hand, I’m intrigued to see where it’s going. Bolvar isn’t like Arthas. There’re times Bolvar appears to be helping us, but then it’s easy to wonder if he’s got his own agenda. It’s entirely possible that the Lich King won’t be the next villain. All of these leaks and all of the hype could be a distraction from the real big bad.

    When Battle for Azeroth started the faction war appeared to be the villain. In other words, whichever faction you weren’t apart of was going to be the problem. As we know for Patch 8.3 we’re fighting N’Zoth as a final villain. This makes me wonder if Blizzard wants us to believe the Lich King is the next villain, but what if the next villain is Death itself?

    World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak May Be Real

    alt="World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak May Be Real - Lich King Bolvar Fordragon"/>

    So, let’s talk about that picture, shall we? The Lich King looks so cool! However, his eyes are so the wrong color. Which is why fans were doubtful when the picture first surfaced a few days ago. I’m hoping we can wield his weapon. I wonder where he got it. Is it cursed like Frostmourne was?

    It’s possible the Helm of Domination has finally taken control of him. Maybe Bolvar isn’t all there anymore. The in-game timeline makes me believe it’s been about nine years since we knocked Arthas off his throne. That’s more than enough time for the helm to corrupt Bolvar in deadly ways.

    Bolvar is certainly not bound to the Frozen Throne anymore. Maybe Ogmot’s dream journal was referring to Bolvar when it said “Bound by dat throne? No. Free. Free!” At first, I wondered if Ogmot was talking about Sargeras, but Bolvar is looking pretty free and strutting his stuff as of this leaked screenshot.

    alt="World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak - Shadowlands info from Blizzard site"/>

    Now this image appeared on the official Blizzard site but it was taken down. Which makes the Shadowlands leak even more likely to be true. It looks like we’ll be visiting a new land called Bastion. There’s also a mention of a new race called Kyrian. The castle has a similar art style to the Sylverian Dreamer mount. There’s a theory that mounts are introduced on the Blizzard store an expansion before the expansion they debuts. Maybe that theory is right in this case.

    World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Expansion Leak

    BlizzCon Is Almost Here!

    alt="the lich king in acherus"/>

    We’ll finally know for sure what the next World of Warcraft expansion will be this weekend. The excitement is off the charts and we can’t wait to find out if our predictions are right. If you enjoyed this news update please be sure to hit that share button at the bottom of this post.

    Also, you can check out previous Shadowlands leaks here, and the death-themed expansion hints here. You can also keep an eye on this BlizzCon 2019 post for BlizzCon news updates.

    Thanks for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • Corrupted Gear Is The New Titanforging In World of Warcraft

    Corrupted Gear Is The New Titanforging In World of Warcraft

    Corrupted gear is the new Titanforging in World of Warcraft. On the public test realms (PTR) you can try out the new system. Each piece of corrupted gear gives you a positive stat and a negative effect. When I first looked this up last week I was scratching my head. Gear in World of Warcraft has come a long way from earning valor and justice points.

    Back in my day (yeah…I sound old. LOL!) we would visit vendors in our capital cities. Earning points was easy enough to understand, and we mostly ran dungeons, raids, or did dailies. Now, Blizzard is so determined to make our gear extra complex it boggles my mind. You shouldn’t need a dictionary, a college degree, and a Google search to understand your gear.

    alt="World of Warcraft Developer Update Patch 8.3 - legion"/>

    Most players just want our gear to look epic and function properly. We don’t want RNG (random number generator) stacked upon RNG in order to get our gear. We also don’t want all of our gear to be placed into one big boring system. I’m not sure why Blizzard wants to overcomplicate a simple concept. Thank goodness we can play WoW Classic because you can see the difference is like night and day. The game was more simplistic, but it required hard work and dedication.

    Retail shines when it concerns holiday activities, transportation (flight), and ease of access. There’s also more to explore in World of Warcraft than in Classic. Blizzard is losing me with this Corruption gear though.

    What do you think of the Corrupted gear system? Do you feel it’s better than Titanforging? Will you miss your Benthic gear? Leave a comment below!

    Corrupted Gear Is The New Titanforging in World of Warcraft

    How Does Corrupted Gear Work?

    alt="Corrupted Gear Is The New Titanforging In World of Warcraft - jade forest"/>

    So, just what is Corrupted gear and is it better than Titanforging? Corrupted gear is the new armor we’re getting in Patch 8.3 Visions of N’Zoth. The gear system will give you awesome stats for your class. Thematically the gear fits with the storyline. So that’s pretty cool. On Wowhead they’ve listed the helpful boosts you’ll receive from wearing Corrupted gear. These include:

    • Your Avoidance is increased by an amount equal to X% of your Haste.
    • Increases the amount of Haste you gain from all sources by X%.
    • Raises the amount of Mastery you gain from all sources by X%.
    • Increases the amount of Critical Strike you gain from all sources by X%.
    • Increases the amount of Versatility you gain from all sources by X%.
    • X% of total Health Regeneration now continues during Combat.
    • Increases your healing received from all sources by X%.
    • Increases your Leech by X%.
    • Your spells and abilities have a chance to grant you a Flash of Clarity, reducing the cooldown of your next 3 spells cast by 2 sec.
    • Increases the damage you deal with Critical Strikes by X%.
    • Reduces your damage taken from periodic effects by X%.

    Why You’re Going To Want Corrupted Gear And Why You Should Be Careful

    alt="azsuna"/>

    Let’s start with the good news. The bonuses on Corrupted gear look delicious. You’ll be dying to get your hands on these armor pieces so you can have those awesome stats. You may have increased healing, better damage output, or a faster cooldown. The problem is that each piece of gear also comes with corruption. Depending on the tier the gear is from will determine how much corruption is on the gear.

    Tier 1 gear has 5-10 corruption, tier 2 gear has 12-17 corruption, but tier 3 has 20-25 corruption. The more corruption you equip then the more it affects your character. That’s because each piece of armor with corruption stacks the negative stat. So if you’re not careful then you’ll be getting one-shotted in all of your encounters. Yikes!

    Negative Effects You May Experience Because Of Corrupted Gear

    alt="stormheim"/>

    Corrupted Gear is the new Titanforging in World of Warcraft. So your character will show it’s been corrupted in both cosmetic and direct ways. These effects are RNG and you don’t know when they’ll occur. Which makes them super damaging during group content. When you get your first piece of corrupted gear they’ll start with the Grasping Tendrils debuff. Their movement speed is slowed down, and can stack so high that you’re moving at a snails pace. When your character has enough corruption on them then you’ll begin to see a black aura around them.

    Corrupted Zone appears when you have more than 20 corruption. A shadowy damage zone appears underneath you and you’ll need to run out of it. Imagine this popping up during a raid where everyone has to stack for a raid mechanic. The Corrupted Zone just screams of disaster to me.

    Next, we’ve got the Grand Delusion when you have more than 40 corruption. The Grand Delusion is basically an ugly void creature thing that randomly chases you. Then you have the Creeping Death when you have 60 corruption which means you’ll take a lot more damage and less healing.

    How to Cleanse Corrupted Gear

    alt="blizzcon 2019 virtual ticket - silvermoon city"/>

    As you can see the number of corruption can add up. If your corruption goes above 60 then you may be in hot water. Your character might be one-shotted with all those negative status effects. Blizzard clearly wants us to choose how important power is to us. If you choose to equip all Corrupted gear you’ll be paying a heavy price.

    Now, there is a way to cleanse the gear, but it’ll require you to also give up the positive stat too. The legendary cloak Ashjra’kamas, Shroud of Resolve that you’ll receive from Wrathion will help you fight off the corruption. There’s also a new minor slot being added to the Heart of Azeroth which helps you repel the corruption.

    Corrupted Gear Is The New Titanforging In World of Warcraft

    alt="world of warcraft story so far - the tavern in the mists"/>

    Do you think Corrupted Gear is better than Titanforging? Please leave a comment below.

    Before you go check out the possible World of Warcraft expansion leaks, the seven most-exciting starter zones in WoW, and should the best music in World of Warcraft have an orchestra tour?

    Thanks for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • BlizzCon 2019 Schedule Revealed

    BlizzCon 2019 Schedule Revealed

    The BlizzCon 2019 schedule was revealed yesterday. It looks like Blizzard has six major announcements with four happening right after the opening ceremony. There’s no indication as to what these announcements contain as the schedule only says they’re coming soon. Blizzard is most likely going to announce the next World of Warcraft expansion. They also may finally announce Diablo 4 after last year’s fiasco. All the major announcements are happening in the Mythic Hall (Hall D).

    BlizzCon is expected to be bigger than last year’s event. There are also rumors that Overwatch 2 will be announced. If this is true then this is big news for Overwatch fans. An Overwatch 2 will certainly take the franchise in fun and interesting directions.

    BlizzCon tickets are sold out, but if you’d like to watch BlizzCon at home you can still purchase virtual tickets for $50.00.

    BlizzCon 2019 Schedule Revealed

    What to Expect?

    alt="blizzcon 2019 schedule released - tanaan jungle"/>

    Now that Blizzard has released the BlizzCon 2019 schedule let’s speculate about those coming soon announcements. Blizzard should be announcing a new World of Warcraft expansion. Hopefully, Blizzard has some juicy news for World of Warcraft fans. Battle for Azeroth (BFA) has been a lackluster expansion, but recent story developments could be leading us to the Shadowlands. The Shadowlands is WoW’s equivalent to the realm of death. We’ve only visited it for short periods when we die in the game. None of the deaths we experience in the game is canon to the lore though. This could change if Blizzard is planning to have our characters rest in peace for a while.

    Blizzard has also released several high-quality cinematics for BFA. The cinematics is movie-like quality. It’d be fantastic if Blizzard announces a new movie or Netflix show. The Warcraft movie which released a few years ago didn’t do well at the box office. But, the most recent cinematics showcasing the beautiful art and dedication from the WoW team may do better. We’d also have a chance to hear our favorite voice actors perform. There’s been no indication from Blizzard that they’re announcing a new Warcraft movie or television show. This is merely a wish list.

    What’s Coming For Warcraft III Reforged?

    BlizzCon might finally give us a release date for Warcraft III Reforged. Recently Warcraft III Reforged has been in beta testing. Gameplay footage and character models have been circulating online. The game is supposed to be a faithful remaster of the original game which included Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. There have been models discovered for the Ashbringer through, which suggests that Warcraft III Reforged may have changes that reflect the current World of Warcraft story.

    BlizzCon 2019 Schedule Revealed

    alt="blizzcon 2019 schedule released - gilneas"/>

    What are you most excited to see at BlizzCon? Please leave a comment below.

    Also, feel free to check out Hallow’s End has arrived in World of Warcraft, should the best music in World of Warcraft have an orchestra tour, the most-exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft, the best ways to gain reputation in WoW, How to make gold in WoW Classic, and the World of Warcraft patch 8.3 Developer Notes. The holidays are coming up fast, so feel free to visit the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans. Want a more general list? Then check out the 22 must-have gifts for Video Gamers. WoW Classic has been a hit, so don’t miss the best addons for WoW Classic. BlizzCon is next month and we’ve got many juicy things to discuss. Check out the World of Warcraft Story so far, and the possible World of Warcraft Expansion leaks.

    Thanks for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

     

  • World of Warcraft Sound Artists Interviewed By BBC In The Studio

    World of Warcraft Sound Artists Interviewed By BBC In The Studio

    World of Warcraft sound artists brings life to Azeroth. It’s something we don’t think about, but it’s crucial to creating the magical experience we take for granted. Alex Humphreys from the BBC visited Blizzard Entertainment in California. On her podcast segment “In The Studio”, she interviewed several employees who work for World of Warcraft’s sound department. They gave us an in-depth look at how World of Warcraft sound effects are crafted for the game.

    Lead Narrative Designer Steve Danuser said that the next patch is about N’Zoth’s influence on the world. So, Senior Producer Jay Maguire said that when the World of Warcraft team looks at new content they always begin with the environment and how they can immerse you in it. Teams make maps of the city and color code it so that they know how intense it will be. The green parts are easy for solo players, but there are yellows, oranges, and deep red, which is the more intense part of the city. They want the players to really experience N’Zoth’s influence on a zone.

    alt="world of warcraft sound artists interviewed"/>

    Sound is one of the last things done in development. The sound team is placed on a project after the artists and engineers do their work. The team spends time thinking about how to describe the content. They want to pin it down so that they know which direction to go. Patch 8.3 is where we deal with N’Zoth once and for all. Maguire explained the effect they wanted the players to experience when facing the Old God.

    “Madness, uncertainty, and doubt. It’s like planting seeds in a garden. You kind of know what’s going to happen but you don’t know what’s going to show up,” Maguire said.

    World of Warcraft Sound Artists Interviewed

    Humphreys was allowed to visit the sound room. The room is where all the sound effects for the game are made. They have buckets of swords, musical instruments, poles, tubes, guns, and shoes. Basically, there are all kinds of things to make noise. The room is soundproof. Different swords make different types of sounds. They use a garden weasel to create some sound effects. A garden weasel is used to till the soil. Garden weasels have spikes and it’s used for Druid solar and lunar magic.

    “I try to make the game sound as real as possible,” David Rogen said, Head of the Sound Department. “Azeroth is a real place for a lot of people, it’s very important to them. If they’re fighting a monster I don’t want them to feel like they’re at a computer pressing buttons. I want them feeling like they’re fighting a monster.”

    Blizzard wants the player to feel powerful. Sound envelops you and enhances your experience. They also want players to feel important when they touch buttons. We’ll hear sounds if we do something wrong, and if we do something right we’ll hear a positive sound. World of Warcraft has over 100,000 different sounds.

    The next patch is focused on N’Zoth. Three words to describe it are Madness, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Those are very metaphorical words. Unlike previous expansions, it’s very horror based, and sound and horror go hand in hand. Many of the best sounding movies are horror movies.

    Interview Continued

    Aaron Craft explains how the whole process works.

    “They go to a particular designer, and they pair them up with a game designer, artist, and engineer. The colloaberation happens and all the pieces of the puzzle work together,” Craft said.

    Craft said when artists or writers create a new character they draw them and then they speak to the programmers. Then the sound team tries to figure out what the character sounds like. He said you’ve got to sort out if an idea is going to work or not quickly. If the writers or artists invent a new creature, they may only have sixteen or twenty-four hours, but the time flexes.

    During the World of Warcraft, sound artists interviewed we learned that creativity is needed. Craft came up with using a

    alt="world of warcraft sound artists interviewed"/>

    cello. He wanted to replicate the sound of vocal cords. He found a way to shape the top of a trash can like a mouth, almost like the trash can could talk. Craft said there were many layers to them. The more he manipulated it more dissonance was added. It’s not a comfortable sound, and it sounded big and scary. You’re going to hear this crazy deep and bellowing sound, which puts you ill at ease.

    World of Warcraft Sound Artists Interviewed Continued

    Maguire explained the importance of game developers playtesting the game. It’s crucial for them to play the game together as a team before they release the content to the public.

    “It’s very important in game development that you play test your game,” Maguire said. “You need to understand how all those pieces come together. It’s reallyd ifficult to see outside the blinders of what you do on a day to day basis. And so the later you get into a development cycle all the pieces come together and you can see how the game plays as a whole.”

    alt="world of warcraft sound artists interviewed - stormsong valley"/>

    Maguire said the team plays together when they do the playtest cycle. They get bucket loads of feedback. There’s an email list where people send feedback, and it’s a constant stream of information. They try to collect feedback before they ship it to the public. WoW is a large game so they have to catch a lot of stuff.

    “We’re handling the sound differently than other updates,” Maguire said. “They want to make the experience more dynamic. You need to interact and push back agaisnt N’Zoth’s influence. The intensity rises and the volume goes up as you get closer. Whispers become more aggresive and the veil is off.”

     

    They want us to feel like we’re in a different world. Humphries asked Maguire if he’s happy with the sound department’s recent work.

    “I’m a very happy producer,” Maguire said. “This is some of the best work out sound department has put into the game. Every person brings their own unique voice to the table. It all meshes together for this awesome update we bring each time.”

    Before you go…

    alt="world of warcraft sound artists interviewed - durotar"/>

    What did you think of the World of Warcraft sound artists interviewed? Please leave a comment below. Also if you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it on social media.

    Also, feel free to check out the 7 most- exciting starter zones in WoW, the best ways to gain reputation in WoW, How to make gold in WoW Classic, and the World of Warcraft Patch 8.2.5 Content Notes. The holidays are coming up fast, so feel free to visit the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans. Want a more general list? Then check out the 22 must-have gifts for Video Gamers. WoW Classic has been a hit, so don’t miss the best addons for WoW Classic. BlizzCon is next month and we’ve got many juicy things to discuss. Check out the World of Warcraft Story so far, and the possible World of Warcraft Expansion leaks.

    Thanks for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

     

     

     

  • Is World Of Warcraft Getting A Death Themed Expansion?

    Is World Of Warcraft Getting A Death Themed Expansion?

    Spoiler Warning: This post will contain information from the upcoming Patch 8.3.

    Is World of Warcraft getting a death-themed expansion? Recent leaks for patch 8.3 seem to be pointing that way. World of Warcraft fans is super excited for BlizzCon in November. We’ve had several signs in-game which seem to point to another death-themed expansion. A few months ago, we had the famous Shadowlands leak. Now that patch 8.3 is on the public test realms (PTR) those rumors have more weight. Wowhead posted assets for Allied Race Death Knights. Fans have requested this for a long time. This may hint that the Lich King is raising new Death Knights.

    alt="possible world of warcraft expansion leaks - leaked photograph of Shadowlands map"/>

    With the assets appearing in patch 8.3 this brings up the possibility of the Lich King having a larger role. Death is a major theme in this expansion. Sylvanas wants everyone to die and has made mention of it during the loyalist ending in patch 8.2.5. Horde players had a quest during BFA where we accompanied the spirit of Vol’jin as he sought answers. He wanted to know which spirit told him to make Sylvanas Warchief. All the death-related characters said they had no idea. Bwomsamdi mentioned he has a boss, but that’s as far as we know.

    Death is probably going to be an actual character in the game at some point. There are rumors of a level squish happening in the next expansion. Fans have speculated about new rumors which have come from a credible Chinese forum. We may be getting a type of hero ‘Lich’ class. A Lich class would probably be like a Death Knight and Warlock mixed together. It’s an intriguing thought and could be a fun class to play.

    Is World of Warcraft Getting A Death Themed Expansion?

    alt="the lich king in acherus"/>

    Wowhead also mentioned that Jaina and Anduin discussed Bolvar the Lich King. It’s safe to assume that Bolvar is going to have a role in the next expansion. There are encrypted voice files in patch 8.3 of the Lich King and Highlord Darion Mograine talking. Since Legion, the Lich King has been active. He had Death Knight players raise the new Four Horsemen. We were also introduced to Taelia in Battle for Azeroth. She happens to be Bolvar’s daughter. Taelia still doesn’t know the truth about her father’s fate. Anduin is hesitant to tell her because Bolvar swore that no one would know what became of him.

    At first, it looked as if the next expansion would be World of Warcraft Shadowlands, but what if the next expansion is World of Warcraft Return of the Lich King? I’ve always wondered if Blizzard was going to have us pay homage to their most famous expansion. It’s something I could totally see by World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary. Now that we have legacy serves with WoW Classic it’s not too much of a stretch to wonder if we’ll be visiting Northrend in either the past or present again.

    alt="World of Warcraft Developer Update Patch 8.3"/>

    It wouldn’t even be surprising if Sylvanas is the next Lich Queen. What’s interesting to note is that the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King resides, is actually a portal to the Shadowlands. Shadowlands is the Realm of Death. When we die in the game the screen has a gray filter. Basically, we’re crossing through the Shadowlands as we search for our corpse. Of course, our in-game deaths aren’t considered canon, but what if N’Zoth is going to kill us in Nya’lotha?

    Some fans have even wondered if the Old God will put us to sleep. Then we won’t wake until the end of the next expansion. Sleep is tied to death, and it’s not a completely crazy thought. Maybe this could tie into Elune and the Emerald Dream somehow. We’re certainly getting a lot of Elune mentions lately. We also know that Tyrande who recently became the Night Warrior will be getting more screen time. So sleep and death could tie together when we have all these loose plot threads. If we’re really having a level squish which would scale us down to level 50, then maybe being asleep could answer why.

    Allied Races As Death Knights?

    alt="a nightborne elf allied races"/>

    Is World of Warcraft getting a death-themed expansion? Well, new assets found for Allied Races suggest we might. Allied races may become Death Knights. There are textures from Allied NPCs included in the patch 8.3 data. With them are four new Death Knight weapons. Death Knights only have three specs which include Frost, Unholy, and Blood. So why would Death Knights have a new fourth weapon associated with Fire? Maybe Blizzard is adding a Death Knight who looks fiery like Bolvar. Could Death Knights be receiving a new spec in 9.0?

    New Death Knights aren’t exactly a stretch. The Lich King had us raise the Four Horsemen. If Bolvar is raising new Death Knights maybe he’s helping us fight the new threat. Bolvar’s motives are secretive but he’s not Arthas. What’d I’d love to see is a new Death Knight starter zone. In fact, what if we had two Death Knight starter zones? Blizzard can’t just erase the history from Wrath. It’d be cool if the new Death Knights had their own starter zone with new lore, while the old races kept the same storyline. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could choose between orange or blue eyes as Death Knights?

    A potential fire spec for Death Knights makes me wonder if all races are getting a new spec. A new spec would certainly breathe life into the classes. Especially because players have complained about a lack of class identity in BFA. Legion made classes seem cool again with the Class Order Halls and Artifact weapons. Hopefully, Blizzard will do something epic and unexpected again with our classes. Imagine being able to tank as a Shaman, or for Demon Hunters to finally have a third spec. It’s a bit of a reach, but it’s fun to consider.

    Are We Revisiting Northrend?

    It’s been about eight years in the storyline since we defeated Arthas. If World of Warcraft is getting a death-themed expansion, it makes sense to go to Northrend again. Northrend could be interesting to revisit not only to see it’s changed but also due to the Old God story happening right now. I’ve been wanting to revisit Wrath on a legacy server, but we could be revisiting Northrend in the present day. The Old God Yogg-Saron was imprisoned in Northrend before we defeated him in Ulduar. Ulduar is a Titan complex and within it, we have the Halls of Stone and Lightning. We also have several Titan terraces in Sholazar Basin.

    Dragonblight could also be important in moving forward. The Black Dragonflight was once corrupted by N’Zoth. Lately, Wrathion has been searching for a cure against corruption. Whatever potion he gave us in patch 8.2.5 cured Ebonhorn. The Dragon flights gave up their power in Cataclysm, but maybe Wyrmrest Temple could still be relevant if N’Zoth brings on the Hour of Twilight.

    alt="is world of warcraft getting a death themed expansion - ulduar"/>

    The Titans are considered the Pantheon. They’re the celestial beings who created Azeroth and the universe. In Legion, we helped the Pantheon imprison Sargeras. He’s a fallen Titan who attempted to destroy the worlds by creating an army of demons called the Burning Legion. Old Gods and Titans don’t get along, as the Old Gods want to bring back the Black Empire and control Azeroth. Also, Azeroth is more than a planet, it’s believed that the planet is a Titan. She’s dying now that Sargeras has stabbed the planet with his sword.

    All of this makes me believe we could be revisiting Northrend because of the Old God and Titan connections. For example, the Nerubians are a spider-type race that exists in Northrend. They could certainly become a threat again. Azjol-Nerub was once a Titan complex, and it’s the location of the Nerubian Empire.

    Is World of Warcraft Getting A Death Themed Expansion?

    alt="new wow expansion ideas yogg-saron"/>

    Do you think World of Warcraft is getting a death-themed expansion? If you’re reading this after BlizzCon, do you think all this speculation was incorrect? Please leave a comment below.

    Also, feel free to check out Hallow’s End has arrived in World of Warcraft, should the best music in World of Warcraft have an orchestra tour, the most-exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft, the best ways to gain reputation in WoW, How to make gold in WoW Classic, and the World of Warcraft patch 8.3 Developer Notes. The holidays are coming up fast, so feel free to visit the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans. Want a more general list? Then check out the 22 must-have gifts for Video Gamers. WoW Classic has been a hit, so don’t miss the best addons for WoW Classic. BlizzCon is next month and we’ve got many juicy things to discuss. Check out the World of Warcraft Story so far, and the possible World of Warcraft Expansion leaks.

    Thank you for hanging out at my Hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • Hallow’s End Has Arrived In World of Warcraft…Unless You’re Playing On Garona

    Hallow’s End Has Arrived In World of Warcraft…Unless You’re Playing On Garona

    Hallow’s End has arrived with all its ghoulish delights. The annual in-game holiday runs from Oct. 18th – Oct 31st. World of Warcraft has always done Halloween right. Trick or treating has you traverse the expansive world. Azeroth has never looked more festive with its jack-o’- lanterns, eerie candles, and flying bats. Every year players look forward to this event. Defeating the Headless Horseman is a must especially if you want to obtain his mount. Good luck getting the Horseman’s mount to drop though.

    With all these trick or treats and spooky fun, you’d expect me to be having a great time. Well, Blizzard is certainly tricking me, because Hallow’s End has vanished on Garona in Elwynn Forest. In fact, all of my Halloween quests have disappeared from my log. You can still find candy buckets in inns scattered around Azeroth, but the majority of the Hallow’s End quests are in Elwynn Forest. This means Alliance players on Garona won’t be able to collect enough Tricky Treats to buy prizes.

    alt="hallow's end has arrived in world of warcraft - goldshire before the glitch"/>

    Players have sent Blizzard messages. We’ve also tried War Mode, and the holiday is active there. Many players don’t engage in War Mode, and no holiday should force us too. Hallow’s End is one of the most fun holidays in World of Warcraft. The spooky vibe mixed with candy treats, and creepy fun makes the experience worthwhile. I’m hoping Blizzard will have this problem fixed by Tuesday maintenance. We’re paying $15 a month to enjoy this game. Not being able to experience one of the major holidays isn’t fair. If Blizzard doesn’t fix it soon then I hope they’ll give players on Garona something in the game to make up for it.

    Hallow’s End Has Arrived In World of Warcraft…Unless You’re on Garona

    War Mode And Why It Sucks For Holidays

    alt="hallow's end has arrived in world of warcraft - headless horseman"/>

    My brother and I turned on War Mode to try our hand at Trick or Treating. It was a disaster. As soon as we landed in Stranglethorn two Horde players killed us on sight. Keep in mind my brother and I are lowbies. We just wanted to Trick or Treat to level and to have fun. We only turned on War Mode because the glitch was forcing us to use it in order to participate in the Hallow’s End event.

    I have anxiety. So every time we were hunted down and slaughtered by those two Horde players I panicked. It took us an hour to leave Rebel Camp because we kept being killed every time we rezzed. It was a miserable experience, and my brother who’s a new player was shocked and dismayed. For me, I choose not to PvP because I already know it’s not good for me. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to participate in Hallow’s End the normal way. At first I thought it was a glitch, but now I’m not sure because no one at Blizzard has made any mention of fixing Hallow’s End on Garona.

    Garona Isn’t The Only Server Affected

    alt="hallow's end has arrived in world of warcraft...unless you're on garona - players fighting the headless horseman in goldshire before the bug"/>

    EDIT: On Oct. 22nd, 2019, Blizzard has fixed the glitch affecting Garona. Yay!

    Now, Garona isn’t the only server affected. It seems as if any server which is crossed with Garona can’t see the event either. Players from other servers also expressed their disappointment in General Chat. I’m pretty sure this is a glitch, but why wouldn’t it be fixed already? It’s been 24 hours (at the time of this post) and there have been no changes. Many players can only play the game during the weekend because of work or school during the week. I couldn’t queue to face the Headless Horseman unless I was sitting in Stormwind. Something is not quite right, and I’m hoping this is resolved before Halloween.

    Alliance players on Garona are missing out on honoring the Wickerman, stink bombing the Undercity while flying on a broomstick and saving Goldshire from the Headless Horseman. All of these quests and events make the game feel more alive. Please fix Hallow’s End on Garona. I’ve played World of Warcraft for twelve years. Garona is one of the oldest servers in the game. We aren’t the most populated, and there aren’t any streamers that I’m aware of. Our money and time are precious, and we play WoW because we love the world. It’s clear the development team puts a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their work. So, thank you for all you do.

    alt="goldshire inn during hallow's end"/>

    Hallow’s End has arrived in World of Warcraft. Has your server been affected by this glitch? Can you still participate in Hallow’s End? Please leave a comment below.

    Before You Go…

    Also, feel free to check out the most-exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft, the best ways to gain reputation in WoW, How to make gold in WoW Classic, and the World of Warcraft patch 8.3 Developer Notes. The holidays are coming up fast, so feel free to visit the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans. Want a more general list? Then check out the 22 must-have gifts for Video Gamers. WoW Classic has been a hit, so don’t miss the best addons for WoW Classic. BlizzCon is next month and we’ve got many juicy things to discuss. Check out the World of Warcraft Story so far, and the possible World of Warcraft Expansion leaks.

    Thanks for hanging out at my Hearth!

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells

  • 7 Most Exciting Starter Zones In World Of Warcraft

    7 Most Exciting Starter Zones In World Of Warcraft

    Discovering the most exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft is super important if you’re a newbie. Those first 20 levels can make or break whether a new player sticks to the game. I’m going to list the 7 most exciting starter zones from least to greatest. If you’re a newbie or if you’re trying to bring in a friend, maybe consider having them play one of these suggestions. Remember we want to give a new player that WoW factor when they play. World of Warcraft excels at ambiance, music, atmosphere, and fun.

    We don’t want our first impression tainted. First impressions are everything. If my friends hadn’t convinced me to keep playing I would’ve stopped. I played a human during Vanilla. It was boring and I was confused. Honestly, I was also a kid at the time, so I spent most of the playtime killing bunnies anyway. Most newbies aren’t going to have awesome friends to show them the ropes, and to keep encouraging them. WoW has so many cool things to see, and so many awesome stuff to do.

    We don’t want a new player to miss out because their first 20 levels sucked. The most exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft are only my suggestions. Leave a comment with your favorite starter zone. Maybe it can help another newbie find their home in Azeroth too.

    Most Exciting Starter Zones In World Of Warcraft

    New Starter Zone In Shadowlands Expansion

    Beginning in the Shadowlands expansion all new players begin their adventure in Exile’s Reach. The new starter zone immerses them within the world of Azeroth. They begin their journey on a mission for either the Horde or Alliance, as they search for their missing allies. The island of Exile’s Reach is a fantastic starter zone because it teaches new players the mechanics of the game. You’ll learn how to equip your weapon, how to attack, and how to quest.

    There’s even a chat channel specifically for new players to ask questions. Once players complete their journey in Exile’s Reach they go to either Stormwind (Alliance) or Orgrimmar (Horde). This is where they’ll be introduced to their faction leaders and be given a tour of the city. Returning players can choose whether they’d like to start in Exile’s Reach or one of the original starter zones.

    Original Starter Zones

    7. Draenei

    alt="7 most exciting starter zones in world of warcraft - azuremyst isle"/>

    Let’s begin with the Draenei starter zone, Azuremyst Isle. Draenei is from the planet Draenor. Draenor becomes Outland once the Dark Portal is opened. Their space ship, the Exodar, crashed into Azuremyst Isle when they escaped from Tempest Keep on Outland. Blood Elf Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider had attacked the keep, which is a dimensional fortress, and the Draenei were only able to escape with a section of the place. That piece was the Exodar.

    Draenei made this list because of their cool science fiction vibe. Their leader is the Prophet Velen. He’s connected to awesome lore involving the Burning Legion. I’ve always enjoyed playing Draenei, and I have a Draenei Priest, Death Knight, and Shaman. Draenei joined WoW during the Burning Crusade. If you’d like to know more about their race, the Naaru (light) they worship, and the Burning Legion, it’s certainly worth questing in their starter zone. Also, the area is unique, and no other area on Azeroth looks like Azuremyst Isle or Bloodmyst Isle with it’s crystals.

    6. Blood Elf (Sin’dorei)

    alt="7 most exciting starter zones in world of warcraft - blood elf starter zone"/>

    The Blood Elf (Sin’dorei) starter zone is in the northern Eastern Kingdoms. Their kingdom is called Quel’thelas. They joined Warcraft during the Burning Crusade. Blood Elves have a gorgeous zone. The music is so pretty to listen too. They’re an ancient race who migrated to the Eastern Kingdoms from Kalimdor about 10,000 years ago. Night Elves didn’t agree with their use of the arcane, so the ancient Highborne knew they had to leave their homeland Kalimdor.

    Sylvanas Windrunner was once a High Elf before the Death Knight Arthas Menethil murdered her and raised her from the dead. She was able to free herself from his control, and now she’s the leader of the Forsaken in the Horde. As High Elves, they were in the Alliance of Lordaeron. Most of the Blood Elven population was killed in Arthas’s attack. Now, the Blood Elves not only seek freedom from the magical addiction, but they also wish to forge a new future due to their painful past.

    5. Night Elf (Kal’dorei)

    alt="teldrassil night elf starter area"/>

    Night Elves are an ancient race. They’ve existed on Azeroth for at least 10,000 years. Their starter zone made this list because of its beauty and ambiance. It’s worth checking out this starter zone because of its uniqueness and calmness.

    The Night Elves were once ruled by the Highborne Queen Azshara. She was addicted to the arcane arts. Azshara made a deal with the Burning Legion. The Well of Eternity was destroyed during the Legion invasion. It was where the elves were getting their magical power from. This caused an event called the Great Sundering which tore Azeroth apart. The Maelstrom was formed from the Well.

    Zin’Azshari was lost in the sundering. This was the Elven capital and the seat of Azshara’s power. Everyone drowned in the city, except for Azshara and her most loyal supporters. Azshara survived because she made a pact with the Old God N’Zoth to become a Naga, but sadly some of the Highborne didn’t make it. In the real world, we’d think of the Sundering like Pangea. So basically all of the continents were one continent, until a blast broke them apart, and created many new continents.

    After the Great Sundering, the Night Elves turned away from the arcane and began to focus on nature. They began worshiping the Moon Goddess Elune. The Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage and his wife High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind became the leaders of their people. Not all Highborne drowned in Zin’Azshari. It was those elves who left Kalimdor and sailed across the sea to the Eastern Kingdoms.

    4. Undead

    alt="7 most exciting starter zones in world of warcraft - tirisfal glades"/>

    The Undead made it on this list because of how cool and creepy their starter zone is. Undead call themselves the Forsaken. They were once living citizens of the former Kingdom of Lordaeron. When Death Knight Arthas Menethil murdered his own father, King Terenas II, Arthas then turned all the citizens of Lordaeron into the undead Scourge. Kiljaeden created the Scourge. The dread lord trapped the soul of the Orc Shaman Ner’zhul inside the Frozen Throne in Northrend. By trapping him there, Ner’zhul became the Lich King, and this allowed him to have control of the damned. Arthas merged with the Lich King and became the Lich King himself.

    When Sylvanas Windrunner broke from Arthas’s control, she was able to lead the Forsaken to victory. She reclaimed Lordaeron for the Forsaken, and they worked to rebuild their own home. Now, Sylvanas is Warchief of the Horde, and she’s currently on the run after Overlord Saurfang challenged her to Mok’Gora, which is a duel to the death. At first, Forsaken were trying to find their place in a world that didn’t want them, so what is their purpose now?

    Top 3 Most Exciting Starter Zones In World Of Warcraft

    Here are the top 3 most exciting zones in World of Warcraft. They’re great to experience at least once. There are positives and negatives with this though. With the more updated starter zones, you can only leave them if someone teleports you out. If that happens, then you won’t be able to return to the zone. Also, you’re unable to teleport from the Pandaren starter zone because you don’t choose a faction until the very end. Despite these drawbacks, these final three zones are some of the most exciting in World of Warcraft to experience at least once.

    3. Pandaren

    alt="7 most exciting starter zones in world of warcraft - the wandering isle"/>

    The Pandaren were introduced in the Mists of Pandaria expansion. Their starter zone is gorgeous and incredibly immersive. You have a cohesive story being told from the beginning until the end. Pandaren was the first neutral race introduced to World of Warcraft. This means it’s possible to level to 120 without ever choosing a faction. In fact, there’s a player named Doubleagent who’s been doing just that since Mists released.

    Pandaren doesn’t begin the game in Pandaria. Their starter zone is actually on the Wandering Isle. The Wandering Isle is a gigantic turtle called Shen-zin Su, which has been sailing the ocean for thousands of years. Residents of the Wandering Isle have been sailing the open seas ever since the Great Sundering.  The isle has it’s own complex ecosystem, and it’s just as beautiful as Pandaria itself. The music is top-notch, and the ambiance fits the setting beautifully.

    Your character is tasked with saving the Wandering Isle from destruction. The isle has drifted too close to the Maelstrom, which is the dangerous spiral in the center of the ocean created from the Great Sundering, and if you guys don’t act soon, then the isle may be lost. Elders from the Temple of the Five Dawns have asked four elementals for aid. There are several potential ways to protect the island, and no one can agree on how to solve it.

    2. Goblin

    alt="Isle of Kezan - goblin starter zone"/>

    Goblins have one of the most exciting starter zones in World of Warcraft. They begin on the Isle of Kezan. During this immersive starter zone, you’ll be roleplaying as a part of the story. You’ll have an assistant, fight the trade prince, and get your own car. The zone takes about three hours to complete, but you’ll be having a blast and probably won’t notice the time go by. The Isle of Kezan is where the Goblins in the Horde are from. Their island is destroyed when Deathwing emerges from within Azeroth. The Cataclysm causes your character to escape from the island.

    This starter zone is similar to the Pandaren one. There is a singular and immersive story being told. You’re also being introduced to a race. The music and ambiance are also unique to the zone. If you’d like to experience a highly themed zone, then you’ll want to check out the Goblin starter area. I have three Goblin characters, two of whom had to start here. My Death Knight is the only exception because Death Knights always begin at Acherus regardless of their race.

    1. Worgen

    alt="7 most exciting starter zones in world of warcraft - Gilneas"/>

    The Worgen starter zone has to be the best one in the game. It’s so immersive and really cool. Gilneas has a creepy Victorian vibe to it. It’s dark and the buildings look super awesome. Worgen are werewolves and you’re going to become one yourself. You get to follow your character as the Kingdom of Gilneas is dealing with the Worgen crises. As you begin to transform into a monster, you still have to help save everyone from the undead lurking nearby. Sylvanas has sent in Forsaken, add this to the fact Deathwing is about to burst forth from the depths of Azeroth, and we’ve got drama. The whole zone is so fun. Music is top-notch, the ambiance is epic, and your level pretty quickly. You should finish the zone in about three hours.

    Honorable Mention

    I couldn’t write this article without mentioning the Death Knight and Demon Hunter starter zones. If you’re a newbie or if you’re bringing a newbie into the game, they probably shouldn’t start with these characters. Death Knight’s and Demon Hunters are Hero Classes. They’re best for players who already know how to play the game. Hero Classes normally have a level requirement to unlock. They’re incredibly fun to play, and they normally have immersive starting zone experiences too.

    Death Knight

    alt="Acherus - death knight starter zone"/>

    Death Knights first appeared during Wrath of the Lich King. You no longer need to have a level 55 character to unlock this class. So a newbie should be able to try to out a Death Knight if they wish. These knights begin their service under the Lich King’s control. They’ll eventually break free and join the Horde or Alliance. You’ll be starting at Acherus the Ebon Hold in the Eastern Plaguelands. The starter zone is highly themed and super immersive. You learn the Death Knight backstory. By the end of the zone, you’ll be level 60. So you’ll be able to choose whether you want to move on to Outland or Northrend.

    Demon Hunter

    alt="mardum - demon hunter starter zone"/>

    Demon Hunter’s joined Warcraft during Legion. You need to have at least one level 70 character on a server to unlock them. These powerful Illidari are Illidan Stormrage’s elite army. Illidan Stormrage was a Night Elf who became a Demon Hunter. He was once a mage, but he betrayed his own people in the pursuit of power, and to destroy the Burning Legion. He now has the nickname ‘the betrayer’. As a Demon Hunter, you’re going to travel to the distant planet of Mardum to help find the Sargerite Keystone. The Sargerite Keystone is a fel-corrupted titan device that allows the user to travel to any world. Illidan wants the Demon Hunters to find the Keystone so we can stop the Burning Legion from destroying Azeroth. This starter zone involves traveling to another planet, fighting a demon, and escaping the Wardens prison. It’s a thrilling zone and a lot of fun. So be sure to check it out at least once.

    7 Most Exciting Starter Zones In World of Warcraft – Conclusion

    alt="the lich king in acherus"/>

    Be sure to share this article by pinning the Pinterest pin on the top of the post. Also, be sure to share this article on Twitter and other social media networks with the social media icons on the sidebar and bottom of the post.

    What starter zone is your favorite in World of Warcraft? Please leave a comment with your answer.

    Also, feel free to check out the World of Warcraft Terminology and Lingo guide, the best ways to gain reputation in WoW, How to make gold in WoW Classic, and the World of Warcraft Patch 8.2.5 Content Notes. The holidays are coming up fast, so feel free to visit the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans. Want a more general list? Then check out the 22 must-have gifts for Video Gamers. WoW Classic has been a hit, so don’t miss the best addons for WoW Classic. BlizzCon is next month and we’ve got many juicy things to discuss. Check out the World of Warcraft Story so far, and the possible World of Warcraft Expansion leaks.

    Thank you for hanging out at my hearth.

    Happy Hunting,

    Spyells