After BlizzCon 2023, the game directors of World of Warcraft (WoW) shared some insights on what players can expect in the coming months. They discussed the transitional period between Dragonflight and the upcoming expansion, The War Within.
Three More Updates Before Dragonflight Ends
Before Dragonflight concludes, WoW will receive three more planned updates. These updates will focus on quality-of-life improvements to enhance the overall gaming experience before The War Within is launched. One of these updates will feature the final season of Dragonflight’s PvE and PvP content, offering players more raids and a refreshed Mythic+ pool.
Controversial Early Access for The War Within
The decision to offer a three-day early-access period for players who pre-order the most expensive edition of The War Within has received mixed reactions from the community. However, the WoW director defended this move, stating that it simply provides a “headstart to leveling up.”
During the early-access period, players will not have access to Mythic dungeons, weekly quests, and high-end pre-raid loot. This means that players who pre-order the epic edition may reach the maximum level before the expansion goes live for others, giving them an advantage in the endgame content. The epic edition becomes a must-have for those who want to be among the first to tackle The War Within’s endgame challenges.
Addressing Fairness and Competitive Aspect
The WoW team aims to ensure fairness between players who have early access and those who don’t. By the time season one starts, there should be no noticeable difference between players with or without early access in terms of any competitive aspect of the game. The goal is to offer increased value while managing it carefully to maintain fairness.
Stat Squish and Other Updates
The expansion following The War Within, Midnight, will introduce another “stat squish.” This is necessary to reduce the inflated damage and healing numbers in the game, making the numerical information more manageable.
Other updates mentioned in the Q&A include the continuation of the Trading Post in the next expansion and confirmation that the upcoming Worldsoul Saga expansions will maintain the same amount of content despite a faster release schedule.
WoW: The War Within is scheduled for release in fall 2024, while Patch 10.2, the final major content patch for Dragonflight, was recently released.
Source: DOTESPORTS
