Blizzard Working on New Expansion of World of Warcraft Despite Working from Home
Blizzard’s developers are continuing to work on the next expansion of World of Warcraft, despite working from home due to the current circumstances. The new expansion, called World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, is set to be released by the end of this year, as promised at BlizzCon 2019. In a developer update on April 6, Blizzard provided fans with more details about what to expect from this upcoming expansion.
One of the exciting changes in Shadowlands is the addition of Covenant abilities. These abilities will be granted by four ruling powers that control the Shadowlands. Each ruling power is in need of help from the heroes of Azeroth, and in exchange, they are willing to share their power and rewards with the players. Players will need to complete a long quest chain to earn these abilities and access the rewards offered by the Covenants.
While the Covenant system brings exciting opportunities for players, it also presents a potential problem. Once a player chooses a Covenant, they will be locked into it and will not be able to switch to another Covenant in the future. This has raised concerns among players and the WoW community.
The Covenants
The four ruling powers in Shadowlands are the Kyrians, Necrolords, Night Fae, and Venthyr. Each Covenant focuses on a specific branch. The Kyrians are angelic beings known for their humility and discipline. The Necrolords are made up of liches, spies, and other unholy beings who defend the Shadowlands. The Night Fae are the guardians of nature who played a significant role in helping Cenarius return to Azeroth during the Cataclysm. The Venthyr are vampiric punishers responsible for judging and punishing those deemed unworthy by the Arbiter, the ruler of the Shadowlands.
Players will have the opportunity to experience all the abilities granted by these Covenants during the leveling process. However, at a certain point, they will need to choose one Covenant and will be granted one specific Covenant ability that represents the Covenant, regardless of their race, class, or specialization. They will also receive a class-specific ability.
The Issue with the Covenant System
Many players in the WoW community have expressed concerns about the lock-in process of the Covenant system. The inability to switch Covenants once a choice is made could create problems in the future if certain abilities get nerfed or buffed. Players who have chosen other abilities might feel left out or disadvantaged. The feedback from the community suggests that a system with more flexibility and choice would be preferred.
Well-known figures in the WoW community, such as Asmongold and Ziqo, have recommended alternative solutions to Blizzard. Asmongold proposed having a talent row instead of locking abilities behind a quest chain forever. Ziqo expressed his opinion that abilities should only be tied to leveling, not to items, reputations, or other systems.
History Repeating Itself?
Blizzard has a history of promising features and improvements that often fall short of expectations due to time constraints. The recent example of this is the Battle for Azeroth expansion. Blizzard promised interesting gear acquisition systems and improved class design, but many of these features were scrapped or not fully realized when the expansion was rushed to meet its release date.
Given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to working from home, it is possible that Shadowlands might also be released with some unfinished elements. Some members of the WoW community are concerned that the Covenant system might still need work and adjustments even after the expansion is released.
Possible Solutions
As players continue to voice their concerns and feedback, one potential solution suggested by the community is to include the Covenant abilities as an additional talent row that can be unlocked through a quest chain. This would allow players to freely change their abilities based on their needs and preferences. More freedom and flexibility in the game mechanics would increase the interest and enjoyment of playing World of Warcraft.
Ultimately, Blizzard will make the final decision on how to address the concerns raised by the community. Player feedback plays a crucial role in shaping the future of World of Warcraft.
The alpha version of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was scheduled to be released soon, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the development team has transitioned to a work-from-home setup, causing some delays. The alpha invites will be sent out later this month when the team has a more refined version of the game. Check your emails to see if you are one of the lucky players selected to participate in the alpha testing.