Tag: World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft director shoots down console port rumors

Ion Hazzikostas clarifies that the MMORPG isn’t leaving PC.

Rumors of an eventual console port for World of Warcraft have been circulating for years now, and anyone still hoping it’ll happen are in for a world of hurt.

During an interview with IGN, World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas spoke about the long-running MMORPG‘s improved controller support coming in the Dragonflight expansion and whether that means console ports are looming on the horizon. In short, he’s not a fan of the idea.

“Nah, I think World of Warcraft is a game designed from the ground up for the PC,” Hazzikostas said. “I think we’ve just been looking at the ways in which add-ons have at times felt increasingly required, or like the first thing you do when someone comes to the game for the first time is tell them, ‘Hey, go download this add-on pack and move this stuff around’ and we want to do better for our players.”

Well, that’s that then. Many were hoping that an Xbox Series X|S version was in the cards ever since Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Blizzard did reveal Wrath of the Lich King Classic alongside Dragonflight, so there’s still plenty of life left in the aging MMORPG that still isn’t on consoles. 

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fneweg9c4wk5v2c2c9 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fneweg9c4wk5v2c2c9/01fneweg9c4wk5v2c2c9-a0465eb771466761de4c34fc9ceabc05.jpg]

[listicle id=1298189]

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic is official

The frostbitten lands of Northrend are still grim as can be.

World of Warcraft Classic will finally add the fan-favorite expansion Wrath of the Lich King.

On Tuesday, Blizzard announced World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic — yes, those rumors were legit. As with previous versions of World of Warcraft Classic, Blizzard’s goal is to re-release Wrath of the Lich King with very few no alterations. Imagine rebuilding a classic car from its old frame, and that’s the gist.

So everything from Wrath of the Lich King will be fresh again. Well, sort of! The frozen lands of Northrend will open up, as will raids like Naxxramas along with chilling dungeons like Azjol-Nerub and the Culling of Stratholme. 

No doubt that the most significant reintroduction would be Death Knights, the first-ever hero class for World of Warcraft. Horde and Alliance players can roll as Death Knights, and the class begins at level 55. Check out the official announcement for more details.

During an interview with IGN, World of Warcraft Classic lead Brian Birmingham explains that the much-disliked dungeon finder will not return in Wrath of the Lich King Classic.

“We know that the Classic audience is more interested in long-term social engagement, that feeling that comes from reaching out to people, talking to them about how you’re going to group, trying to coordinate, who’s going to do what role walking to the dungeon together, trying to figure out how you’re going to get to the dungeon, who’s going to summon, maybe run into a PVP fight on the way,” Birmingham said. “And then you finally get in there, and you have friends that stick together with you.”

Unlike prior expansion additions to World of Warcraft Classic, Blizzard will not allow Burning Crusade Classic players to stick around in that incarnation of the game. Once Wrath of the Lich King Classic is out, players on Burning Crusade Classic servers must move on.

“People want to experience certain eras of [World of Warcraft] in the progression style that is meaningful, and Burning Crusade has done that,” Birmingham explains via IGN. “I think there are opportunities in the future to look at different seasonal content we can provide to people who are looking [to] revisit Burning Crusade o revisit Classic again. It’s something we’re always keeping an eye on to see what we could do.”

The World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic announcement came alongside the Dragonflight expansion reveal.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight’s cinematic reveal trailer is utterly gorgeous

The MMORPG’s ninth expansion is all about taking to the skies.

Another World of Warcraft expansion is on the horizon, and fans will be flying sky-high this time.

On Tuesday, Blizzard announced World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, the long-running MMORPG’s ninth major expansion. Yup, those leaks from earlier this month were correct.

This time around, fans will work shoulder-to-scale with ancient dragons to vanquish an evil, mysterious threat. Doing so will require visiting the Dragon Isles, one of Azeroth’s long-lost regions that is reawakening after being hidden away for thousands of years.

As is always the case with Blizzard titles, Dragonflight’s cinematic trailer is staggeringly gorgeous and delightfully cheesy. Check it out for yourself below, or watch a high-quality mirror on YouTube.

This expansion will include the Dracthyr, a new hero class coming in Dragonflight. The Dracthyr can swap between dragon and human forms at will and are playable regardless of whether you’re Alliance or Horde. As the name implies, Dragonflight will let you ride dragons in a new mount system that is much more robust than prior incarnations. The Dragon Isles are far more vertical than past zones and built with the new flying mounts in mind.

Blizzard is also overhauling critical World of Warcraft systems in Dragonflight, with the UI now allowing for more customization than ever before. More details are on the Dragonflight announcement page.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

World of Warcraft expansion reveal: When and where to watch in your time zone

Here are the essential details regarding MMORPG’s next expansion.

It’s almost time for the unveiling of World of Warcraft’s next expansion. Nearly two decades after launch, Blizzard’s seminal MMORPG is still going reasonably strong. One would hope so, considering this will be its 9th major expansion.

Last week, rumors swirled about regarding the expansion’s actual title, and we’ll soon find out if there’s something to this Dragonflight hubbub. It’s certainly plausible, considering that the term is still lingering in the back of World of Warcraft’s official website. Not to mention it has that cheesy Warcraft aroma, a veritable high fantasy stink if you will.

Below we’re listing when and where you can watch the World of Warcraft’s next expansion reveal.

When to watch World of Warcraft expansion reveal in your time zone

Here we’ve listed when the World of Warcraft expansion reveal will happen in several different time zones. All times are for April 19 unless stated otherwise.

  • PDT: 9:00 A.M.
  • MDT: 10:00 A.M.
  • EDT: 12:00 P.M.
  • BRT: 1:00 P.M.
  • GMT: 4:00 P.M.
  • CET: 6:00 P.M.
  • IST: 9:30 P.M.

April 20

  • CST: 12:00 A.M.
  • JST: 1:00 A.M.
  • AEDT: 3:00 A.M.
  • NZDT: 4:00 A.M.

Where to watch the World of Warcraft expansion reveal

As is the case with nearly every major gaming event, the World of Warcraft expansion reveal will air simultaneously on both Twitch and YouTube on Blizzard’s official channels, which you can check out in our links below.

Now you’re all set to see what’s next for World of Warcraft!

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

The title of World of Warcraft’s next expansion may have leaked

Website updates might reveal what’s next for the MMORPG.

Blizzard isn’t revealing the next World of Warcraft expansion until later this month, but its title might have already leaked.

A Wowhead report claims that the public source code on World of Warcraft’s official website reveals lines for something called Dragonflight along with Base, Heroic, and Epic expansion pre-purchase options. Other lines of code point toward the domain “dragonflight.blizzard.com,” which is currently inaccessible. 

While nothing is certain until Blizzard explicitly sets the record straight, the pre-purchase notes suggest that Dragonflight could be the expansion’s name. With the official reveal coming on April 19, 2022, we’ll soon fight out if this is a leak or misdirection. Since World of Warcraft’s launch in 2004, eight major expansions have come and gone, and it’s hard to believe Blizzard is about to show off the ninth.

Early last month, there was similar evidence of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King getting classic servers. There’s still no word on whether those rumors were the real deal, but we’ll probably hear about it alongside the next expansion’s reveal if so.

Blizzard has several yet-to-be-released projects in the works right now, including Overwatch 2, Warcraft Mobile, Diablo 4, Diablo Immortal, and the mysterious survival title. All while the company is still dealing with the ongoing abuse allegations.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

Jamie Lee Curtis to wear Jaina Proudmoore World of Warcraft cosplay to daughter’s wedding

She’ll officiate the nuptials while dressed as one of World of Warcraft’s finest mages.

Jamie Lee Curtis of Halloween and Knives Out fame will be wearing a World of Warcraft cosplay to her daughter’s wedding. She’ll officiate the nuptials while dressed as Jaina Proudmoore, one of the finest mages in World of Warcraft canon. 

She dropped this bombshell on Jimmy Kimmel Live (via Entertainment Weekly), which she attended to chat about her role in upcoming movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.

According to the actor, her daughter and their fiancé – who are both fans of Blizzard’s long-running MMO – chose the outfit. 

Unfortunately, there might be a delay in her getting hold of the cosplay, since the outfit maker is based in Russia.

“I’m hoping she’ll get it to me,” Curtis said. “I just don’t know if… You know, there’s a little bit of a supply chain issue going on, and things are sort of held up now”.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been in gaming headlines a lot recently, with studios such as Epic Games raising millions of dollars towards humanitarian relief and esports organizers banning Russian teams from competing at events. 

Written by Kirk McKeand on behalf of GLHF. 

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

New World of Warcraft expansion will be revealed in April

A mobile Warcraft title will show itself soon after.

The next major expansion for World of Warcraft is getting a reveal on April 19, 2022.

On Monday, Blizzard made a post regarding the future of the franchise. Warcraft general manager John Hight didn’t mince words regarding what fans of a certain MMORPG can expect. 

“On April 19, the World of Warcraft development team will reveal the next expansion,” Hight said. “We’re excited to show you what we’ve been working on and where your adventures in Azeroth will go next.”

Hight also mentions World of Warcraft Classic, which recently saw rumors about Wrath of the Lich King getting its own set of classic servers. Who knows if those whispers will come into fruition, but it’s looking likely.

The post also confirms that we’ll see the mobile Warcraft title sometime in May. There is no definite date on that reveal yet, but it’s probably reasonably far along if Blizzard is nearly ready to show it.

The past several months have been turbulent at Blizzard, as the company still deals with allegations of abuse and harassment. Not to mention that whole being bought by Microsoft deal that went down just a few weeks back.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic might be happening

The fan-favorite WoW expansion could be getting classic servers soon.

Nobody can dispute that World of Warcraft’s most popular expansion was Wrath of the Lich King, and it might be getting classic servers soon.

As first spotted by MMO-Champion, Patch 2.5.4 of Burning Crusade Classic contains several hints that Wrath of the Lich King Classic might be in the works. Specifically, a folder called “Interface-Wrath” with several files pertaining to the fan-favorite expansion, including Death Knight support on the character creation menu. There are even blue buttons from Wrath of the Lich King’s login screen. 

Wrath of the Lich King represents World of Warcraft at its absolute peak. Back in October 2010, when the MMORPG was practically unchallenged, Blizzard announced that there were more than 12 million active subscribers.

Burning Crusade Classic still has several more content updates coming later this year, such as the Fury of the Sunwell and Gods of Zul’Aman patches. So if Wrath of the Lich King Classic is happening, we might not see it until late 2022 or early 2023. Blizzard isn’t holding BlizzCon at all this year, and there’s little doubt that the recent buyout from Microsoft likely shuffled schedules around. So no way of knowing when Blizzard might announce Wrath of the Lich King Classic, especially with ongoing turmoil at the company.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

[listicle id=1845434]

World of Warcraft interview: Eternity’s End patch 9.2, patch 9.2.5 and the future of the game

We spoke with Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas about the future of the Shadowlands expansion – and beyond.

Eternity’s End, World of Warcraft patch 9.2, launches tomorrow, Feb. 22, in North America and Wednesday in Europe, but its players are already looking ahead to future content. We spoke with Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas about the future of the Shadowlands expansion – and beyond.

Hazzikostas told GLHF about upcoming changes in the next patch, 9.2.5, which will usher in cross-faction play between Horde and Alliance players. That patch will, he tells us, potentially include some new quality-of-life features for gamers who play with each other across servers, as well.

But first, he chatted about the patch dropping this week.

[mm-video type=video id=01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten/01fw0vx38z2af3dc5ten-deae1cc2c2a040c9180b364b8145fedd.jpg]

World of Warcraft Eternity’s End interview – release date, content and the future of Shadowlands

We sat down with game director Ion Hazzikostas and senior-level designer Sara Wons to chat about the upcoming changes.

World of Warcraft’s 9.2 Eternity’s End patch will bring a new zone, a new raid, new class-specific armor tier sets and new systems for players to try out. It could also mark a potential end to the game’s content drought. We spoke to game director Ion Hazzikostas and senior-level designer Sara Wons about the upcoming changes.

The content update doesn’t have a release date yet, but Hazzikostas tells USA Today that it will hit the Public Test Realm for players to jump into as soon as this week.

The new zone of Zereth Mortis is more than double the size of Korthia, the last zone introduced in the 9.1 patch. While it offers a knowledge system, where players collect bits of information around the game world to unlock new features, content and abilities, it will be  “not remotely as grindy” as Korthia was, Hazzikostas tells us.

“I think we’re also being very mindful of the sorts of things that are earned in the system – types of power that may feel mandatory to certain play styles, and also what that looks like from a catch-up perspective, an alt-friendliness perspective,” he continues.