In the MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW), Patch 8.3 is live. It revolves around the Old God “N’Zoth”, a being like out of a story from H.P. Lovecraft. The developers explain: It plays out like a horror movie. Therefore, the Old God only receives “a patch” and no own expansion.
Who is speaking? It is Steve Danuser, the head storyteller of WoW, the lead narrative designer. He gave Venturebeat and Polygon interviews about the current patch 8.3. He explains,
- what the Old God N’Zoth has to do with WoW Classic
- how Blizzard aligns the story with successful horror movies
- what is happening with N’Zoth’s Eye (Gift of N’Zoth)
- what WoW will focus on after Patch 8.3
The influence was already felt in WoW Classic
That’s why N’Zoth is so important: The Old God N’Zoth is a being like out of a story from H.P. Lovecraft. Players enter the realm of madness when they fight against him. Everything revolves around him in the latest patch.
The actions of the Old Gods run through the history of World of Warcraft. Even in WoW Classic, one could feel their influence:
When exploring Classic, many dungeons are indeed woven around things that happen directly under the influence of the Old Gods – things like Ahn’Qirai. The Old Gods were one of the greatest threats of the Old World. […] Now you have the chance to truly meet the last of the four original Old Gods that threaten the world.
Steve Danuser
N’Zoth is a monster story
That’s why N’Zoth works like a horror movie: A key question is why N’Zoth receives “only” his own patch with 8.3 and no own expansion.
People love the idea and it would be cool, but [N’Zoth] is not something that necessarily needs a whole expansion built around it. N’Zoth is a horror story, a monster story. And most successful horror movies or books use the monster very rarely and in very specific ways.
If you had to deal with the Old Gods constantly, 24/7, month after month, it might not be so eerie or so cool anymore.
Steve Danuser
What is happening with N’Zoth’s Eye? In WoW Battle for Azeroth, players secretly had the opportunity, to fight on the side of the Old Gods. The symbol of loyalty was the “Eye of N’Zoth” on the forehead, the buff known as “Gift of N’Zoth”.
But those who thought they could still help N’Zoth and the Old Gods to victory will be disappointed by Blizzard, as the Old Gods want to consume all reality:
At the end of the day, we need to do something about their presence. We cannot allow your character to run around uncontrolled or anything like that.
Steve Danuser
The “Eye of N’Zoth” was introduced because Blizzard knows how popular the Old Gods are, but players will not have a chance to aspire to a rule of the Old Gods over Azeroth. The “Eye of N’Zoth” was never meant to be an important part of character development, unlike the decision between Saurfang and Sylvanas that Horde players had to make.
What’s next with Patch 8.3 and the Old Gods? After the end of Patch 8.3, the Old Gods will probably not play a further role for a while. But Steve Danuser says: The forces behind N’Zoth will definitely remain in the game. Ultimately, the cosmic force of the Void stands behind the Old Gods.
With these cosmic forces and the mysteries of the universe, WoW will deal with the time after Patch 8.3. They are “part of the roadmap”. The next expansion, Shadowlands, is supposed to explore a new plane of existence, the existence in the afterlife – the Shadowlands.
