In World of Warcraft you get new companions. These “Bodyguards” are supposed to do more than ever before.
Currently, Blizzard primarily talks about the upcoming “small” patch number 8.1.5. However, Jeremy Feasel, one of the Senior Game Designers of World of Warcraft, recently gave an interview on the YouTube channel “Taliesin and Evitel Do Games”. He talked a lot about patch 8.2 and some details that leave a lot of room for interpretation.
Companion system is expanding: In patch 8.2, players will find new “friends” in Naz’jatar. These will join the characters and serve as full companions in the new zone. However, the system is supposed to be much more extensive than in Legion or Warlords of Draenor. The companion first needs to be leveled up and has many interaction possibilities that will also unlock various game content. Concrete details have not yet been shared, but the aim is to bring some “RPG elements back into the game”.
Azshara and the Fire: At the end of the interview, the YouTubers played a little association game with the developer. They showed him various pictures of WoW characters and wanted to hear the first word that came to his mind. While many of the statements were not particularly exciting (such as “Revenge” for “Sylvanas”), the response for Azshara was surprising, as Feasel replied “Fire”. In connection with the statement that our actions in Naz’jatar will have effects on other parts of the world, many speculations are now being made:
- Azshara could cause the destruction of some areas. Stormwind is directly by the sea and could be attacked and destroyed.
- The Dragon Isles with Wrathion gain significance. They were already teased in a quest from the Island Expeditions, and after all, the black dragons were also corrupted by N’Zoth.
- Azshara’s end could also assist N’Zoth in raising the Black Empire from the sea and “drenching” the world “in fire”.
However, Feasel is also known for leading players on false trails and misleading them – so it remains to be seen how much “fire” Azshara really has.
Cortyn says: For me, patch 8.2 could be the turning point of Battle for Azeroth, because there Blizzard wants to not only fix numerous issues but also present a massive amount of new content. The Heart of Azeroth will finally be a real artifact, the companion system is supposed to be expanded and improved, and two new zones (Naz’jatar and Mechagon) promise a lot to do.
If the related story fits, it will probably be one of the best patches ever – an expectation that many players are currently sharing on Reddit.
Are you looking forward to patch 8.2? Or have you turned away from WoW and will only return for the next expansion?
