In Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, the next patch might actually be the last one if only two raid tiers are planned.
Currently, there are indications that the next raid in World of Warcraft, the Hellfire Citadel, could also be the last of the expansion. Before the expansion, Blizzard mentioned wanting to lessen the “gap” between expansions. Last time there were challenges; many newcomers were on the team, stuff had to be done twice, and time was running out.
This time they want to leave less time between expansions. This could also indicate that they are planning only three raids in two raid tiers. The second raid tier could then take place about 6 or 7 months after the launch, as was mentioned back at Gamescom 2014. To make a raid tier work, it takes about 4 or 5 months. Otherwise, it feels too rushed . If they want to move forward quickly with the next expansion, there might not be any time for three raid tiers.
In this case, a raid tier refers to: several raids that are approximately equal in gear level, share epic sets, and are released relatively close together.
What took time in development this time is charmingly hidden in the game. In the garrison, there is a tombstone that reads “Ray D. Tear,” buried as the third raid tier. A wink-and-nod hint: The garrison took so much time that we would normally have made a third raid tier. How seriously that is meant is hard to say.
If you calculate now, you will see that indeed: In November Warlords of Draenor launched; a bit later, the first raid Highmaul began. The second raid, the Blackrock Foundry (also in the first raid tier), followed in February. Currently, the third raid is on the test server: The Hellfire Citadel. It might be released in June/July.
What should come afterward?
Experts from Blizzard fan sites like Blizzardwatch believe: It could really be that this is already the end. After the Hellfire Citadel, the majority of the “big villains” of the expansion will probably be dealt with. But maybe not all will be caught.
The Tanaan Jungle is the last free zone on the continent. The legendary quest has come to an end. What should come afterward, one wonders?
Even at the release, it was noticeable that the so-called supervillains of Warlords of Draenor were taken out remarkably quickly. Former stars of the Warcraft universe ended up as snacks at the end of a 5-man instance or as warm-up bosses in a raid.
Looking at the schedule, some calculate that it looks favorable for the “This is the last raid” theory. In June/July, the last patch for Warlords of Draenor, then perhaps an announcement of the next big WoW expansion at Gamescom in August. 6-7 months of planning, and then you would be done around March 2016. By then, the WoW movie is also expected to come out.
Then there would be approximately 17-18 months between Warlords of Draenor and the next expansion. Between the last raid of the old expansion and the new expansion, approximately 9 months. That would still fit into Blizzard’s plan with some grumbling. They recently admitted that 13 months, like with Draenor, is definitely too long. Depending on how big the last raid will be, 6-7 months is already fine. And the Hellfire Citadel is expected to be quite large.
The date for the movie has now been postponed. We will see whether and how this affects Blizzard’s plans. Currently, some fear that Warlords of Draenor could become a “mid-expansion” while Blizzard shifts to a faster 18-month rhythm for expansions.
Or will there still be a fourth raid for the Warlords of Draenor?
Spoiler Warning: Those who want to be surprised by the next raid should stop reading here.
The alternative schedule would foresee a third raid tier at the end of 2015, which solves the last remaining threads left by 6.2 and gives players something to do. In the past, however, there have been such hopes before: Blizzard can’t really keep us waiting so long without new content … but we know how that ended. Yes, they could. However, there are also examples of “closure raids,” a kind of final stone for the expansions, which were not expected. But these are actually relics from the early days of WoW.
However, it is still speculation until we know more. Once 6.2 is deployed, it will be evident whether new questions arise or if this will be a conclusion to the story of the Warlords of Draenor. There is a glimmer of hope: The announced final boss Grommash Hellscream does not appear in the description for the Hellfire Citadel (though his fate is uncertain anyway). The puppeteer Gul’Dan in the background is also not intended as a boss. However, there are theories that he could be dealt with “off-screen” during the boss fight against Archimonde.
The question remains: What should come after 6.2? What do you think?
