Once again, it is time for a new part of the Artcraft series from Blizzard, which this time features the male representatives of the Humans. Of course, this faction will also receive a graphical overhaul in the upcoming expansion of World of Warcraft. Especially for the Humans, it was high time, as the comparison images impressively demonstrate. Moreover, there are new updates from the Alpha server, where changes to the character models of the Draenei have become visible.
Blizzard’s elaborate re-modeling project continues
Over the years, the graphics of the game have improved significantly, new races have been introduced that have more polygons and expressions than the original races, to the point where they felt like outsiders in the world of Azeroth, somewhat like Simpsons characters in an anime. Therefore, Blizzard decided that with the upcoming expansion Warlords of Draenor, all old races would be brought up to the level of the newly introduced Pandaren race. This proved to be much more time-consuming than expected, which is why it is still unclear which races and genders will look better at the launch of the expansion, which is said to come “in the fall”.
As usual, the updates on the male Humans were presented by Chris Robinson, the Art Director of World of Warcraft. The update for the latest models is centered around the motto “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Of course, Blizzard has made great efforts to ensure that the original feel and fundamentals of the male Humans remain intact.
How do you like the new look of the strong gender of Humans? Do the facial features remind you of Shrek in any way?
Some models in alpha test
As Robinson hinted, some models of the revised factions of World of Warcraft will soon be visible in an Alpha version of the next expansion.
So said, so done: Images of male Humans and Draenei have now appeared on the Alpha servers, although in the case of the Draenei, they are still “raw versions” that could be changed. Even with these pics, it is evident that Blizzard’s plans – as usual – are coming together: The essence, the soul of the characters, remains intact compared to the original versions; visually, however, they fit better into the new world.
Blizzard is therefore paying more attention to the “essence” of the character because they are aware of how strongly players identify with their avatars and that they react allergically to “larger” changes. Blizzard has never received such angry letters as they did when they changed the ears of a Night Elf model in a patch.
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