Once again, information about the upcoming addon for World of Warcraft has been leaked. Is there truth to it, or is it just a cleverly crafted deception?
Numerous details regarding the supposed upcoming WoW addon were published a few days ago in the notorious internet forum 4chan. While the information was immediately deleted elsewhere, German gaming sites legitimized these leaks with extensive reporting. But what does it say? And how much truth is there to it? We sent our WoW expert Cortyn on the hot trail.
The Dark Prophet leads into the South Sea
If one is to trust the user “Secret”, under whose name material related to Warlords of Draenor was also leaked, then the upcoming expansion is titled “The Dark Prophet”. Players will return from Draenor and must confront the renewed threat from the Naga and trolls – and explore the last unknown territory of Azeroth, the South Sea Islands, while leveling up to 110.
The Story: Trolls and Naga want to flood the world
The main antagonist of the new addon is said to be Zul (the eponymous “dark prophet”), who has simply overthrown the previous Troll King Rastakhan. He allies himself with the former Night Elf Queen Azshara, who rules over the forces of the Naga. The Naga intend to raise sea levels in order to flood the continents of Azeroth.
While WoD primarily dealt with the Draenei and Orcs, The Dark Prophet is said to focus on Night Elves and Trolls – which is already evident from the shared history of Naga and Night Elves.
For this reason, the two main characters are Malfurion and Vol’jin. Vol’jin is (once again) offered to be part of the great, new troll empire but remains loyal to the Horde, thus gaining a bit more life than before. Nothing is said about Malfurion, but it would make sense for him to connect with the Naga storyline, after all, Azshara and Malfurion are old acquaintances.
New Class: The Shadowstalker
The new class is said to be the Shadowstalker, a ranged fighter heavily reliant on spells. He can be played as a damage dealer but also as a healer, strongly resembling the Arcane Archer from WildStar. The new class is said to be available to all races except for Tauren, Draenei, and Pandaren and will start at level 1 in a traditional manner. However, those who purchase the addon can create a Shadowstalker directly at level 100.
New Zones – Bananas and Beach Fun
As befits a South Sea addon, Tel’Abim Island must not be missed, where among other things, bananas grow in WoW. The peaceful faction of the Sunstrider Trolls is dealing with a new pygmy race, and players help them in the process. Kul Tiras is the starting area for the Alliance and could move Jaina’s story forward, after all, the seafaring race of her family was once loyal and currently rules itself. In the endgame, it will then go to “the Rift“, where the Naga have their capital Nazjatar, the remnants of the former elf metropolis Zin’Azshari.
In total, there are said to be 8 new zones each with 2-3 instances. A big goal compared to Warlords of Draenor.
The Ship – the mobile Garrison?
During the quest series, players will be able to build a ship and subsequently steer it to navigate between the different areas of the addon. Various pirates can be hired as crew members and fulfill different positions on the ship. A cook, for example, can grant you access to the best recipes or wield the peeling knife for you. Depending on the chosen crew, your advantages will differ from those of other players – much like the buildings in the garrison.
Cortyn’s Opinion: Meh …
I don’t know exactly what to make of these leaks. On the one hand, there are good ideas in there, on the other hand, questions arise that cannot be resolved at first glance. The capital of the trolls was destroyed by the Cataclysm and sinks, even now, further into the sea. As a logical consequence, the trolls ally with the Naga to raise the water level even more so that trolls also lose their last habitat – Huh? Either the trolls on the South Sea Islands are really smoking some strong stuff, or the Naga must have had some damn good arguments…
What annoys me the most is that this all seems completely detached from the rest of the storyline. The Burning Legion, Khadgar, Gul’dan, and all that seems to play no role anymore, as if it were just a filler episode in a bad anime.
It also seems that Sylvanas’ plot is still on ice, and that was already started in WotLK – it’s time for the Forsaken’s breakthrough. I am definitely very skeptical and will doubt these leaks until there is serious evidence – and arguments that address the logic errors.
But take a look at the leaks yourselves and form your own impression.
