Demons, Raids, and New Planets – in 2017, players can expect many innovations in World of Warcraft .
The new year has finally begun and is sure to be much better than the hated year 2016. Well, at least in the case of World of Warcraft, Blizzard should just stay the course because the content of Legion has been well received by fans. But is it already over with the Karazhan Patch 7.1? What else does Legion have in store for us in 2017? We want to address these questions with an article.
WoW: Patch 7.1.5 – Little Things That Make Life Easier
Relatively soon, perhaps even during the first or second full week of January, players can look forward to the small “interim patch” 7.1.5 . Although it only has a small number, it is filled with content that primarily aims to improve gameplay quality and experience, rather than just pure “content”.
Twinking will be significantly easier, as “high” characters can now grant artifact knowledge to their lower-level counterparts. Up to 15 knowledge levels can be obtained with a single click if the corresponding main character is far enough along.
Those who enjoy a vibrant world will likely indulge in the Micro-Holiday Events. These are small celebrations all over Azeroth that do not bring special rewards but enliven the game world and are meant to provide experiences where mere participation is reward enough. If one is not interested, they can simply ignore the events.
On top of that, a large adjustment wave is waiting for nearly all classes. Balance is being tinkered with everywhere, and especially secondary stats will be recalculated so that “critical hit rating”, “haste”, and “mastery” should soon be more on par than they currently are.
Patch 7.2 – The Tomb of Sargeras
The developers have also provided fairly specific explanations regarding what to expect in Patch 7.2. The Broken Shore, which has previously only served as a scenario and is currently inhabited by overwhelming demons, is introduced as a playable area. The forces of Azeroth will establish a base there and begin to reclaim the island piece by piece. However, the battle there is only half the story, as true calamity awaits in the Tomb of Sargeras, from which the demons flood into our world.
Players can expect the fresh raid instance Tomb of Sargeras and the 5-player dungeon The Cathedral of Eternal Night. At the end of the raid, players will face none other than Kil’Jaeden himself – one of the highest commanders of the dark titan Sargeras.
Moreover, Patch 7.2 also brings the long-awaited ability to finally fly in the Broken Isles. And if that’s not enough, players will receive a unique mount as part of the continuation of the class campaign. Each class receives a specific mount, which in some cases even changes colors depending on the specialization. For shadow priests, the owl becomes significantly darker, and fire mages leave flames in their wake – it should all be cohesive, right?
However, there are also many small things making their way into Patch 7.2. The Legion has resumed its invasions and is targeting the Broken Isles – the popular “pre-event” of Legion is thus returning in a new form.
Patch 7.3 – Assault on Argus
Lastly, we have tentatively set Patch 7.3 as “for 2017”, even if Blizzard has not yet provided final confirmation. However, since they promised to regularly add content, 7.3 would ideally be ready by late autumn – potentially between October and December.
As has already been announced, players will not only be taken to a completely new area but rather to a completely foreign planet: Argus. However, this is not a leveling zone, but “only” an endgame area for level 110. Since Argus is steeped in lore – after all, it is the home planet of the Eredar and thus the Draenei as well – we can look forward to exciting quest lines.
What Happens Next?
Everything after Patch 7.3 – such as a return to Azeroth, where the next disaster (keyword: N’Zoth and Azshara) surely awaits – will likely be a topic for 2018. It is possible that with 7.3, “already” the end is reached, and a new expansion will come for the following year. In any case, Legion will have fulfilled its purpose – but first, the developers must deliver and fill 2017 with plenty of content.
