The year 2019 for WoW can only be described as “wild”. A crazy journey between the lows and highs of the game.
The year 2019 is coming to an end, and it is time for a few little reflections. Especially Blizzard’s MMORPG World of Warcraft experienced a lot of ups and downs in 2019. We will look back at the past year and see what has become of World of Warcraft – and how it will continue in the future.
The year 2019 for WoW – Many Turbulences and little beauty
At least for “Retail” WoW, meaning Battle for Azeroth, the year 2019 was not a particularly good year. The first hype about the latest expansion had already faded in the first months of the year, and critiques of the existing systems became louder. The Azerite system was unpopular, and dissatisfaction with the many RNG mechanics peaked. Especially Titanforging was a thorn in the side of many players.
But there were even more issues. The criticism of Battle for Azeroth became more pronounced, and more and more grievances were highlighted. Many new systems, such as the Warfronts or Island Expeditions, seemed half-heartedly implemented into the game and scarcely fit into the overall concept of the expansion.
They were unfinished, and especially Island Expeditions were so unpopular with many players that Blizzard had to massively overhaul them to put them into a somewhat acceptable state.
Small content addition with Patch 8.1.5: With Patch 8.1.5, World of Warcraft in March introduced the “Crucible of Storms”, which brought the connection between the story of the conflict between Horde and Alliance and the fight against the Old God N’Zoth and Azshara. Shadow Priests were thrilled about a reunion with the weapon Xal’atath, which even played an important role in the story.
Aside from that, there was little to do in Patch 8.1.5, leading to growing unrest among players. Reports piled up everywhere, stating that many players had hung up their WoW accounts. The cities became emptier and emptier. On social media and official forums, players showed their friends lists and complained that most friends had already turned their backs on WoW.
Patch 8.2 brought a brief uplift: When Patch 8.2 was released in July, it provided Battle for Azeroth with a new boost. Blizzard had adjusted many aspects and reduced the requirements for Azerite armor. It was no longer necessary to farm a high level of the Heart of Azeroth just to be able to wear armor. At the same time, the patch offered a comprehensive raid with the “Eternal Palace” and many contents and long-term goals with the two areas Mechagon and Nazjatar.
Especially the race for the “World First Kill” of Queen Azshara managed to attract many viewers.
Patch 8.2 also introduced the system of Essences into the game. These improved the Heart of Azeroth even further and granted players new passive abilities. Obtaining the best abilities required time, endurance, or skill.
However, this very system was quickly criticized by players. It was practically impossible to play alt characters at a solid level. Anyone wanting to do so had to repeat the grind for the essences for each character. A problem that still persists today.
The release of WoW Classic: The big highlight of the year was definitely the release of World of Warcraft Classic in August. It had been long awaited by fans and everyone rushed to the servers at launch. Whether long-lost players or the current retail community, nearly everyone wanted to take a look at the Classic realms and at least played along in the first weeks.
This catapulted WoW Classic to 1st place on Twitch even before its release and even led to the largest increase in subscribers that WoW has ever seen in its history. A resounding success.
However, this shine did not last forever. Already in October, after a large part of the players had reached level 60, discontented voices were raised. The mentality of the community seemed to have changed. Many were no longer focused on fun, but on optimization.
BlizzCon 2019 sparked optimism: At least for the “Retail” version of World of Warcraft, BlizzCon in November offered many new insights. Here, the next expansion “Shadowlands” was announced, taking players to the realm of the dead. Besides the “usual suspects,” such as new areas, world quests, and factions, Shadowlands will discard some concepts and bring innovations. These include:
- No more grinding for artifact power
- Level squish to level 60
- Repeatable endgame content like the Tower of Torghast
- Many new customization options
They addressed the criticism from fans, and the first impression seems to be that Shadowlands aims to improve much of what Battle for Azeroth failed at.
Conclusion – 2019 was a wild year for WoW
In summary, 2019 was a pretty turbulent year for WoW with many lows but also one very prominent highlight. One can look hopefully optimistic towards the future. If Blizzard learns from the setbacks, WoW – in both versions – could be on a good path.
And what comes in 2020 for World of Warcraft?
Fortunately, World of Warcraft is far from over. In 2020, there will be plenty of new content, especially a fresh expansion and still pending content for WoW Classic.
New patch right at the start of the year: In the new year, the Patch 8.3 Visions of N’Zoth will be released early in January after many months on the PTR. It expands the game with a new raid and smaller game modes like the Horrific Visions.
But also new mechanics, such as the Corruption system or the legendary cloak are coming into play. However, some remnants from Patch 8.2 are dampening the mood.
Expansion still in 2020: The next expansion “Shadowlands” is also set to launch in 2020. While there is no release date yet, fall seems to be a suitable timeframe (thus Quarter 4). Here, a new chapter of World of Warcraft will begin, hopefully resonating more with players than the expansion “Battle for Azeroth”. Because such a long dry spell might break WoW’s neck.
Before that, however, there will likely be a closed beta, probably starting in late spring or summer. Then, fresh information will likely pour in.
And what about Classic? For WoW Classic, the releases of the various phases are still outstanding. Content like Ahn’Qiraj or Naxxramas with the Scourge invasions will still come. What happens after the original content is implemented remains uncertain. However, it will likely take at least another six months to reach that state.
How did you find WoW’s performance in 2019? What are you looking forward to in 2020?
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