Dungeons in World of Warcraft can soon be visited alone. You will no longer need players – and WoW will become a single-player game.
World of Warcraft has announced the upcoming content, which is set to be released before the new expansion “The War Within” – because Dragonflight is not the end. Even though Amirdrassil was the last raid, there is still new story and even some brand new features. One of these is likely to raise eyebrows, as it questions the core of MMORPGs: From now on, you can visit dungeons with NPCs and no longer need real players.
You can watch the trailer for the current patch 10.2 Guardians of Dreams here:
What has been announced? The dungeons of Dragonflight can now also be completed solo or only in groups of 2-4 players at normal difficulty – as World of Warcraft simply replaces the missing players with bots or NPCs. These will fulfill all roles necessary for a group – whether it be a tank, healer, DPS characters, or several of them.
Blizzard calls this “companion dungeons” and states in the official announcement:
Play as a tank, healer, or damage class alongside NPC companions who will join you on your adventures. They will be available for all eight normal dungeons of Dragonflight and can range from 1 to 4 player characters. These companions allow players to explore the dungeons of Dragonflight at their own pace, providing the freedom to experiment with group composition and personalize it.
This mode is only for “normal” dungeons. A version for heroic or even mythic dungeons does not seem to be planned so far. For these (and the resulting loot), human support is needed.
More about Patch 10.2.5: Seed of Renewal can be found here.
Why is Blizzard doing this? The biggest benefit is likely for new and returning players who have not yet gathered dungeon experience. Thanks to the NPCs, these dungeons will be a testing ground where you can experience the dungeons without being subjected to the stress of other players. Because especially the normal dungeons are often only used for leveling, and there is stress and tempo there – as it is all about earning maximum XP. Those who want to try something new here or want to play “in peace” will quickly be kicked from a group.
This is especially important because Dragonflight will be the new “level extension” – new heroes will no longer need to quest in Battle for Azeroth but will instead play on the Dragon Isles.
At the same time, it allows everyone who wants to experience the full story of the leveling areas to do so completely alone, without having to join groups.
However, it is also likely that Blizzard is using this feature as a testing ground to see how it will be received. Because a similar mechanic will probably also be used in the “Delves” where you will also be accompanied by NPCs.
