The final video from the raid of World of Warcraft Patch 9.1 was not well received by many. There is fierce discussion.
Even beforehand, it was predicted that the cinematic for the finale of the raid “Sanctum of Domination” would divide the player base and be discussed controversially. And – not surprisingly – it turned out exactly like that. However, how big the dissatisfaction within the player base actually is can also be well seen from the ratings on YouTube, as the video performs quite poorly there.
Spoiler warning: This article discusses the outcome of the raid “Sanctum of Domination”. Those who do not want to be spoiled should not continue reading.
What does the video show? In the video, we see the end of the raid Sanctum of Domination. The Jailer achieves his goal, gets the final seal, and becomes whole again. He explains that he wants to create a new reality in which everyone serves him. This triggers a change of heart in Sylvanas. She realizes that the Jailer is not adhering to the common plan and is pursuing his own goals.
Sylvanas stands against Zovaal, but he simply stops her. Before he disappears, he returns a part of her soul that was taken from her earlier. The video ends with an unconscious Sylvanas and the heroes of Azeroth approaching her threateningly.
What are the YouTube ratings? Predominantly negative. At the current moment (07.07.2021, 15:15), there are about 3,200 positive ratings against over 7,300 negative ones. Roughly speaking, 70% of the people who rated the video feel negatively about it. Accordingly, the video is mostly discussed with negative and sometimes nasty comments.
What are people saying: Mainly the critics vent their frustration under the video, sometimes quite unsubstantiated. Many comments like the following are accumulating:
- “The only ‘redemption arc’ we need is for the story writing team of WoW.”
- “The Jailer wants to reshape reality because even he knows how poorly it is written.”
- “I really feel sorry that you all waited nearly 8 months for this.”
- “Chris Metzen, please come back.”
- “It’s fantastic that the official story has turned into a bad Sylvanas fanfiction.”
- “Me, after playing Warlords of Draenor: Well, the story writing can’t get ANY worse.
Me now: Surprised Pikachu face”
However, there are also some players who found the video quite good and are looking forward to the further development of the story.
- “This is… better than I expected. Zovaal also looks really cool!”
- “How can you find this ‘cringe’? Sylvanas has always strived for freedom, so it makes perfect sense that she doesn’t want to end up as Zovaal’s slave.”
- “As expected, he [Zovaal] had a fragment of her soul. I love that!”
- “You guys really need to relax and enjoy the story. I thought it was really cool.”
- “I mean, everything pointed to the story going in this direction. It’s kind of weird to be upset about it now. I’m satisfied.”
Many nasty memes: Also in the World of Warcraft subreddit, there is lively discussion about the video. As is usual on Reddit, there are already plenty of memes that could best be described as “mean.” Here are some of the highlights with the most upvotes, like the one from matijwow:
Also popular is the one from Thirteenera:
But now let’s get to you! How did you find the video? Do you think it’s as bad as the people in the comments say? Do you believe the story of WoW has turned into a bad fanfiction and is no longer as good as it used to be? Or do you enjoy the story and like the developments of the last cinematics?
