World of Warcraft developer Blizzard has announced a new expansion for its long-running massively multiplayer online fantasy game. Warlords of Draenor – which returns to the beginnings of the WoW mythology – adds a brand new area to the vast map, introduces new enemy types and raises the level cap to 100. Players will also be able to build and upgrade their own garrisons. Fresh zones, dungeons, raids, scenarios and battlegrounds are also promised.
The unveiling of the new content took place amid the chaos of the company's annual fan event, Blizzcon. "We thought, what if those dark days could come again, what if those vicious villains could threaten our homes again. The conflict coming will be the Alliance's finest hour," said Chris Metzen, senior VP or story and franchise development.
Although plot details were not revealed in depth, the narrative returns players to the world of Draenor, home of the orcs and refuge of the draenei. Fabled antagonists Grommash Hellscream, Blackhand and Ner'zhul will all figure highly. "Warlords of Draenor gives players a chance to take a commanding role in one of the Warcraft series' most crucial conflicts," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This expansion also includes features that make it easy for anyone to jump right into the action, whether they've played WoW at some point in the past or are just setting foot in Azeroth for the first time."
To welcome newer players, each participant will be able to boost one character to level 90 from the outset. Ensuring that relative novices are as enthused as veteran players is a key concern for the developer. Recently it was revealed that subscription numbers have fallen by 100,000 in the last three months, to 7.6 million. The game peaked at 12 million subscribers in 2010.
In a press release sent out after the event, Blizzard also announced that Warlords of Draenor will introduce revamped player character models and animations, bringing legacy races like orcs and humans up to the graphical fidelity of newer arrivals. Furthermore, questing improvements are being implemented, which are, according to the release, "designed to encourage exploration and add unpredictability to players' ongoing adventures."
Away from WoW, Blizzard used the Blizzcon opening event to show more of Heroes of the Storm, a multiplayer arena battle game for PC featuring characters from Starcraft, World of Warcraft and Diablo. Audience members cheered loudly when design director Dustin Browder revealed that popular warriors like Arthas, Kerrigan and Diablo are all playable. There's no release date yet, but the beta test is now live.
The developer's CEO Rob Pardo also took to the stage to announce that much-anticipated card trading game, Hearthstone, will be coming to Android and iOS as well as PC and Mac. The title's smartphone versions are in development but no release date was confirmed. Also, the PC/Mac open beta will be beginning in December – "Although knowing Blizzard it will be more like January," Pardo joked. Attendees were also given a limited edition Elite Tauran Chieftan card, named after the Blizzard in-house band, who write and perform WoW-themed songs.
More details are expected during the rest of the Blizzon event.
