We also learned about the Battle for Azeroth Release Date and Collector's Edition! Learn more about the BFA release date here and the special CE rewards here. We also had an interview with Muffinus which you can find here.

Event Highlights

Mag'har Orcs and Dark Iron Dwarf Allied Races will be available after completing the Battle for Azeroth War Campaign. The Kul Tiran Human and Zandalari Troll Allied Races will be unlocked later in the expansion, after they respectively join the Alliance and the Horde.

The BFA alpha is lasting longer than alphas for past expansions. This is because the beta is treated as an opportunity to polish features now, and not all features are visible on the Alpha yet.

The pre-patch will let players experience the Burning of Teldrassil and Battle for Lordaeron.

There are six emissaries planned for each faction. Three for your home continent, two neutral factions (Tortollan and Voice of Azeroth), and a War Faction solely with quests on the enemy continent.

Battle of Azeroth is advertised as a faction conflict, but Ion's final words hinted that more is in store! "Battle for Azeroth will be fought between the Horde and Alliance, but Battle for Azeroth is also a battle to save Azeroth.

8.0 Pre-Patch

Pre-patch is likely a few weeks before the actual expansion, similar to past expansion schedules. Ion said not to quote him directly on this, nothing is official.

The pre-patch will contain content allowing players to experience the Burning of Teldrassil and Battle of Lordaeron. For example, there will be content in Darkshore - story-driven quest content and replayable outdoor skirmishes. We've datamined mounts themed around the Night Elves and Forsaken which could likely tie in to this event.

Through an awesome animated piece, which includes the two pieces of art we've previously seen, you'll learn how Teldrassil catches on fire.

Horde Cinematic

At the start of the cinematic, Nathanos and Zul stand on the docks of a Zandalari ship, while Talanji conducts a ritual below.



Nathanos: It appears the Alliance dogs have lost our scent.

Zul: Good...Our journey is almost over.

Nathanos: I hope the Warchief's faith is well-placed.

Zul: She seems very powerful, certain, in control.

Nathanos: It is an honor to serve my queen.

Zul: My princess is also strong-willed and sure of herself. Our King has always found her to be...challenging.



We then cut to Talanji's ritual.



Talanji: Oh mighty Rezan...as always, you come when I ask your aid.

Rezan: Speak and I will listen.

Talanji: I have sought the aid of the Horde, but my father may not agree with my actions. Advise! You are the loa of kings.

Rezan: My eyes see much....They see your boldness, your power, and enemies who fear both. And those who seek your demise are here!



We then see the Alliance fleet closing in on the Horde ship. Talanji walks out onto the top of the deck and casts a mighty spell, summoning Rezan!



As Rezan is summoned, a thick fog forms surrounding the Horde and Alliance ships. He then charges into the sails of the Horde ship, becoming a powerful wind in their sails and propelling them forward, breaking through the fog. Talanji then sees the shores of Zuldazar and the Zandalari army readying their turrets at her signal. Eventually the Alliance ships finally catch up and break through the fog and are attacked by the Zandalari turrets who were ready for them.



Talanji: We are home.





Press Event Recap

The expansion is heavily motivated by faction conflict. We do what we do for the Horde, or for the Alliance. First question you ask someone that plays WoW is "Alliance or Horde?"

After the events of Teldrassil and Lordaeron, we reach out to the two famous naval empires - Kul Tiras for the Alliance and Zandalari for the Horde.

As you quest on your faction's continent (Kul Tiras or Zandalar), you periodically visit the other continent as part of the War Campaign. This will tell the story of the Alliance and Horde conflict.

At 120, the entire world opens up as an end-game space, doubling the amount of space for end-game content.

Island Expeditions draws upon lessons learned past content like scenarios and keystone dungeons. This is replayable content for small groups.

Warfronts are about large-scale war on the homefront. The first one is set in Stormgarde, a key tactical location for both factions. They are heavily inspired by the RTS genre.

The Heart of Azeroth system is the successor to the Artifact system. As we explore the world, players level up amulets. This lets us power up several pieces of gear with customization options to suit different playstyles.

In the last five years, Blizzard has shifted their approach to storytelling. Each expansion used to be a distinct story. Now the stories flow together better between expansions. For example, Sargeras' attack at the end of Legion brought fought the Azerite that's so important in Battle for Azeroth.

The standard of storytelling has also increased due to lots of cinematics and cutscenes.

The Alliance and Horde intro scenarios were then recapped, which set the stage for us watching the Horde cinematic!

We then learned about Islands from Game Designer Jeremy Feasel and Producer Daniel Stahl.

The Collector's Edition items were revealed, as well as the release date for Battle for Azeroth! We've covered this information in several posts - Collector's Edition and Battle for Azeroth Release Date.

Island Expeditions Presentation

The goal of an Island Expedition is to gain Azerite. It used by the Alliance and Horde as a weapon of war. The Azerite on the Islands comes from crystals to treasure chests to rare spawns.

There is meant to be a sense of exploration - you are limited as to what you can see based on your visibility. You must explore the landscape to find more Azerite.

Unlike lots of spawning patterns in WoW, nothing in Island Expeditions in static. There are hundreds of locations with many things which can show up.

Events can also occur during Islands, such as randomly-spawning Azerite.

The hostile NPCs on the Islands are after the Azerite as well, such as the Naga and Elemental Lords.

You are also racing against the enemy faction, comprised of super-smart advanced NPCs. They have more abilities than you expect from a creature in WoW, and they can play their class well!

It's lots of fun creating the advanced NPCs and giving them distinctive personalities with backstories and wacky abilities.

These NPCs also have unique tactical elements--ranging from playing aggressively to very defensive.

You never know what NPCs you'll face when you queue up for an Island.

There are four Island difficulties - Normal, Heroic, Mythic...and PvP.

A lot of the creatures on the island are difficult to solo, but are killable using certain consumables and items found on the Island.

This is role-agnostic content, you don't need a tank or a healer.

Group Q&A

Key Art

Press Images

Concept Art