During theWorld of Warcraftexpansion reveal livestream, Blizzard finally unveiled the ambitiousWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflight. Players will be returning to Azeroth after spending the last couple of years in the afterlife.Shadowlandswas a pretty controversial expansion, with many citing issues with the borrowed power systems and storytelling, soDragonflightis Blizzard’s chance to pull people back to the 18-year-old MMO.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflightwill whisk playersto the shrouded Dragon Isles for an adventure that is seemingly disconnected from previous expansions, like howMists of Pandariawas disconnected fromCataclysm.Players will once again be allying with the Dragon Aspects as they attempt to retake their sacred homeland from an emerging villain.Dragonflightis set to shake up much of theWorld of Warcraftformula in hopes that it can revitalize the game.
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A Brand-New Class/Race Hybird Called Dracthyr
One of the largest features to come withDragonflightis the class and race hybrid known as Dracthyr. It has been two expansions sinceWorld of Warcraftreceived a new class, and the Dracthyr seem to be taking this concept to the next level. They will be similar to Worgen, except instead of turning into a wolf they will turn into a humanoid dragon, and they will be the only race able to play as the brand-new Evokers. It is the first time thatBlizzard has introduced a hybrid race/class like this, and time will tell if it benefits the game.
This will be the third hero class to be introduced followingthe Death Knightsand the Demon Hunters. They will begin appearing at level 58 and have their own unique starting zone in the Dragon Isles, having a host of new customization features for both their humanoid and dragon forms. The Evokers will have two different specializations: Devastation Evokers will use the powers of the red and blue dragonflights to unleash damage on their enemies, while Preservation Evokers will use the powers of the bronze and green dragonflights to heal the wounds of their allies. Players will be able to choose if their Dracthyr will join the Horde or Alliance.
The Dragon Isles
Players will spendthe majority of their time inDragonflighton the new set of zones called the Dragon Isles. These islands are the ancient home of the dragonflights, and are comprised of five different zones. Four of these zones will be used as the leveling zones of the expansion, and the fifth zone will serve as the aforementioned starting zone for the Dracthyr. Each will be unique and allow the player to delve further into the history of the dragonflights.
Players will start in the Waking Shores, which serves as the ancestral home of the black dragonflight. The land is untamed and filled with opportunity, so the Horde and Alliance will team up with The Explorer’s League and The Reliquary to learn more. Once they make it through the Waking Shores, players will enter the open Ohn’ahran Plains, which is the home of the green dragonflight and the centaur. After aiding the centaur, players will head to Azure Span, which is one of the biggest zones inWorld of Warcraftto date; a vast forest inspired by Grizzly Hills where players will aid the blue dragonflight and the Tuskarr. The final leveling zone is called Thaldraszus, the seat of power for the dragonflights and home of the expansion’s main hub, Valdrakken.
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Dragonriding
Another major feature ofDragonflightwill be Dragonriding. Players ally themselves with the dragonflights and learn how to fly through the air like never before. They will level up their dragonriding skill throughout the zones and learn how to utilize their momentum to soar through the skies of the Dragon Isles. Alongside this feature, players will be able to fully customize new dragon mounts to their liking, They will have full control over the snouts, horns, tails, armor, and more.
Professions Revamp
Players have been leveling upprofessions ever sinceWorld of Warcraftstarted, but recently many have felt lackluster. Blizzard plans to shake things up and make professions worth the time and effort again, in-part by introducing a new feature called Crafting Orders. Instead of spamming chat, players will be able to request other players craft something for them. Players will be able to send this order to everyone, a specific person, or just to their guild members. This mechanic will let players be hired by other players, opening another way to earn gold.
Professions will also be able to craft Soulbound items for other people, whereas beforeDragonflightplayers needed to have the profession if they wanted to craft Soulbound items.Blizzard is also introducing crafting qualityto all crafted gear, with the higher the quality the better an item will be. Players will be able to select specific crafting specializations that they can level up by completing various activities, and crafting tables are set up within Valdrakken so crafters do not have to go far. Blizzard hopes that these additions makes professions viable again, allowing players to build their own in-game business.
The Return of Talent Trees
Back inMists of Pandaria,the talent system inWorld of Warcraftwas reworked. Blizzard removed talent trees and replaced them with the current system, which proved very controversial. WIthDragonflight, Blizzard is returning to the talent tree system and bringing a new level of customization for classes. While leveling, players will be able to allocate points into two separate talent trees: one for class utility, the other for a specialization. This feature will allow players to better cater their power to the role they want to play.
Blizzard will also let players freely change the talents they select and save different loadouts. A set of talents may be great in a raid but not as great in PvP, so Blizzard will allow players to load up different sets on the fly. These trees look to be far more customizable than the current system, and should be a hit for those players who have wanted deeper control over their power.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis preparing to bringWorld of Warcraftback to its rootsand give players more customization. While not all the pre-reveal rumors were true, the ninth expansion seems to be taking a step in the right direction. Players will have to wait for more information as Blizzard continues development onDragonflight, but it is off to a decent start.
