What you need to know
- World of Warcraft is a legendary 20-year-old MMORPG from Blizzard Entertainment, now owned by Microsoft.
- The game is gearing up for its latest expansion, The War Within, with a range of new trailers detailing the game's characters and story setting.
- This latest trailer showcases Alleria Windrunner, who wields dangerous void magic to combat the various threats facing the game's world of Azeroth.
- The trailer has led to calls for Warcraft to explore an animated feature show in the vein of Netflix's League of Legends "Arcane."
On August 26, 2024, World of Warcraft drops its latest expansion: The War Within.
World of Warcraft remains the world's most successful subscription-based MMORPG, serving millions of players across a variety of game modes, including WoW: Classic and Season of Discovery. World of Warcraft's headline act is its "retail" portion, which continues the game's storyline which has been ongoing for literally 20 years. World of Warcraft: The War Within kickstarts a brand new saga, which Blizzard has formally named "Worldsoul" for the first time. The saga will take place across three expansions over the next several years, but the first will focus on an underground region called Khaz'Algar.
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We recently were treated to a trailer showcasing Xal'atath, the new "villain" who has taken center stage in the overarching World of Warcraft storyline. The self-proclaimed "Harbinger" has begun wreaking havoc across Azeroth, and major political figures have started hearing a piercing cry coming from within the very planet. One of those figures is Alleria Windrunner, who has become increasingly prominent in the overarching plot.
Late yesterday, Blizzard dropped a new animated trailer focusing on Alleria's back story, and the complicated relationship she has with the corrupting forces of the Void.
The Void is source of shadow magic generally associated with evil, but some characters (including Warlocks, Rogues, and Shadow Priest players) have managed to harness the energy and wield it as a weapon. Other practitioners are shown to lose their sanity. Famously, the former dragon Aspect of Earth Neltharion was driven mad by the Void, transforming into the apocalyptic mutant dragon Deathwing.
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Indeed, shadow users of all stripes are still generally met with suspicion and even derision in the World of Warcraft universe. The Horde expelled a sect of Void researchers, who eventually settled in with the Alliance, adding playable "Void Elves" to the character roster. Their leader is the afforementioned Alleria Windrunner, who unleashed the powers of the Void. Those who infuse their abilities with shadow magic run the risk of losing their very sanity. Alleria's own husband Turalyon, a Paladin of the Holy Light, is shown to be devastated in the trailer by her usage of the power. Alleria is convinced that using the Void is the only way to actually combat the forces of the Void itself.
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A darker tone we've not seen from Warcraft in years
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Coupled with the recent Xal'atath trailer, it feels like Blizzard is trying to ramp up the idea that the Void isn't this fluffy blue sparkle magic that it could be misconstrued as if you've played through recent expansions. Xal'atath's expressions and movements have a definitive horror tone to them here, reminiscent of the ghost in The Ring.
I feel like World of Warcraft pulled away from the darker notes after backlash to the infamous burning of Teldrassil. Blizzard has also de-emphasized the war between the Horde and the Alliance player factions, partially for gameplay reasons so players can play more together. I would personally argue that World of Warcraft has lost some of its identity, perhaps unintentionally so.
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The new trailers could be a hint that Blizzard is willing to ramp up the darkness again. The Void Lords are supposedly the central threat to the entire World of Warcraft universe right now, and they've not had a tremendous amount of build up as to why exactly we should be so horrified by them. The Void Lords hurl bioweapons that are more commonly known as Old Gods through the universe, which slam into planets like asteroids and spread like a gigantic terrestrial, sentient, tentacled cancer. Players have already defeated the Old Gods present on Azeroth, setting the stage for confrontation with the Void Lords themselves, but we've yet to really see them beyond simple glimpses. Players wield shadow magic without consequence, and the Void's presumed Harbinger, Xal'atath, hasn't really played her hand yet either.
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With the Old Gods seemingly felled, the Burning Legion scattered to the winds, and classic villainous factions like The Scourge utterly destroyed — World of Warcraft needs to develop new, high-stakes threats to prepare for the next 20 years of the storied franchise. Disney-style villains won't cut the Wild Mustard. It's time to ramp up the horror. I wouldn't say no to a Warcraft Netflix show either, based on that animated Alleria trailer. Fantastic.
World of Warcraft: The War Within launches on August 26, 2024 for Windows PC.
