WoW: Next Expansion Clues

[Meznir here again, hijacking Telwyn’s blog to talk about WoW]

It’s getting to that time of [every other] year again, when World of Warcraft players are on tenterhooks to hear what the next expansion will be. Often by now we are all bored rigid of the current expansion and contemplating taking breaks from the game during the frequent content droughts – however this time around, Blizzard seem to be on track to keeping more of us subbed to the game by actually giving us content! Patch 7.3 is just around the corner and looks to have a healthy dose of content to keep us happy for a while yet – but that’s not going to stop us wondering what’s next.

Argus awaits in Patch 7.3!

For those who have been playing the Legion expansion, you’d be hard pressed to miss the heavy hints that Blizzard have been dropping throughout that all seem to point one way for their 7th expansion (i.e 8.0):

N’Zoth, the Corrupter

Old Gods. Olds Gods. Old Gods!

This set of “big bads” (based heavily on Lovecraft’s Chuthulu mythos) have popped up throughout WoW’s history: C’Thun in Vanilla, Yogg-Saron in Wrath and various bits of Y’Shaarj in Mists – leaving only N’Zoth left to appear.

Rather than go into too much depth, a quick summary of some of the “clues” to our future boil down to:

• The Old God corrupted Emerald Nightmare raid & Xavius
• a dagger that’s probably part Old God, talking to shadowpriests about the old gods (“The God of the Deep writhes in his prison, breaking free ever so slowly. You should hurry and defeat the fallen titan… there are greater battles yet to fight.“) and this easter egg for them
• The boss Il’gynoth’s whispers
• The brief appearance of Azshara – who was saved, along with her people, from death when her city Zin-Ashari was sunk to the bottom of the ocean (by being turned into Naga probably by N’Zoth).

I’m sure I’m missing some more pointers as the Old Gods have felt like that were lurking around in the background for a good chunk of the expansion.

But the reason for this post is that yesterday, another BIG hint to all this landed, with the release of a small quest chain and scenario: Whispers of a Frightened World

For those who are currently subbed to WoW – I suggest you go and do it if you haven’t already. It’s a bit of fun lore as a prelude to patch 7.3. What it basically boils down to though is that Azeroth (who we now know is a nascent Titan!) is worried about Sargeras and wants us to go fight him (i.e. the contents of 7.3). However, what interested me more is that fact that the chamber we have be sent to is riddled with Azeroth’s shadowy nightmares.

Void Tendril Attack!

To me, this is another big hint that the next expansion will be Old God related – that we will chase after Azshara into the depths to her rebuilt city Nazjatar and have to fight her corrupter N’Zoth in Ny’alotha.

A few years back “Golden Yak” did a fanstic job of speculating on a future expansion with his fan expansion concept: Reign of Azshara. I thoroughly recommend you have a browse through it as the ideas and artwork are great!

So what do you think? Will World of Warcraft’s 7th Expansion (8.0) see us heading across the seas with Jaina and her Kul Tiras brethren to chase down Azshara and N’Zoth? I’m sure Azeroth would sleep better if we did.