The Dragonflight growth is off to a powerful begin, and Blizzard needs to maintain it that method.
We described World of Warcraft: Dragonflight as “a promising new basis for a really previous MMO” in our latest 80% overview(opens in new tab), and Blizzard appears to see it the identical method. In a “Dragonflight in 2023(opens in new tab)” replace laying out its plans for Dragonflight subsequent yr, the studio stated that older expansions like Legion are nonetheless “remembered fondly” by followers, and acknowledged that it hasn’t lived as much as that customary with newer releases.
Blizzard intends to place out six content material patches for Dragonflight over 2023, together with two main updates with new zones, raids, and seasonal rewards. It additionally needs to make sure loads of new content material between these massive updates, although, together with new world occasions, dungeons, narrative chapters, and cinematics.
“A WoW growth is just not a single second in time however a journey—we all know that the benefit of an growth hinges on the sustained high quality of its complete arc,” government producer Holly Longdale stated. “Years after its launch, Legion is remembered fondly as a lot for the 11-week content material replace cadence that served because the framework for its first yr as it’s for artifact weapons or Khadgar’s sensible dad jokes.
“In planning out the street forward following the discharge of Dragonflight, we have been conscious of the responsibility we owe our gamers to nurture this dwelling world and, frankly, the necessity to do higher than now we have at occasions within the latest previous. Our purpose for Dragonflight is that there ought to at all times be one thing proper across the nook, with a brand new replace hitting our take a look at realms shortly after the final one is reside and in your palms.”
An replace including the Buying and selling Put up to Dragonflight is predicted to go reside in early 2023, shortly after which the subsequent replace, with a brand new quest marketing campaign and repeatable world content material, will launch onto the PTR. That can arrange the subsequent main chapter of Dragonflight, “and by its conclusion, it ought to be apparent what our subsequent vacation spot should be.”
That is what the roadmap appears to be like like proper now:
Naturally, now not the whole lot is nailed down at this level: Longdale said there could possibly be content material materials updates contained in the second half of 2023 to bridge among the many main updates, however is not at all times committing to any specifics simply but.
“The intention is just higher Warcraft: additional story, extra content material materials, extra rewards, extra events, higher tech upgrades, with a lot much less downtime between them,” Longdale stated. “I don’t have to spoil the whole thing, and I am assured that there are in any case a few surprises coming alongside the way that no particular person is waiting for. And various the knowledge in actuality aren’t determined but, because of the truth your remarks will assist form exactly what we prioritize in these updates.”
For people who’re curious roughly Dragonflight however now not fairly geared up to commit, Blizzard additionally introduced these days {that a} trial model of the enlargement(opens in new tab) is now available to all World of Warcraft avid gamers with each a subscription or energetic Sport Time on their money owed. Just for a restricted time, though: The trial mannequin of Dragonflight will run till January 2, 2023, after which avid gamers might want to purchase the growth to proceed playing.
