World of More-Craft: Blizzard Announces WoW Expansion
The Burning Crusade in the works, includes new races and lands.
Blizzard went - almost overnight - from being known and loved for their RTS games to being known and loved for their MMORPG games. Now the creator of Starcraft and Warcraft has announced an expansion for its MMO World of Warcraft, which since its release last year has taken the crown as the most widely played online RPG.
The expansion is to be called World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and the title refers, we are told, to the ongoing efforts by the Burning Legion to destroy the world of Azeroth, in which the game is set. New races are promised, but as yet only the Blood Elves have been confirmed. Blizzard have released a Q&A designed to address the queries on the tips of WoW aficionados tongues following this momentous announcement, which you might like to read:
The ‘Socketed Items’ bit apparently refers to a new feature which allows you to customise your equipment, and the new profession, Jewelcrafting, is the skill required to practice this personalising of gear. Flying mounts are just what they sound like – beasts you ride that have to ability to fly, giving players the ability to traverse large areas of Azeroth quickly and easily. As yet, there’s no news of a release date, but expect one to be announced over the coming months, along with new features as they are confirmed.
The expansion is to be called World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, and the title refers, we are told, to the ongoing efforts by the Burning Legion to destroy the world of Azeroth, in which the game is set. New races are promised, but as yet only the Blood Elves have been confirmed. Blizzard have released a Q&A designed to address the queries on the tips of WoW aficionados tongues following this momentous announcement, which you might like to read:
Q: What does the title of the World of Warcraft expansion refer to?
A: “The Burning Crusade” refers to the Burning Legion’s ongoing efforts to destroy life on Azeroth. To date, the Burning Legion’s exploits have been documented in Warcraft III and in our War of the Ancients novel trilogy. As part of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, players will now be able to travel through the Dark Portal to confront the Legion on otherworldly battlefields.
Q: What are the new races? When will you reveal all of them?
A: The first new race that we have announced for the expansion set is the Blood Elf race. No longer trusted by the Alliance, these former High Elves have joined the Horde to hunt down the demons that destroyed their homeland of Quel’Thalas. We plan to unveil details about possible additional races at a later date.
Q: Will the level cap be raised?
A: Yes, the level cap will be raised to 70 from the current maximum level of 60. In addition to the level increase, every class will gain access to additional talents and abilities or spells as they level up from level 60 to level 70.
Q: Will there be new lands to explore in the expansion?
A: The Outlands will be opened with the expansion. Players last visited the Outlands in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, alongside Illidan as he conquered the Pit Lord Magtheridon’s domain. Players will also gain access to Quel’Thalas, the region to the northeast of the Forsaken lands, where the Blood Elves reside. Other areas that players will be able to explore in the expansion set will be revealed in the months ahead.
Q: Will there be new dungeons and battlegrounds included in the expansion?
A: We do have plans to add dungeons and battlegrounds with the expansion, though the exact number has not yet been determined. One upcoming dungeon that we’re excited about is Karazhan, which is located within Medivh’s tower. Because Medivh has played such a central role in Warcraft lore, we think that a lot of longtime players will be especially interested in seeing what Karazhan contains. As an example of a battleground that will be included in the expansion, we plan on making some of the battles from the past accessible through the Caverns of Time. We’ll provide more details as we get closer to implementing this content.
Q: What are some of the other features of the expansion?
A: In addition to the new races, zones, dungeons, and battlegrounds, we have a number of new features planned for the Burning Crusade expansion.
Some of those new features include:
A: “The Burning Crusade” refers to the Burning Legion’s ongoing efforts to destroy life on Azeroth. To date, the Burning Legion’s exploits have been documented in Warcraft III and in our War of the Ancients novel trilogy. As part of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, players will now be able to travel through the Dark Portal to confront the Legion on otherworldly battlefields.
Q: What are the new races? When will you reveal all of them?
A: The first new race that we have announced for the expansion set is the Blood Elf race. No longer trusted by the Alliance, these former High Elves have joined the Horde to hunt down the demons that destroyed their homeland of Quel’Thalas. We plan to unveil details about possible additional races at a later date.
Q: Will the level cap be raised?
A: Yes, the level cap will be raised to 70 from the current maximum level of 60. In addition to the level increase, every class will gain access to additional talents and abilities or spells as they level up from level 60 to level 70.
Q: Will there be new lands to explore in the expansion?
A: The Outlands will be opened with the expansion. Players last visited the Outlands in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, alongside Illidan as he conquered the Pit Lord Magtheridon’s domain. Players will also gain access to Quel’Thalas, the region to the northeast of the Forsaken lands, where the Blood Elves reside. Other areas that players will be able to explore in the expansion set will be revealed in the months ahead.
Q: Will there be new dungeons and battlegrounds included in the expansion?
A: We do have plans to add dungeons and battlegrounds with the expansion, though the exact number has not yet been determined. One upcoming dungeon that we’re excited about is Karazhan, which is located within Medivh’s tower. Because Medivh has played such a central role in Warcraft lore, we think that a lot of longtime players will be especially interested in seeing what Karazhan contains. As an example of a battleground that will be included in the expansion, we plan on making some of the battles from the past accessible through the Caverns of Time. We’ll provide more details as we get closer to implementing this content.
Q: What are some of the other features of the expansion?
A: In addition to the new races, zones, dungeons, and battlegrounds, we have a number of new features planned for the Burning Crusade expansion.
Some of those new features include:
- A complete new profession - Jewelcrafting
- Socketed Items
- Flying mounts
The ‘Socketed Items’ bit apparently refers to a new feature which allows you to customise your equipment, and the new profession, Jewelcrafting, is the skill required to practice this personalising of gear. Flying mounts are just what they sound like – beasts you ride that have to ability to fly, giving players the ability to traverse large areas of Azeroth quickly and easily. As yet, there’s no news of a release date, but expect one to be announced over the coming months, along with new features as they are confirmed.
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