Blizzard Reveals New World of Warcraft Expansion: Battle For Azeroth
The opening ceremonies of Blizzcon were especially generous for the World of Warcraft community. Veterans finally got the Classic version they've been clamoring for and everyone else got a new expansion reveal.
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is set after the defeat of the Legion. The rivalry between the Alliance and Horde has reignited now that the mutual enemy has been defeated. Each faction will have a continent to explore: Zandalar for the Horde and Kul Tiras for the Alliance.
Besides new zones, Battle for Azeroth introduces several new races including Highmountain Tauren, Void Elves, and Dark Iron Dwarves. The level has been increased, to 120 this time which is double the original Vanilla cap of 60. Players who purchase the expansion will receive a free level 110 boost, enabling them to enjoy the new content right away. Other features included with Battle of Azeroth include:
- Explore Uncharted Islands across the Great Sea in groups of 3. Collect each island's treasures to help the overall war effort of your faction.
- Warfronts - New 20 player cooperative battlefields. Capture resources to build faction forces, lay siege to objectives, and defeat the enemy commander to claim victory. Warfronts are PvE encounters inspired by classic Warcraft RTS battles.
- Azerite - A new resources left in the Legion's wake. Collect Azerite to customize armor with new powers and traits.
- Communities - Persistent, cross-realm player groups to discuss strategies and make new friends.
Battle for Azeroth seems like a good balance of old and new. Plenty of new content, but a return to the factional conflict that fueled WoW's popularity back in 2004. I'd like to see a little more house keeping on Blizzard's part, for example some good old fashioned server mergers rather than more half-assed 'cross play' features.
