World of Warcraft: Shadowlandsis wrapping up in the upcomingEternity’s Endpatch, so players are expecting the next expansion to be announced soon. Recent encrypted assets discovered inWorld of Warcraftinclude a new mount, suggesting a draconic-themed expansion is coming soon.
The encrypted content found inWorld of Warcraftcontained assets for a mount, a pet, and a few additional items and models. All together, the package is similar to those in Deluxe Edition rewards from previous expansions, suggestingWoWcould be working towards an expansionannouncement and preorder soon.
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Though little is known about the other parts of this package, a few details about the mount have been datamined. The mount’s file name, 9fx_drakemountemerald_buff_4219045, suggests it is a green dragon–the druidic guardians of the Emerald Dream. The file itself is massive for a mount at 8.9MB, dwarfingShadowlands’high-fidelity Ensorcelled Everwyrm’s2.7MB, meaning the mount will probably be incredibly detailed. The file contained a few spell effect textures and a full spell effect that were not encrypted as well, all of which fit the green dragon theme.
This encrypted package is one of several hints at a dragon-themed expansion inWorld of Warcraft’sfuture. At the end of last year,Blizzard offered a Dragon Pack cash shop bundle, pairing several draconic mounts and minions together in a theming tactic used in the past to hint at future releases. More recently, a leak from a supposedWorld of Warcraftdevelopment Discord detailed plans for an expansion around the Dragon Isles–a location hinted at in old concept art, GM assets, and lore easter eggs.
World of Warcraftfans are cautious, but optimistic, about the mounting evidence for a dragon expansion. Dragons are a popular aspect ofWarcraftlore, and while dragon characters have been in the story–like Ebyssian, Wrathion, and Ysera–they have not been the focus of an expansion sinceCataclysmin 2010. As protectors of Azeroth, such an expansion would also likely focus around the world players have come to love, avoiding the distant,otherworldly story that has been the biggest criticism ofShadowlands.
There is still plenty of concern regarding the nature of these leaks. Beyond its speculative nature, the encrypted mount could just as easily point to an Emerald Dream-based expansion. While players might have wanted such a thing in the past, most of the known Emerald Dream story arcs were wrapped up inLegion, and the last thing players want to do after spending two years in the realm of death is to spend two years in the realm of life.World of Warcrafthas lost a lot of faith from its players over the last years because of baffling story decisions, predatory business models, and corruption within Blizzard leadership. Between the tumult from its lawsuits andMicrosoft’s buyout of Activision Blizzard, the nextWorld of Warcraftexpansion pack could make or break the mainstay MMORPG.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlandsis available on PC.Eternity’s Endis currently in development.
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