For as long asWorld of Warcrafthas existed, the conflicts and divides between the Alliance and the Horde has been a driving force in its narrative. However,World of Warcraftfinally pulled the ripcord and will be allowing players from both factions play together in an upcoming patch.
World of Warcraftannounced the addition of cross-faction dungeons, raids, and arena PvP in a development preview. It won’t be ready forShadowlands' Eternity’s Endpatch, so it will be coming in the following Patch 9.2.5. Dungeons and raids from all the way back in vanillaWoWwill be available with this system, though certain instances with faction-specific content, like Battle of Dazar’alor, Trial of the Crusader, and Icecrown Citadel, will be unavailable for now.
RELATED:World of Warcraft: Flying in New Eternity’s End Zone is Easy to Unlock
How WoW’s Faction Gameplay is Changing
Alliance and Horde players will be able to invite members of the oppositeWoWfaction if they areBattleTagor Real ID friends, or if they are both members of a cross-factionWoWcommunity. Group Finder groups will be able to choose between cross- and same-faction listings as well. Once in a group, players from opposite factions will be able to communicate via party chat, though they will still be unfriendly until they enter an instance. Guilds, matchmaking, and overworld activities will remain faction-locked for now to keep the system optional for those who wish to play exclusively with their own faction.
Late last year,World of Warcraftdirector Ion Hazzikostas talked about cross-faction gameplayand its future inWoW, though many expected it to be a feature in a future expansion. Cross-faction gameplay was originally planned for the game’s original release, but was cut due to time constraints and logistical dilemmas. Now, it seemsWorld of Warcrafthas figured out how to make that dream a reality–and before a major expansion release, no less.
How Players Are Reacting to WoW’s Cross Faction Play
Response toWorld of Warcraft’sannouncement was overwhelmingly positive.WoWfans have wanted cross-faction gameplayfor as long as the game has existed for both lore and logistical reasons–the Alliance and Horde have set their differences aside a dozen times sinceWarcraft 3, and letting players do so would effectively double or triple each server’s population. Most hope there will be more support for the system after its launch, such as an opt-in system for matchmaking for random cross-faction dungeon groups.
Of course, there are some who are less enthusiastic aboutcross-faction gameplay inWorld of Warcraft. There have been almost 20 years of animosity built up between the Alliance and Horde, which could cause griefing and toxic behavior across the faction line. If the press release is any indication,World of Warcraftis well-aware of this possibility, which is why it is making the system optional. In doing so, those players will be able to ignore the system if they wish, while providing more options for the rest of its playerbase.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlandsis available on PC.Eternity’s Endis currently in development.
MORE:World of Warcraft’s Faction Warfare Feels Out of Place in Shadowlands
