WoW expansion scepculation

[benbenthegamerman]

As we all know, Blizzcon 09 is just around the corner, meaning Starcraft 2 will be playable and blizzard will be giving us first looks at Diablo 3. There is also some speculation going around about the following things:

*Blizzard has copyrighted the name Catyclysm
*When looking at ingame files recently, a player came across halloween masks that were race specfic to 2 races that arent in the game yet: Goblins and Worgen. yes, Worgen.
*Chris Metzen has been hinting that he has big plans for Galneas, a small town in southern silverpine where all of the residents were turned into worgen.

Could this mean that worgen and goblins will make an appearance in the upcoming expansion? and does it mean that the next expansion will have something to do with the maelstrom, considering its where goblins and arcane magic (how arugal let the worgen in the world) were born?

 

[sneakypenguin]

Geez I'd say your about right. I don't know wow lore so i'm just gonna go with what you said.

 

[Biek]

The worgen myth is old. Before TBC came out that rumour was spread about them being the new alliance race.

 

[New Troll]

Sounds very far-fetched, but if so could be a redeeming quality to the game for me. Still doubt it'd be enough to get me back in, but I do so love werewolves.

 

[wadark]

First of all, companies trademark things all the time. Sometimes years in advance, sometimes for projects that never reach daylight. So Maelstrom is certainly a candidate but there's no way to know for sure for another month.

Halloween masks are just masks. It doesn't by any stretch confirm that these are the two new races, or even that there will BE 2 new races. Neither one fits, in my opinion, Goblins are neutral by and large, and worgen are...well...evil.

Lastly, I think you need to read up on Gilneas (spell check service, no charge). I don't recall any statement, anywhere in lore that says all the citizens turned to worgen.

But again, speculation is pointless anyway because we'll all know in a month.

 

[xxcloud417xx]

Alliance gets Worgen? shit... ah well, at least the Horde will have something equivalent to a Gnome racewise... As for the next expansion being the Maelstrom, that's almost too logical for it to not be true... I'm also thinking the next Hero Class will be the Warden.

 

[Lunar Shadow]

I personally think the next expansion will involve the Emerald Dream, as the next hero class has been confirmed as the Archdruid.

 

[xxcloud417xx]

I personally think the next expansion will involve the Emerald Dream, as the next hero class has been confirmed as the Archdruid.

I heard stuff about the Emerald dream too... BEFORE Wrath came out...

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Lastly, I think you need to read up on Gilneas (spell check service, no charge). I don't recall any statement, anywhere in lore that says all the citizens turned to worgen.

And I remember from playing that there was a huge gate with refugees outside. So they clearly escaped the scourge.

As for the trademarking it'll probably be the expansion after next because all signs are pointing towards the next one being in the Emerald Dream.
Masks. Well, they're just masks - nothing amazing and neither would fit in with the loe for either the Horde or the Alliance.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

I personally think the next expansion will involve the Emerald Dream, as the next hero class has been confirmed as the Archdruid.

I heard stuff about the Emerald dream too... BEFORE Wrath came out...

Yeah...I heard about the Emerald dream stuff before even TBC came out. It still looks the most likely though.

If goblins are a playable race, sign me up!

 

[hidden walls]

why do i see a gnome and a goblin firing explosive sheep at eachother when ever someone mentions goblin as a playable race...

ontopic:mmo stated they have done something to that old emerald dream place holder map so that could also happen and blizz is trying to mess with our heads

 

[Skizle]

I personally think the next expansion will involve the Emerald Dream, as the next hero class has been confirmed as the Archdruid.

the emerald dream is the malestorm from what i hear

 

[chase211]

Blizz always said goblins would never be a playable race...having said that, they have gone back on their word ALOT.

I think it is more likely that they are simply going to have a Worgen "event".

 

[wadark]

Where was the Archdruid "confirmed"? And how would it be any different from a regular druid since lore-wise, Archdruids are just higher ranking regular druids.

Also, because I love destroying other people's ideas, The Emerald Dream isn't really feasible. Druids train for many years to be able to enter the Emerald Dream, so to release an expansion where suddenly everyone and their pet gnome can waltz right in pretty much just takes a dump on established lore (not that that would be a first).

 

[Amnestic]

Lastly, I think you need to read up on Gilneas (spell check service, no charge). I don't recall any statement, anywhere in lore that says all the citizens turned to worgen.

And I remember from playing that there was a huge gate with refugees outside. So they clearly escaped the scourge.

That they did. The Greymane Wall was constructed following the Second War; long before the Scourge emerged and thus long before Arugal began his Worgen experiments in Shadowfang Keep. Anyone who thinks that Gilneas is Worgenised has no lore to back it up and the only current suggestion that they'll be a playable race is the halloween mask which is flimsy at best.

Furthermore, the population of Gilneas is extremely isolationist and fully supported sealing themselves off from the rest of the world following the Second War. Why would they suddenly do a 180 turn and say "HEY ALLYANCE GUIZ WE WANA BE YO FRENDZ!"? It makes no sense, none at all.

Both Worgen and Furbolgs have recieved updated models for Northrend since WotLK came out. It's all too possible (and far more supported by Lore) that Furbolgs would join the Alliance than Worgen.

Maelstrom Expansion- Very possible.
Worgen as a race- Highly doubt it.

and Worgen what race is the alliance gonna get?

That implies that Worgen have a reason to join the Horde.

I'd be amused to hear your logic behind that statement, as I think it's utter bollocks personally.

 

[wadark]

I personally think the next expansion will involve the Emerald Dream, as the next hero class has been confirmed as the Archdruid.

the emerald dream is the malestorm from what i hear

No. Not even close. They aren't remotely related.

The Maelstrom is that storm at the center of the world map. It was originally the site of the first Well of Eternity where the Highborne Night Elves (about 10,000 years ago) attempted to summon Sargeras into the world. When they were stopped, the Well collapsed and exploded ripping the one continent into the 3 we have now (Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend, plus lots of little islands). What was left at the site of the Well was a never-ending storm known appropriately as the Maelstrom. Supposedly, at the bottom lies the kingdom of of the Naga (someone remind me of the name) where Queen Azshara still rules.

The Emerald Dream is a pseudo-alternate-dimension of Azeroth in which the world is still in its completely natural state. This is the realm of the Green Dragons, except that in recent years, some form of corruption has gripped the dream and made it the Emerald Nightmare, thus corrupting a lot of the Green Dragons. Remember those dragons that appeared through those portals back in Vanilla WoW?

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

First of all, companies trademark things all the time. Sometimes years in advance, sometimes for projects that never reach daylight. So Maelstrom is certainly a candidate but there's no way to know for sure for another month.

Halloween masks are just masks. It doesn't by any stretch confirm that these are the two new races, or even that there will BE 2 new races. Neither one fits, in my opinion, Goblins are neutral by and large, and worgen are...well...evil.

Lastly, I think you need to read up on Gilneas (spell check service, no charge). I don't recall any statement, anywhere in lore that says all the citizens turned to worgen.

But again, speculation is pointless anyway because we'll all know in a month.

Damn, beat me to it.

Let's face it. Worgen are vicious, evil and more or less mindless whereas Goblins stay neutral in order to make the biggest profit, even if it was a breakaway faction that joined the Alliance/Horde, they'd probably be chased out of Steamwheedle towns, which is a pain in the arse in more than one zone. Hell, as far as Worgen go, the Book of Ur says this:

"It is my hope that no Dalaran wizard seeks out the Worgen, even if done in light conscious. For no pact may be struck, no secrets may be learned, no good can come from these beasts. They are best left to their world. For if found in ours and not destroyed, our peril will be dire..."

As has been said, there's no confirmation that Gilneas is overrun with Worgen, nor Naga, it may be perfectly fine, if a little run down due to the isolation. Oh, and Gilneas is a Kingdom, not a town.

If Blizzard were adding new races anyway they would have announced them, rather than let them be found out in this way. I'm starting to wonder what I hate most, Speculation about WoW Races with no solid evidence or InFamous vs Prototype threads.

 

[stabnex]

Gilneas? Huh, bout time. The last remaining human kingdom in the north having shut its doors around the time of the undead plague and remaining an undiscussed mystery until now. However on the topic of upcoming expansions, one would assume that Icecrown Fortress will be among the upcoming free expansions wherein you can finally stomp on Arthas and steal his hat. As for the Emerald Dream, well just before The Burning Crusade a few dozen portals into said dream surrounded by green dragonkin were added but the portals don't work and they're all guarded by boss mobs so I guess it was just put on the backburner.

Archdruid? Well I guess that's cool. Fans were of course hoping for Demon Hunter or Battle Mage. Time will only tell if our dreams of being "Illidus Bornrage" (ba dum tish) will ever come true.

Also I'm not even sure there is anything in the Maelstrom. I mean sure, that's where the Well of Eternity once was but it was destroyed. The only thing down there would be The Old Gods, right? And what would be the point of loosing those whackjobs?

 

[Charli]

I'd place money on either the Emerald Dream or the Maelstrom. They're both 'there' already technically just need expanding on.

As for the new races... the fact that the guy who unearthed the masks is very very rarely wrong, I'll be hesitantly expecting the new races to be the Worgen and Goblins.

Goblins, easy, form a new Cartel that joins the Horde (Seperate from the Neutral Steamwheedle cartel Goblins that are currently neutral to all) The goblins have a closer relationship with the Horde than the Alliance, providing all their transport and technology as such.

The Worgen...little more hesitant about, but I can imagine a faction that forms that opposes the rule of the Lich King, and due to the events in Grizzly Hills, there could definately be a rekindling of interest. It's just that Varian Wrynn (The Human King and pretty much the ruler of the Alliance for those a bit lost by now) has been played off as kind of Xenophobic... but alas he accepts the Death Knights back, the Worgen might not be too much of a stretch.
The worgen have very VERY little to do with the horde, all the story lines with them are very heavily alliance sided.


ArchDruids? When was that confirmed? Won't that screw up the druid class...?

 

[wadark]

The Naga Kingdom (I think it's called Nazjatar but correct me if I'm wrong) still sits at the bottom of the Maelstrom. How it'll translate into a new expansion with new zones and stuff baffles me a bit, but we'll see when BlizzCon rolls around.

I'm starting to wonder what I hate most, Speculation about WoW Races with no solid evidence or InFamous vs Prototype threads.

Ditto.