ThoughWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflightrecently released, many fans are already trying to figure out where Blizzard will take the game next. The current expansion has brought players back to Azeroth for a story seeping with classic old-school lore, and this new direction has made many players excited about the future. There are dozens of places Blizzard could takeWorld of Warcraftin its tenth expansion, but only some settings are truly worth a visit.
Usually, an expansion pack has three major patches before the next expansion launches.World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis supposed to get its first two major patches in 2023, and then the third major patch will likely launch in 2024. This could mean that 2024 also sees the game’s tenth expansion hit store shelves, and that means that fans may get a look into what comes next soon. While nothing has been confirmed yet, it seems likethe future ofWorld of Warcraftis fast approaching.
RELATED:Cross-Faction Guilds Won’t Mean the End of the Core World of Warcraft Conflict
Void or Light Invasion of Azeroth
One of the likeliest next steps forWorld of Warcraftis a full-on Void and Light invasion.The Void and Light have played major rolesin previous expansions, and it feels like Blizzard is slowly building up a war between those forces. These two opposing forces will likely choose to bring their fight to Azeroth, and the players will be stuck in the middle of it.
The draenei leader Velen had a visionof the war and saw Azeroth at the center. Legion saw the naaru Xe’ra search for the prophesied child of Light and Shadow whom she believed was Illidan Stormrage. She attempted to bind him, and he ultimately killed her as she tried to force her will upon him. Players also got to see what happened to alternate Draenor at the end of Warlords of Draenor, and it seems to have become dominated by fanatic followers of the Light led by Yrel. While she may be trapped on another world for now, she is one Dark Portal away from invading Azeroth.
The Void has also been growing in power over the last couple of years. Players have had todeal with all sorts of Old God shenanigansfor a while now, and Dragonflight will likely deal with even more. Queen Azshara was also searching for the throne of the Void at the end of Battle for Azeroth, and certain lore tidbits hint that she is on her way back. If she returns, she will likely bring a Void army with her, and possibly some Old Gods too.
There is a lot of evidence that points to this being the next expansion, or that it is coming in the next couple of years. Currently, it seems like the Void and the Light are gathering their forces. If they invade Azeroth, it could lead to a very interesting narrative asmanyWorld of Warcraftcharactershave an allegiance to one of them. Lore characters may be forced to take sides in this war, the world may be reshaped, and even players may have to draw lines in the sand.
RELATED:Everything Coming in World of Warcraft Dragonflight 10.0.7
The Other Side of Azeroth
World of Warcrafthas explored a lot of Azeroth, but the entire other side of the planet has still not been tapped. There is not much lore surrounding what is actually on the other side, and Blizzard has been rather secretive about what it has planned. However, various notes and lore tidbits have alluded to some mysterious landmasses that are begging to be explored.
No one knows exactly what happens once a boat sails to the other side, but they all seem to have disappeared. Recently, some players have discovered a pirate journal in 10.0.7 that hints at a pirate that returned from the other side of Azeroth. He apparently did not tell people what was there, but his boat was filled to the brim with treasure. He is now allegedly building the biggest pirate navy in the world and iscurrently attacking the Dragon Isles. These journals could be fun little easter eggs, or they could be hinting at the future ofWorld of Warcraft.
Players have wanted to explore the other side of Azeroth for a longtime now, and hopefully Blizzard will finally deliver. These new continents would allow Blizzard to create brand-new lore while also staying true toWarcraft. There is immense story potential here, and that makes it the perfect setting for the game’s tenth expansion.
The Emerald Dream
Another likely setting for the tenth expansion would be the mythical Emerald Dream. Currently,World of Warcraft’snarrative is heavily focused on the Dragon Aspects. The Emerald Dream is the realm thatthe green dragonflight watches over and protects. It is a vast, ever-changing spirit world that shows an Azeroth untouched by mortals. It is beautiful, lush, and has played a major part ofWorld of Warcraftsince its inception.
Players have been asking for an Emerald Dream expansion for a little while now, but a lush forest expansion may get kind of boring. However, Blizzard has been adding far more to the Emerald Dream recently. Players have seen other versions of the Dream and have learned a lot more about its purpose. An Emerald Dream expansion could be filled with a lush forest, but it could also feature loads of new nature zones. Since the studio has not explored it much, it could do whatever it wants with it.
The biggest issue with an Emerald Dream expansion is the fact that players do not really want to explore other realms.Shadowlands was highly controversialfor taking players away from Azeroth, removing the mystery of the afterlife, and adding new confusing lore to the mix. If Blizzard wanted to try to explore another realm again, then it would need to tread very carefully.
World of Warcraft’stenth expansion is still a couple of years away, and players will likely get a better picture of what is in storeas Dragonflight’s roadmap progresses. Maybe the tenth expansion will bring players to none of these places, or perhaps it will finally deliver the long-awaited Void and Light conflict. Only Blizzard currently knows where it wants to take the game, and players will just have to wait and see.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis available now for PC.
MORE:The Coolest Cosmetics in World of Warcraft’s March 2023 Trading Post Catalog
