At Gamescon Blizzard announced their newest WoW expansion called World of Warcraft: Legion. This information is a mix of content from the Legion website and MMO Champion.
Main Features in Trailer
- New Hero Class - Demon Hunter! (Will be Blood Elf and Night Elf only)
- New Continent - The Broken Isles
- Artifact Weapons: customizable weapons that grow in power as you do
- Class-specific Order Halls and followers
- Adventure to Level 110
- All New Dungeons and Raids
- New World Bosses
- Revamped PvP progression/Honor system
- Improved transmogrification system
- Improved social features
- Character Boost—immediately raise one character to level 100
Post-Trailer Discussion
- The full CGI cinematic is coming in the future
- The Broken Isles was a vast Night Elf civilization, we now have the bones of that civilization. The entire continent is a graveyard of sorts. It has the tomb of Sargeras, a gateway to endless Legion worlds.
- A giant demonic invasion is currently underway. The biggest one ever!
- We are taking the fight to Gul'dan, fighting at the tomb of Sargeras, then the story begins. This will take place before the expansion launches. It is like the story leading up to Warlords with the Dark Portal, but better.
- Everyone who has played WoW is going to be shocked.
- Ashbringer and Doomhammer weapons are coming as Artifact weapons, as well others.
- We are here to restore peace to the world by forming or renewing class orders, like the Silver Hand.
- We are going to need all of the help we can get to fight the Burning Legion, so Demon Hunters are key.
- The last time we faced Demon Hunters, most of them wanted to kill us. We will see through Illidan's eyes the story of the Illidari.
- We will see the prison world of Shardoom, where all of the demons were held. Then we go to the Vault of the Wardens.
- We find the Pillars of Creation.
- Dalaran, Kirin Tor, Khadgar are all coming to the Broken Isles.
- Dalaran will be the main hub of the expansion..
- We go to Val'Sharah, a forgotten Druid refuge. The place Malfurion became the first Druid. We face Xavius, who is trying to unleash the Emerald Nightmare into our world. We enter Black Rook Hold.
- We are going into the Emerald Nightmare, will get glimpses into the Emerald Dream.
- Stormheim has the Vrykul that left Northrend thousands of years ago. We learn about the Val'kyr.
- In Azsuna we will be racing Queen Azshara for control of the Pillars of Creation in the zone.
- Highmountain is the home of the Highmountain Tauren. We will visit the lair of the Earth-Warder. Nessingwary also will appear here.
- Suramar has a new race of elves made from an old race of elves. They have lived here for 10,000 years and have flourished due to their magical ability. They have become pawns of the Burning Legion and have the last relic we need. We have to kill them all, their guard, and Gul'dan to secure the last relic.
- Valyria and Turalyon are here!
Artifacts
- The Legion represents the greatest threat to our world that we have ever faced, so we weapons with greater power than we have ever had before to stand a chance.
- There are 36 Artifacts, one for each class and specialization.
- After the Broken Shore, you will seek out the Artifact for your spec.
- Where you go to find your artifact will vary depending on your class and spec.
- Retribution Paladins will be returning to the Broken Shore to look for Ashbringer where it fell in battle and was lost so that you can wield it.
- Protection Warriors will follow up on the legends of ancient Vrykul king that was buried with a sword and shield forged from the scales of the dragon Neltharion. You delve into his tomb and overcome the ancient curses that lay there in order to wield those weapons for yourself.
- Frost Death Knights will seek out Frostmourne's shards in Icecrown Citadel and reforge them into a pair of runeblades.
- You will earn Artifact Power as you accomplish things. Completing quest lines, dungeons, outdoor objectives, battlegrounds, and most major activities. The power is spent to unlock traits that empower your weapon and character, as well as visual customization.
- Ashbringer - Echo of the Highlord - When you use Templar's Verdict or Divine Storm, Ashrbringer will mimic that action after 2 sec.
- Each Artifact has a trait tree that is a grid overlaid on the weapon's shape. You choose how you navigate the tree.
- You spend Artifact Power to unlock traits. Once a trait is unlocked, the adjacent nodes unlock. At the far end of the trees are the major impactful abilities.
- Death Knight - Icebringer and Soulreaper - Arise and Serve - Raise Ally now restores all health and mana. Upon death, the Death Knight now has an option to raise himself.
- Some traits are simple damage increases, some transform your rotation, and some are new utility such as Death Knights being able to resurrect themselves.
- Each weapon has different looks that you can unlock, with different color variants for each look. These are unlocked by leveling your weapon, achievements, raiding, and PvP.
- The base weapon has the look we all know and love. Then there is an upgraded version of the base style, as well as variants such as an Ashbringer made out of fire, shadow, or lightning.
- Weapon Examples
- Sheilun, Staff of the Mists - Mistweaver Monks will go to Pandaria to see out the staff of Emperor Shaohao. The variants have Pandaren influences such as the Red Crane, Jade Serpent, or Sha.
- Felo'melorn was a spell sword wielded by Kael'thas against the Lich King at Icecrown Citadel, where it was lost. Fire Mages will seek out the blade.
- The Eagle Spear is new to the lore. Highmountain Tauren weapon for Survival Hunters. The variants have several animal themes, such as the wolf, bear, and serpent.
- Icebringer and Soulreaper are blades forged out of the shards of Frostmourne. All of the variants have skulls!
- Doomhammer is the weapon for Enhancement Shamans. There are Fel, Fire, Crystal, and other variants.
- Fangs of the First Nightsaber is for Feral and Guardian druids. They can customize the look of their form rather than customizing a weapon. Spectral, Armored, and other variants will be available. The base cat form is also getting an updated model.
Class Orders
- Alliance and Horde are fighting, but classes can band together to fight this threat.
- There will be a heavy focus on class identity.
- You lead the Class Order.
- Order Halls are a base of operations for your class. You share them with other players of your class. Only members of your class can enter this area, similar to the Death Knight starting area.
- Halls will be located in thematically appropriate areas.
- Shamans in a cave near the Maelstrom.
- Paladins will be under Light's Hope Chapel.
- Warlocks will be on a Legion Portal World.
- You get special quests and work on your Artifact weapon here.
- Your Hall has Champions, an evolution of the followers. This time around you aren't raising an army, but a small group. Some will be established characters. There will be more integration with the world. They won't do things instead of you, but help you to accomplish things. They discover an area for you to investigate. You work alongside them and with them rather than sending them out on missions.
- Dungeons are essential to the MMO experience and there should be more of them with reason to do them for the entire expansion.
- Halls of Valor - High up in the clouds, level up dungeon. Inspired by Valhalla.
- Black Rook Hold - Max level dungeon in Val'Sharah. Was a bulwark against the Legion, carved out of the mountain to be a fortress. A shadow fell upon it, so you fight your way through to the top to solve this problem.
- Vault of the Wardens - Return to the Demon Hunter prison where you begin the hunt for Illidan.
- Eye of Azshara, Darkheart Thicket, Neltharion's Lair, Helheim (Takes place on a ghost ship sailing through the sea), Suramar City (City of Night)
- Violet Hold - Deep secrets here awakened by The Broken Isles. We learn more about the origins of Dalaran, mages of Dalaran, and the world itself.
- The Emerald Nightmare - Raid with 7 bosses. Players have always wanted the Emerald Dream. We climb into the tree and cross through to the Dream.
- Suramar Palace - 10 bosses. Home to the Nightwell, center of Suramar's power. Face off against Gul'dan. Start in a catacomb, work your way up to the Nighwell and Gul'dan. He can't run away this time! Not a green Orc raid. It is a royal Elven city.
- The team wants to make sure that there are more dungeons, more varied challenges, and more replayability, and more of a reason to keep doing dungeons throughout the expansion.
- Halls of Valor
- Located high up in the clouds above Stormheim
- Level up dungeon
- The art and feel of the dungeon is heavily inspired by Valhalla.
- This is where the greatest warriors of the Vrykul are called to serve. It is their eternal reward for being the best.
- As you are seeking out the Pillar of Creation in Stormheim, you are contending with the Legion cooperating leader of the Vrykul, the God King. As you race against him through the zone, both of your paths lead you to this dungeon, which is the location of the Pillar. You must prove yourself worthy in battle so that you can claim it.
- We also learn more about the origin of the Val'kyr here. These aren't the Undead Val'kyr from Northrend, but the pure warrior of the Light.
- Black Rook Hold
- Max level dungeon located in Val'Sharah, the ancestral home of Lord Kur'talos Ravencrest.
- This elven structure was a bulwark against the Legion, until a shadow fell upon it, carved out of the mountain to be an unassailable fortress.
- You start in the catacombs below Black Rook Hold and work your way through the outside to the top of the spire.
- Vault of the Wardens
- This is where Demon Hunters awaken.
- It was the Warden maximum security facility to hold all of the greatest threats to the world, including Demon Hunters and other terrifying monsters.
- This is where Gul'dan found Illidan, so this is where you begin the hunt for Gul'dan and Illidan.
- Eye of Azshara is located in Azsuna. This is where you contend with the minions of Queen Azshara and the Naga.
- Darkheart Thicket is located in Val'Sharah at the base of the World Tree. It is the heart of the Nightmare corruption that is spreading throughout the zone. You fight your way into a chamber at the base of the tree to rescue Malfurion from the corruption of the Nightmare.
- Neltharion's Lair is located in Highmountain. This is the cavern where Neltharion lived before he became Deathwing. This has become the center of society for the rocky warriors of Highmountain. We need to venture into their capital to recover the Pillar of Creation wielded by their chieftain.
- Helheim
- This dungeon is somewhat located in Stormheim.
- It is the polar opposite of the Halls of Valor.
- The cursed spirits get on the ship Nifflevar, which leads them to Helheim, where they are cursed for all eternity as Kvaldir.
- This is the Ghost Ship of the Damned, with most of the dungeon taking place on the ship, sailing through stormy seas in an immersive environment unlike anything we have seen in a dungeon ever before.
- Suramar City is the City of Night, where the Nightborne rule from their palace. The city contains catacombs beneath it and noble houses throughout the city, both of which you will venture into to discover ties to the Legion and the ultimate plan that is unfolding.
- Violet Hold had some deep secrets that we didn't discover the first time around, but these are now awakened by proximity to the Tomb of Sargeras. We learn more about the origins of Dalaran, mages of Dalaran, and the origins of the world itself.
- The raid structure in Warlords of Draenor worked out well, so the same type of structure is used in Legion.
- The Emerald Nightmare is a raid with 7 bosses
- Players have always wanted to see the Emerald Dream.
- It was created by the Titans as a blueprint for Azeroth itself, a perfect version of our world.
- Something went wrong and the world has descended into corruption and Nightmare. That threatens to spread into our world and engulf it.
- In the dungeon we enter the roots of the tree, but in the raid we climb into the tree and cross through the barrier that separates our reality from the reality of the Dream. We will go in, root out corruption, seek out Cenarius, and confront Xavius himself at the heart of the Nightmare.
- Suramar Palace is a raid with 10 bosses.
- This is the palace in Suramar from which the Grand Magistrix runs the city. He has brokered a deal with the Legion to allow them to use and corrupt the Pillar of Creation to create the Nightwell, a conduit of dark energy.
- The layout and structure is somewhat reminiscent of Black Temple. You start in an underground catacomb, as you aren't able to enter the front gate. You work your way up to outdoor balconies, royal quarters, and then to the Nightwell itself, where you find the Grand Magistrix and Gul'dan.
- Gul'dan is here as an ambassador the Legion. He can't run away this time!
- This is not another green spike filled Orc raid, but a royal elven city.
- Horns come with different styles, types, no horns is an option.
- Tattoos are another feature with variations.
- Skins can be normal, scaly, different colors.
- Eye coverings
- Hero Class - unique starting experience and start at a high level.
- Awaken in the Vault of the Wardens, awoken to fight the Legion.
- See the past, Illidan sends you on a mission to another world.
- Demon Hunter specs - Havok (DPS Spec) and Vengeance (Tank Spec). Only two specs. Demon Hunter healer didn't make sense. Two DPS or Tank specs would water down the identity of the class.
- Skills can cost Fury or generate Fury.
- Spectral Sight - Allows you to see through walls
- Double Jump - get over things that other classes cannot!
- Demon Hunters will start somewhere around level 95 to 100.
- Glaives are a new type of weapon that Demon Hunters use. They are a pair that comes together and fills both slots. In the future, Demon Hunters might dual wield the standard agility weapons. (Currently the class page has different information)
- The Demon Hunter Artifact glaives can be see in some of the character creation screenshots for Demon Hunters.
- The team talked about having the Demon Hunter wear mail, but it didn't fit the class identity.
- Demon Hunters are agile, so they will be wearing leather. This isn't a huge problem now that Personal Loot is used in most places.
- The Demon Hunter is going to be a very agile class, so tanks may have lots of Dodge and Parry mechanics for their tanking style.
- For now, Demon Hunters are the only ones who get tattoos.
- Demon Hunter has been considered since Wrath of the Lich King. It finally fit the expansion's story and theme, which is why it can be added now.
- In order to fight demons, Illidan had to partner with demons. He had to sacrifice many things for great power and so do the Illidari, which is why Demon Hunters look somewhat like Illidan.
- Gear playing such a huge factor in PvP isn't great.
- PvP talent system will help to balance PvP independently from PvE. Abilities only work in PvP.
- You unlock more and more, giving you more options as you PvP more.
- Abolish Magic - Dispel all magic every 2 sec for 6 sec. Replaces Dispel Magic. 20 sec cooldown.
- Blood and Soil - Shaman talent take reduces Bloodlust cooldown, only works for you when cast.
- Mind Quickness - add 15% haste
- Necrotic Strike - Absorbs heals on the enemy target.
- Prestige Ranks - You can reset your honor level and do it again for cosmetic rewards. This is extra rewards for players that do a lot of PvP.
- You can earn a badge for your unit frame that shows your rank, special mounts, and PvP Artifact variants.
Zones
- Dalaran and the Kirin Tor will be joining us in the Broken Isles, becoming the main hub for this expansion.
- Val'Sharah was once the pinnacle of druidism on Azeorth, but it is now a forgotten druid refuge on the Broken Isles. This is the place place Malfurion became the first Druid under Cenarius. Here we face Xavius, the Nightmare Lord and his massive Satyr army. They are trying to unleash the Emerald Nightmare into our world. We will meet up with Ysera to help fight back the Nightmare. We will also enter Black Rook Hold.
- We are going into the Emerald Nightmare, where will get glimpses into the Emerald Dream.
- Stormheim has the Vrykul that left Northrend thousands of years ago in search of their holy land. We will discover the Halls of Valor and Hellheim, home to two Titan keepers that have been at war for thousands of years. We will learn about origins of the the Val'kyr and Kvaldir as we ride the Ship of Souls into the Maw of Hell. We will also be fighting the Vrykul God King and his minions, who are now minions of the Burning Legion.
- Azsuna represents the bones of the ancient Night Elf civilization. It has ghosts of ancient Night Elves, a dying breed of the Blue Dragonflight, and the Nightfallen. The Nightfallen are exiled royalty from Suramar that have been left to die outside of the walls of their city. We will be racing Queen Azshara and her minions for control of the Pillar of Creation in the zone.
- Highmountain is the home of the Highmountain Tauren, who are the keepers of the Relic of Kazgoroth. Only the biggest and strongest creatures can survive here. We will visit the lair of the Earth-Warder to get some answers. Neltharion is dead, but there are other things there. Nessingwary will also appear here.
- Suramar has a new race of elves made from an old race of elves. They have lived here for 10,000 years and have flourished thanks to the use of their magical ability. They have become pawns of the Burning Legion and have the last relic we need. We have to kill them all, as well as their guard and Gul'dan to secure the last relic.
- No stat squish is planned for this expansion.
- The team hasn't decided if there will be another talent row or not, as the Artifact weapon will have a decent number of choices for you to make.
- Survival Hunters will be a melee class with pet going forward.
- Beast Mastery Hunters will fight at range with a pet.
- Marksmanship Hunters will fight at range with no pet.
- Survival and Marksmanship have been too similar in the past, which is why they are being changed in Legion.
- Demonology Warlocks will also be getting some bigger changes, focusing more on their demons.
- Demonology Warlocks will be refocused on summoning and controlling demons rather than having Metamorphosis dominate. Other specs will still have access to demons.
- Discipline Priests
- Disc Priests are going to be a much more offensive healer after another pass on Atonement which will make it more interactive.
- They will still have heals and PW:S, but they will sustain their healing through doing DPS.
- Closer to 50% damage and 50% healing spec.
- In the past, when Atonement was popular you would just spam Smite and Holy Fire all fight long and use the smart healing, which wasn't very interactive. This time, you may throw out some single target heals giving players a buff. Next time you Smite, people who have that buff will get your healing, and you will have to refresh the buff periodically.
- These changes should fix the absorb heavy nature of Discipline Priests.
- Holy Priests will still be all about healing.
- The team has learned some lessons from how Fistweaving works now and will talk about what they are doing to solve the problems with it in the future.
- You will not loot weapons in Legion.
- The item bonus system (Warforged, sockets, and extra stats) worked out well, so it could be extended to have even more bonuses.
- The team has a few ideas for how artifacts will work:
- Your Artifact will start at epic and then there will be some way for it to become legendary over time.
- Your Artifact will start as legendary.
- Your artifact may not have a quality, it could just be its own thing.
- The goal is for players to have an item that they are working on powering up and it can become a legendary, rewarding players who do all of the expansion's content, similar to Mists of Pandaria and Warlords.
- There will be no catch up mechanics for Artifact weapons on alts.
- The team doesn't want it to be too painful if you want to change specs, so there might be some kind of catch up mechanic for getting the Artifact weapon for another spec.
- How we actually get the Artifact weapons from the characters currently wielding them will be revealed in the future.
- Eventually you will be able to unlock every trait in the Artifact weapon tree. You may be able to take different paths to unlocking them all though.
- You will be leveling the Artifact weapon throughout the entire expansion.
- The Artifact weapons have Relic slots, which will determine its raw item stats (DPS, ilvl, etc.) and modifiers to the traits you've chosen, so the Artifact's stats will still improve as you defeat bosses.
- Relics are things you can socket into the artifact and are rewarded from completing major quest lines, dungeons, and raids. This way you still get weapon upgrades from the same sources, but keep the same weapon.
- Artifact weapons can be transmoged into other weapons, but not the other way around.
- There are weapons cooler than Benediction and Anathema for Priest Artifact weapons.
- Earning the Artifact has a class and spec specific quest, but it isn't anywhere near the green fire quest in terms of scale and difficulty.
