The reveal of The War Within, the upcoming expansion for World of Warcraft, has created a mix of excitement and concern within the player community. This new expansion is set to kick off the much-anticipated Worldsoul Saga which is inspired by the MCU’s epic storytelling
Players have been eagerly waiting for more details. But they haven’t reacted well to some of the revelations and updates in this expansion, and for good reason.
The War Within’s Game Director Shares More
During a recent interview with game director Ion Hazzikostas, some aspects of the reveal led to mixed reactions from fans, particularly around the Mythic+ rewards. He shared:
That’s fair, and it’s not something we’re 100% locked into, that could change down the line.
Hazzikostas acknowledged the concerns and emphasized that the design decisions are not yet set in stone, leaving room for potential changes down the line, which is just corporate talk meaning the publisher will eventually make some changes after the immense fan backlash that will eventually happen.
In the interview, Hazzikostas also mentioned that some players were disappointed with the fact that Mythic+ rewards in The War Within were primarily ground-based mounts.
Players often enjoy showing off their achievements in World of Warcraft, and with flying mounts being more visible and versatile, the lack of airborne rewards felt like a letdown to a lot of gamers.
Another one of the biggest talking points from the reveal has been the Hero Talents. These talents are designed to give players more control over their character’s abilities, but the reaction so far has been pretty lukewarm.
The Controversial Hero Talents
The game director also explained that while Hero Talents are meant to enhance gameplay, they aren’t going to drastically change how classes play. Instead, they are more about augmenting the existing class fantasies and giving players that freedom and enhancement.
The talents will allow players to push their characters in different directions, adding some flavor, but they won’t introduce any game-changing mechanics. This has led to some disappointment, as many players were hoping for more impactful changes that could bring new life to their classes, and lead to greater customization.
Hazzikostas acknowledged that there is a balance to strike between adding new mechanics and not overwhelming players with too much complexity. With 39 specializations across 13 classes, the team has to be careful not to make the game way too complicated.
This cautious approach, however, may have led to some players feeling underwhelmed by what they’ve seen so far. Another significant aspect of the expansion is its map design. Unlike previous expansions that featured vast outdoor spaces, The War Within introduces more vertical and subterranean zones.
While this design choice adds a fresh feel to the game, it also raises concerns about how engaging these areas will be. Players are used to exploring wide-open spaces, and there’s a fear that the new map could feel claustrophobic or repetitive to them.
But even with these reassurances by the developers, there’s still a worry that the new map could lead to certain areas being ignored by players who prefer more traditional zone designs.
How do you feel about all of these design choices and changes in the upcoming expansion? Let us know in the comments below.
