by Magistrate - 6 years ago     show comments

World of Warcraft 8.1.5 will bring many new updates, including the arrival of the Kul Tiran and Zandalari Troll Allied Races, Zandalari Paladins, Warlords of Draenor timewalking dungeons, new portal rooms in capitals, profession quests, remasted Warsong Gulch & Arathi Basin, and more.

We’ll take a look at all of this in this next post examining the World of Warcraft: What’s Next panel.

In this Post

• Two New Allied Races
• Battleground Visual Updates
• Warlords of Draenor Timewalking & Rewards
• New Brawler’s Guild Bosses, Quests, & Rewards
• New Profession Quests & Rewards
• New PvP Brawl
• Holiday Updates
• New Darkmoon Faire Ride
• New Faction Portal Rooms

Two New Allied Races

Kul Tiran Humans and Zandalari Trolls will finally be obtainable in patch 8.1.5. After being teased in Battle for Azeroth release materials, as well as datamining, the new Allied Races are unlocked by reaching exalted with either the Zandalari Empire (Horde) or Proudmore Admirality (Alliance).

Zandalari Trolls

The heavily gilded Heritage Armor reflects a lot about the Zandalari–their penchant for ornamentation, beasts, and, of course, gold. After the Horde had resolved unrest in the king’s council and attacks within the borders of Zandalar, they came as a welcome addition to both Horde standing armies and naval prowess.

• Zandalari Trolls are the first Trolls that can be Paladins–something that makes a great deal of sense given some lore precedent and their many ties to the Light through the Loa.
• Their racial abilities reflect their affinity for the Loa, gold, regeneration, and dinosaurs.
• Their mount is also, predictably, a dinosaur.
• Their new Druid forms have all been made from scratch and are based on prehistoric beasts and dinosaurs.

Racials

• Regeneratin’: Concentrate to heal quickly over a short time.
• Embrace the Loa: Pray to Loa and gain their favor.
• City of Gold: Loot additional gold from monsters.
• Pterrordax Swoop: Call upon a Pterrordax to glide to the ground.

Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Shaman, Warlock (shown at the panel but not the blog), Warrior, Paladin

Kul Tiran Humans

Renowned seafarers, ship builders, and shipwrights, Kul Tirans are the first playable Humans that can be Shaman and Druids. Their stout physique and proclivity for the sea are reflected in their passives.

• First Humans that can be Druids and Shaman.
• Their mount is, shockingly, an ornately gilded horse.
• Their Druid forms are inspired by Drust culture and feature a dark, grisly theme of spirits, bones, branches, leaves, and other occult materials.
• Although there was a great deal of speculation on the playability of the “skinny” Kul Tiran models seen around Kul’tiras, nothing seems to have been mentioned.

Racials

• Haymaker: Punch an enemy, stunning and knocking them back.
• Brush it Off: Increase versatility and regenerate damage.
• Jack of All Trades: Increases skill in all tradeskills.
• Child of the Sea: Hold your breath longer and swim faster.
• Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Resistant to Frost and Nature damage.

Classes: Hunter, Warrior, Priest, Rogue, Monk, Druid, Shaman

Battleground Visual Updates

Two battlegrounds, Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch, will receive a complete visual overhaul in 8.1.5. It isn’t yet known if the model updates will affect the brawl versions of either, including Winter Arathi Basin.

• The team’s goal was to maintain the balance and spirit of the original versions of both battlegrounds.
• Painstaking effort is being made to preserve original object placement and playable space.
• All current shots seen below are works in progress and the live ones will look even better.

Warlords of Draenor Timewalking & Rewards

Warlords of Draenor, the expansion that first launched Timewalking dungeons, will now feature into the Timewalking rotation. Players will be able to return to 6 iconic instances and earn 2 new mounts:

• Bloodmaul Slag Mines
• Auchindoun
• Shadowmoon Burial Grounds
• Skyreach
• Iron Docks
• Everbloom

New Brawler’s Guild Bosses, Quests, & Rewards

The Brawler’s Guild will continue to receive updates in 8.1.5, including balancing, 5 new bosses, and more.

A new questline allows us to “punch our way to the truth” as we uncover the mystery of a murder, plunging deep into the Guild’s dark secrets.

A new transmog set, shirts, and Bruce (once just a boss) the mount are the new rewards for our bloodlust.

New Profession Quests & Rewards

New profession questlines will allow players to earn a special on-use item for each tradeskill. These objects also appear to have actual models we will see, probably on use. The effects vary from interacting with world objects in new ways to repairing gear.

New PvP Brawl

Arathi Comp Stomp is an upcoming PvP brawl. Brawls are part of the weekly content rotation and pit players against each other in new and exciting ways for special rewards.

Arathi Comp Stomp, however, will actually pit a team of players against an all-AI team, a development possible thanks to advancements in AI programming with Battle for Azeroth‘s Islands Expedition system. Right now, it appears to run in the old Arathi Basin, but it could be assumed it will be in the updated one mentioned above.

The pictures below are screenshots of players fighting only AI characters.

Holiday Updates

Holidays haven’t been forgotten. This x.5 patch will also include updates to Children’s Week, including quests in Kul’tiras and Zandalar for each faction to help children of their respective new races.

Micro-holidays will receive three new additions. Although their names don’t appear finalized yet, they include:

• The Wandering Festival: Players will return to Krasarang Wilds in Pandaria to celebrate Shen-zin Su, and Liu Lang‘s legendary journeys across the world.
• Vashj’ir Diving: Players will return to the Cataclysm zone, which is entirely underwater and divided into three large sections, to explore its magnificent coral reefs.
• Free T-Shirt Day: We’re unclear on if players will get to keep these shirts after the event is over, or if it’s some kind of buff that happens during the event.

New Darkmoon Faire Ride

Darkmoon Faire’s chief patron, Silas Darkmoon, has completed a new attraction to the monthly event. Starting in 8.1.5, players will be able to catch a ride on the “Gryvern “rollercoaster. Nothing else is known about the ride, or if it has any effects similar to riding the Darkmoon Carousel (which grants a reputation bonus buff).

New Faction Portal Rooms

To address the mess that is the sporadic and seemingly random placement of portals to new zones with each patch and expansion, the team is adding a new designated portal room to Orgrimmar and Stormwind. The portal rooms are being designed so that new portals can easily be added instead of sticking one in some random city location.

It is not yet known if existing portals will remain were they are, but it’s probable, as many existing quests tie into their locations.

We’ll look more at future patches 8.1, 8.1.5, 8.2, and 8.2.5 as we continue to dive into the Day 1 World of Warcraft: What’s Next panel. Click here for more from the panel (it’s a lot), and don’t miss everything Warcraft from BlizzCon 2018!