That’s not the only way feedback from
Battle for Azeroth and Legion have
shaped Shadowlands, though.
Throughout the expansion, players will
gather Anima to buff up their character in
the same way that players hoarded
Artifact Power in both Legion and Battle
for Azeroth. But unlike Artifact Power,
Anima isn’t infinitely grindable, and
players won’t have to worry about feeling
pressured to spend hours of each week
maxing it out just to stay competitive with
others. “That just leads to burnout,”
Hazzikostas says. “In order to get your
core power progression, really we’re
probably asking like an hour a week –
something like that. Obviously it depends
on your activity level, but we really want to
create a baseline low level of activity.”
But if players aren’t spending all their
free time grinding for marginal increases
in power, what will they be doing instead?
Turns out, Shadowlands has some bold
ideas for reshaping Warcraft’s endgame.INTO THE ABYSS
In addition to the usual raids, dungeons,
and daily world quests that players are
used to by now, Shadowlands is packing a
big one-two punch between a new
roguelike dungeon called Torghast, Tower
of the Damned and a harrowing outdoor
zone for max-level players, The Maw. Each
iterate on experimental ideas from Battle
for Azeroth, Hazzikostas tells me.
The halls of Torghast are what I’m
most excited for. Once players reach max
level, they’ll explore this new type of
dungeon looking for relics that can then
be used to craft new Legendary items with
powerful and unique abilities. Getting out
alive will be challenging, though, because
Torghast changes each time you enter it.
Hazzikostas says that, like any good
roguelike, each floor will algorithmically
spawn different monsters and traps, and
powers to help you survive them. During a
run you’ll gradually choose various
temporary upgrades that’ll augment your
abilities, often triggering weird and
unforeseen synergies.
“It gives us a chance to have a lot of fun
doubling down on just, frankly, broken
powers,” Hazzikostas laughs. “Things that
are transformative that we can’tnecessarilydointheexisting,established
spaces like dungeons and raids. But if you
can feel like you’re breaking the game in
the confines of a run in Torghast, that’s a
whole entire new type of gameplay that
we’ve never really been able to explore.”
Compared to the confines of Torghast,
The Maw might seem like a breath of fresh
air if it weren’t swimming with the
Shadowlands’ scariest monsters.
Previous expansions have included a zone
exclusive to max-level players, but
Hazzikostas says The Maw will feel
significantly different. “This is the heart of
the Shadowlands that none but you have
ever been able to escape from,” he warns.
“This is not a place where you’re going to
go chill out for a while, pick some herbs
and go do some quests. But we still want
this to be a place for all players.”
Hazzikostas compares The Maw to
how zones were designed in World of
Warcraft Classic, where players weren’t
the super-powered gods they are now and
had to exercise caution while fighting and
exploring. If Blizzard pulls it off, it should
add some much-needed tension to
Warcraft’s open-world questing.WELCOME TO HELL
Torghast and The Maw are just a few of
Shadowlands’ promising new features,
though. Each new zone has its own
Covenant that players can choose to join,
unlocking unique abilities and armour
sets. And even though players will spend
most of their time exploring this new spirit
realm, those not currently at max level will
see some radical new changes to Azeroth.
For the first time ever, World of
Warcraft’s level cap is being reduced back
to its original limit of 60. Instead of new
abilities being slowly drip-fed over 120
levels, the level squish will ensure each
new level is satisfying and exciting. It will
also make it easier to experience old
expansions in their entirety. Once a
character reaches level 10, players will
choose which expansion they’ll want to
experience, taking them all the way to level
50 where Shadowlands begins. It sounds
like an exciting new way to experience
parts of Azeroth that often go neglected
these days, but at a pace Hazzikostas
estimates is 60 per cent faster than the
current levelling process.
And while Battle for Azeroth’s unique
ideas didn’t always stick, Shadowlands is
improving many of them in ways that
make me excited about spending the next
two years in Warcraft’s version of hell.
Steven MessnerWORLD OF WARCRAFT’S LEVEL
CAP IS BEING REDUCED BACK
TO ITS ORIGINAL LIMIT OF 60WorldofWarcraft: Shadowlan
PREVIEW
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