In Shadowlands Patch 9.2.5, World of Warcraft finally began allowing Alliance and Horde players to play together. Now that World of Warcraft is in alpha testing for Dragonflight, players are starting to see that change reflect in the story, as evidenced by the friendship between a familiar orc and human NPC.When Shadowlands first launched, World of Warcraft created a new starting experience for normal races and classes called Exile’s Reach. During the experience, Alliance players work with the human Captain Garrick, while Horde players fight alongside the orc Warlord Breka Grimaxe.RELATED: World of Warcraft: Slime Cat Mount Finally Appears as Shadowlands Season 4 RewardBoth of these characters have returned in Dragonflight, and can be found in a sidequest in the Waking Shores zone. However, in the time between Shadowlands and Dragonflight, it seems these characters have fought alongside each other and become close friends. Alliance and Horde players both have access to different versions of the quest where they work with their opposite faction's counterparts. The interactions themselves are wholesome. Garrick is teaching her son how to speak Orcish, and Grimaxe shows her daughter the honor to be found in the Alliance expedition members.

World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas had previously confirmed the faction war was well and truly over. While PvP and War Mode will likely always stick around, Hazzikostas confirmed the story would not escalate the conflict between the Alliance and Horde again as it did in Battle for Azeroth. With friendships like the one between Garrick and Grimaxe now appearing in World of Warcraft, it is easy to believe Azeroth is moving towards an era of relative peace between the two factions.

Players are relieved World of Warcraft is making a shift away from the faction war. Though the history of Warcraft originated with conflict between orcs and humans, fans are more than eager to put aside the fight after 30 years. The characters from Exile’s Reach were also incredibly charming and were well-received, so players are happy to see them not only return, but spearhead the newfound peace between the Alliance and the Horde.

Of course, some fans aren’t as happy with the peace between the Alliance and Horde. The faction war has created interesting world states in World of Warcraft for years, and its world PvP has always been one of its most popular, dynamic, and unpredictable aspects. However, after years of dividing the community in half both physically and spiritually, even these players must agree closing the gap is objectively better for the longevity of World of Warcraft.

World of Warcraft is available now on PC. The Dragonflight expansion is set to launch later this year.

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Source: Wowhead