World of Warcraft’s next patch will feature cameos from some major characters from the game’s history, but not in the way some might expect. The versions players will encounter in the next World of Warcraft: Dragonflight update will be from several alternate realities of Azeroth.
Dragonflight is currently working on Patch 10.1.5, Fractures in Time. Though the patch does not have a release date yet, many features from the update are currently available on the World of Warcraft Public Test Realm–including some of the Time Rift repeatable content coming to Eon’s Fringe in Thaldraszus.
These quests will have players slipping into different timelines, including some where World of Warcraft’s history played out rather differently. Through datamining the recent PTR builds, players have found some NPCs they can expect to encounter in these Time Rifts. In one, Vereesa Windrunner has become the Banshee Queen, instead of her sister Sylvanas of World of Warcraft infamy, and Uther the Lightbringer appears as a Death Knight known as the Deathbringer. These characters appear in an Undead Scourge-controlled version of Azeroth referred to as Azmourne.
Azmourne is only one of seven major alternate realities World of Warcraft players will explore in these Time Rifts. As side content, players shouldn’t expect Dragonflight to dig deep into the lore of these alternative universe versions of World of Warcraft characters like Varian Wrynn, Cho’gall, and Freya, but it will be fun to get a taste of what could have been nonetheless.
Besides Azmourne, players can expect to explore the following alternative versions of World of Warcraft’s history:
- Azewrath, where the Burning Legion successfully subjugated Azeroth.
- Azmerloth, a continuation of the hilarious Murloc-infested world from the Thaldraszus story in Dragonflight.
- A.Z.E.R.O.T.H., a version of the world where King Mechagon’s crusade to reverse the Curse of Flesh went global.
- Azq’roth, where the Old Gods took over and restarted the Black Empire.
- Ulderoth, which is fully controlled by Planetary Overseer Freya on behalf of the Titans.
- The Warlands, an Azeroth beset by pitched conflict between the Great Glorious Alliance and the Blood Horde–and where everyone has an eyepatch.
Patch 10.1.5 will be a great content update for World of Warcraft fans who enjoy time travel. The Dawn of the Infinite megadungeon will focus on the struggle between the Bronze and Infinite Dragonflights, and features boss fights against some of World of Warcraft’s most important historical characters. With the update coming within the next couple of months, there is no better time for fans of World of Warcraft’s lore to see what Dragonflight is all about.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.