The Rise of Azshara is almost upon us! In a content preview live stream on April 11, Senior Game Designer Jeremy Feasel laid out what we can expect in the next epic chapter in the Battle for Azeroth. You can watch the VOD here, and check out a recap of the highlights below.
New Zone: NazjatarOne of Rise of Azshara’s new zones, Nazjatar is the home of an ancient night elf civilization and the lost city of Zin-Azshari. It has emerged from the depths of the ocean after being entombed for thousands of years and, with it, new challenges await.
Mechagon Island and Operation Mechagon
Mechagon Island will introduce a new gnome-themed zone full of technological wonders. In the Operation Mechagon dungeon, players will go toe-to-toe with King Mechagon—who wants nothing more than to cure Azeroth of the “curse of flesh.”
New Raid: Azshara’s Eternal Palace
The new eight-boss raid, Azshara’s Eternal Palace, takes us into the depths of Nazjatar and features, among other challenges, an underwater boss fight, and the ultimate confrontation with Queen Azshara herself.
Continuation of the War Campaign
The story of the Battle for Azeroth War Campaign will continue with Rise of Azshara, and the fate of Baine Bloodhoof—who’s currently chained within Orgrimmar—is at stake.
Heart of Azeroth Updates
Big changes are coming to the Heart of Azeroth, and we broke down some of the specifics, including details on Essences—a new category of items that players can collect and infuse into the artifact, which grant powerful effects and abilities. Read more.
New Tauren and Gnome Heritage Armor
The new tauren and gnome Heritage armor are also arriving, and new quests will be available for each of these races, delving into their histories.
Two New Islands: Crestfall and Snowblossom Village
Two new islands are set to release in Rise of Azshara. Crestfall—a location drawn from a Warcraft II map—will provide deep cuts of lore scattered across its landmass. The second island is the quiet mountain town of Snowblossom Village, where the pandaran have been under attack by undead forces.
Heroic Warfront: Battle for Stromgarde
World of Warcraft’s first Heroic Warfront, Battle for Stromgarde, will challenge participants to coordinate their efforts to protect resources and take objectives against unrelenting AI opponents.
New Arena: The Robodrome
Get ready to duke it out in the Robodrome, a gnome-themed Arena complete with the whirring and clanking of gears you’d come to expect. This new Arena will also make its way into the competitive PvP scene.
Unlock Flying: Pathfinder Part II
For those excited to take to the skies, we confirmed crucial details on Pathfinder Part II—including info on the brand-new Mechanical Parrot flying mount you’ll get as a reward for earning the achievement.
Season Update: Season 3
We provided more information on Season 3, which introduces a brand-new set of Vicious mounts and new Gladiator Arena mounts for PvP. We’ll also see an increase to item levels and a new Nazjatar-themed affix for Mythic Keystone dungeons, as well as the release of the Eternal Palace raid and the new dungeon: Operation Mechagon.
Holiday Updates, New Profession Recipes, And More!
New holiday updates for Brewfest, new Profession recipes, new pets, new mounts, new gear to collect, and a new pet battle dungeon are on the way as well. Jeremy also announced the addition of Ashran into the collection of 40 vs. 40 Epic Battlegrounds available in the game.
