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Yet, Blizzard is still not done.
Launching later this year, expected around Q3 2024, Blizzard is launching The War Within.
In The War Within, players will be able to make new characters of the Earthen dwarf race.
What are the big problems with WoW’s onboarding process, and is Blizzard planning to address it?
Here’s what Blizzard had to say on the topic.
Exile’s Reach is problematic for a number of reasons.
In The War Within, players will be able to make new characters of the Earthen dwarf race.
First, it gives you little to no context of your place within the “World” of Warcraft.
There’s no real introduction to your race, class, or lands that make up Azeroth.
“Content gaps are not great,“Holly admitted, discussing previous expansions like Shadowlands.
“We were also getting data showing how different player segments were being served.
We looked at new players coming into [World of Warcraft], right?
And then, how were they bouncing out.
“We set goals for ourselves, actual metrics on what “retention” would mean.
And we beat those.
So thanks, players, that’s great!
But user acquisition is a weakness.
“Holly conceded,“We do get players that come in.
And then there’s a part of the onboarding experience where we lose them.
“There’s a bunch of challenges.
How do we tell 20 years of story?
So players get a really good healthy intro.
In The War Within, players will be able to make new characters of the Earthen dwarf race.
I do think this idea of the player fantasy with the race you choose …
So, I think we’re going to explore that more.
There is work to do there.
Gnome players have been waiting literal decades to “retake” Gnomeregan, the gnomish capital city and classic gnomish level 1 starting city.
And that’s something that we want to aim for in the future.”
And I know that things that happen later in The War Within we’ll delve into some of that.
We’ve seen some some with the Forsaken andnd with the Gilneans recently.
The War Within takes place in the ancient lands of Khaz Algar, which will take players to the Isle of Dorn, and then deep underground.
They don’t love each other.
They unite, and then they always fall out.
I think that’s a safe bet that you’re not going to stay friendly.
Revamping the nostalgic lands of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms would give players a reason to make fresh alt characters.
You know, individuals may stay friendly, but maybe not factionally.”
So, how could Blizzard fix it?
However, I personally still don’t think it’s good enough.
It’s easy in my view how Blizzard could prepare World of Warcraft for the new generation.
I would make a set of characters whose sole job is to basically stay within those old lands.
Those zones don’t need major characters or high-stakes cutscenes and things of this nature.
There will always be new quillboar threats in the Barrens.
There will always be the odd demon making their way down from Felwood.
Duskwood will always have its cursed creatures, and so on.
A hit Warcraft TV show like Fallout on Prime?
Will I finally get playable ogres?!
Only time will tell.
One thing is for certain: I’ll be playing until the servers are eventually turned off.
