World of Warcrafts new cross-faction guilds are coming sooner than you think

Date:
Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:34:52 +0000

Description:
World of Warcrafts upcoming patch, Embers of Neltharion, now has an imminent release date.

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The next big World of Warcraft patch has a release date, and its sooner than we expected.

World of Warcraft patch 10.1, Embers of Neltharion will be coming to our
hard drives on May 2 with a complimentary Dragonflight Season 2 update set to go live on May 9. Embers of Neltharion includes a host of new features, such as a new zone, a new renown track, updates to Dragonriding, and -controversially- the addition of cross-faction guilds.

The new zone, Zaralek Cavern is a cave system underneath the Dragon Isles is full of dark secrets and the remnants of the dragon Neltharions dark experiments. Those that venture into Zaralek wont be alone, however, as
theyll be able to make friends with the Niffen, a local culture of mole
people as well as the shamanistic Drogbar.

Dragonriding fans are also in for a treat, as update 10.1 is bringing with it new race courses, glyphs abilities and a new drake: the Winding Slitherdrake. We can also expect the usual updates to class tuning and balancing, as well
as new gear, mounts, and pets to get your hands on. (Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

The Dragonflight Season 2 update is set to follow on May 9, bringing a great deal of extra content to WoWs endgame, including a new raid, and additions to the Mythic+ Rotation. Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible offers nine bosses for players to contend with as they fight their way through Neltharions secret laboratory in the heart of Zaralek. As with Season 1, Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties will release simultaneously, so theres something for everyone.

Perhaps the biggest change, however, comes in the implementation of cross-faction guilds. Starting in patch 10.1, guilds will gain the ability to invite players of the opposite faction, as well as giving them access to the guild chat, guild bank, and guild calendar. Given that World of Warcraft has often emphasized the conflict between the scrappy Horde and the industrious Alliance, this feature has proven somewhat controversial. Crossing the
streams (Image credit: Blizzard)

Cross-faction play isnt new to World of Warcraft . Players have been able to form groups with players from other factions for Raids, dungeons, and PvP battlegrounds since the previous expansion, Shadowlands . However, the jump
to cross-faction guilds is unprecedented.

WoW earned its place amongst the best MMOs because of its distinctive world-building and definitive take on online community building. The conflict between the Horde and the Alliance has been a staple of the title since its release back in 2004. The iconic opening cinematic took great pains to show off the fractious relationship between the two fantasy power blocs, making great use of one of the best RPG tropes out there.

The conflict between the Horde and the Alliance has been a staple of the
title since its release back in 2004

Battle for Azeroth the expansion before last based its entire main storyline around a reignition of the old factional conflict. Despite some of the expansions missteps when it came to endgame progression and content design, it was gratifying to see WoW return to its roots.

This breaking of a traditional communication barrier between the two factions is a welcome quality of life change for some, while, for others, it spells an end to a core part of the games identity. If factions can group up, form guilds, and trade together, then whats the point of selecting a faction in
the first place? Its a poignant question, and Im not convinced that I currently have an answer.

That said, the introduction of cross-faction guilds is, at least, an interesting step forward for Blizzard. Itll be fascinating to see how this change affects the games social makeup in the long term. World of Warcraft: Dragonflight brings updates weve waited 18 years for



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-warcrafts-new-cross-faction-guilds-are -coming-sooner-than-you-think


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