Game News World of Warcraft Dragonflight: History, news, release date… We take stock
Published on 01/05/2022 at 09:55
On April 19, Blizzard surprised us by announcing the arrival of Wrath of the Lich King in World of Warcraft Classic. But this speech was above all an opportunity to present WoW’s ninth expansion in due form with the help of an epic trailer: Dragonflight. At the same time, the developers have shared a lot of information with us on the latter. History, flight on the back of dragons, release date, configuration… We take stock of everything there is to know about the Dragonflight extension.
Summary
- What is the story of Dragonflight?
- Where is Dragonflight in World of Warcraft lore?
- What do we know about the new continent?
- What do we know about the new class?
- What other new features does Dragonflight have in store for us?
- What is the release date of Dragonflight?
- When will the pre-patch start?
- What are the minimum requirements to play Dragonflight?
What is the story of Dragonflight?
After a long slumber, the dragonflights have returned to Azeroth to defend their homeland, the Isle of Dragons. But our fire-eaters have lost their power. Between the sacrifice of power and the loss of important members, the Dragonflights (Red, Blue, Green and Bronze) are weakened. Your mission is therefore clear: help them recover their powers and a certain unity, while discovering the history of these ancestral protectors. It is around this plot that the main plot of this new extension of World of Warcraft. However, with its only trailer, Blizzard was quite evasive. We therefore expect more information on the narration of this expansion, both in terms of guidelines and subplots.
Where is Dragonflight in World of Warcraft lore?
The story presented to us by the extension DragonFlight takes on its full meaning when you study the lore of WoW a little. The trailer also tells us about an event that took place 10,000 years before those of Dragonflight: a devastating war, probably the so-called War of the Ancients. Opposing the Burning Legion of the demonic Sargeras and an army of resistance fighters, it took place around the Well of Eternity, an inexhaustible source of magic. If the outcome was victorious for the good side, the conflict had, as you can imagine given the place, terrible consequences. The Well of Eternity exploded and fractured the lands of Azeroth. Thus were born the different continents that we know and the evil that gnaws at them. And it is also from this moment that the dragons left their stronghold to resume the role entrusted to them by the guardian Tyr a long time ago: protect Azeroth.
At that time, Galakrond, the proto-dragon with insatiable hunger, threatened the good balance of the world. Tyr then summoned five dragons to stand against him: Alexstrasza, Malygos, Neltharion, Nozdormu and Ysera. All from a different faction (called Dragonflight), they united to defeat Galakrond and thus save the world. To thank them, the Titans granted them power and immortality. But a few thousand years later, in Wow’s third expansion, Cataclysmthey had to give up these gifts to seal the terrible Neltharion (or Deathwing).
Irion in his humanoid form.
Suffice to say that the history of Dragonflight will be placed in the direct line of a very dense lore which has long given great importance to Dragons. We should even find well-known characters like the Archmage of the Kirin Tor, Khadgar et Irion, one of the only survivors of the Black Dragonflight. In the trailer, we see the latter calling the heroes of Azeroth to help him recover the citadel of the Black Flight, which has fallen under the control of an enemy force. While the antagonist behind this mischief has yet to be introduced, Blizzard assures us that Dragonflight will also mark the return of an old foe.
What do we know about the new continent?
In addition to the story, this extension will of course bring its share of new features, starting with a new region. The stronghold of our winged protectors, the Isle of Dragons, can be explored by players. As with each expansion, this new continent will be divided into five zones. From the shores of Awakening to the Plains of Ohn’ahra via the Azur Travée, the Forbidden Borders or even Thaldraszus, the biomes presented will be different and above all governed by different entities. Each Dragonflight rules its own area.
Description of the different zones
- Shores of Awakening (Red Dragonflight): wild lands made of lava where elementals are found.
- Plains of Ohn’ahra (Green Dragonflight): verdant plains where we notably come across Maruuk Centaurs.
- The Azure Span (Blue Dragonflight): misty forest inhabited by Gnolls and Tuskarrs that ranges from tundra to snowy waterfalls
- Thaldraszus (Bronze Dragonflight): heart of dragonflight power made of mountains and caves
- Forbidden borders: separate island, off the Dragon Islands.
If the Dragons therefore have control over this continent, this does not prevent a few other creatures from living there. In particular, you can come across Gnolls and Centaurs. And we suspect that the cohabitation between these different species is not always easy on the Island of Dragons.
What do we know about the new class?
It’s been six years since World of Warcraft offered a new class. Dragonflight therefore profoundly changes the situation by offering us the Evocators. If the latter will offer gameplay and techniques of their own, it is above all by their nature that they stand out. Indeed, it is the first class of WoW to be dependent on a race, and vice versa. To play Evocators, players will have no choice but to opt for a character from the new race, Dracthyr (Dragon soldiers trained by Neltharion).
Note that on the gameplay side, we already have some details. Dragon abilities can be enhanced by holding the key assigned to them for several seconds. As for specializations, you can choose the devastating force of fire (Devastation) or the vital magic of renewal (Preservation). Blizzard also promises us strong customization. In addition, we suspect that the Dracthyrs will play an important role in the story of this expansion.
What other new features does Dragonflight have in store for us?
Who says dragons, says new creatures to ride to fly away. But beware, the flight on the back of dragons is different from the classic flight. It will be considered as a skill in its own right, which must be improved in order to be able to access new flight maneuvers. In addition to the epic aspect of the thing, this new way to move opens the way to a new way to explore the world of World of Warcraft. We can thus hope for a continent to be discovered that is larger than the previous ones.
This extension is also an opportunity to improve certain aspects of WoW. The talent system will be revamped. Divided into two, it will allow players to have more specialization options. On the one hand, we will therefore find the specializations specific to the chosen class, and on the other, more general specializations. The system of trades and crafts will also be entitled to an overhaul, just like the game interface which is getting a makeover for the very first time. It will include an edit mode that should delight players. Add to that an increase in the level cap (70), new dungeons, a brand new raid and an overhaul of Uldaman, among other things, and you have Dragonflight.
As for Season 1 of Dragonflight’s Mythic+ mode, it should offer four new dungeons and four others already known to players.
What is the release date of Dragonflight?
No date has been announced by Blizzard, not even a small release window. Nevertheless, we know that the developers are preparing a beta for us. To hope to have a chance to be invited, you can already register on the official site of the extension.
When will the pre-patch start?
As usual, the developers have planned a series of in-game events meant to introduce the upcoming expansion. This is called a pre-patch and Dragonflight will be entitled to it. Unfortunately, it is not yet known when the latter will begin. Blizzard still gave us some information about it. For two weeks (probably just before the release of the expansion), players will be able to discover a new version of one of the old dungeons of World of Warcraft, Uldaman. At the same time, they can also try out the new class and features introduced by WoW’s ninth expansion.
What are the minimum requirements to play Dragonflight?
We do not yet know the minimum system requirements for WoW. But if the game engine will evolve and therefore become more demanding, players with a less efficient configuration should still find their account. Indeed, the philosophy of this iconic MMORPG remains the same: allow as many players as possible to enjoy WoW, whatever their budget.
For comparison, here the minimum and recommended configurations of the previous extension, Shadowlands, sous Windows :
Configuration minimale
- Operating system : Windows 7
- Processor : Intel Core i5-3450 / AMD FX 8300
- RAM: 4GB
- Graphic card : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 / AM Radeon RX 560 / Intel UHD 630 (45W)
- Disk space : 100 GB of free space
Recommended Setup
- Operating system : Windows 10
- Processor : Intel Core i7-6700K / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- RAM: 8GB
- Graphic card : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / AM Radeon RX Vega 64
- Disk space : 100 GB of free space (SSD)
