What is World of Warcraft: Dragonflight?
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by Blizzard Entertainment. It initially launched on November 23, 2004, and the developers have continued to keep it fresh with new content.
The ninth expansion of WoW is titled Dragonflight. As the name suggests, Blizzard introduces dragons into the mythical world of Azeroth, along with plenty of other in-game updates.
When Does Dragongflight Come Out?
Unfortunately, Blizzard has not yet set a release date for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. Some publications have speculated that it could launch as soon as November 2022, while others suggest it will be available in early 2023.
Blizzard did mention that alpha testing for this expansion will start “soon”, so it’s at least likely that we will see early gameplay in the coming months. You can sign up for a chance to join the beta test on the Blizzard website.
Once we have official dates for the alpha, beta, and full release of Dragonflight we will let the community know!
What is Dragonflight About?
The storyline of Dragflight revolves around the reawakening of dragons as well as several WoW characters who have been part of the ongoing plot. Alexstrasza, Kalecgos, Ebonhorn, and Wrathion will all be making a return in the latest WoW expansion. Blizzard nicely summarizes the Dragonflight story with this quote:
The dragonflights of Azeroth have returned, called upon to defend their ancestral home, the Dragon Isles. Surging with elemental magic and the life energies of Azeroth, the Isles are awakening once more, and it’s up to you to explore their primordial wonder and discover long-forgotten secrets.
This helps to explain what dragonflights are, and most people will likely just refer to them as dragons.
The winged beasts are majestic and seemingly friendly in the Dragonflight trailer. Blizzard has introduced a new mechanic where players can mount dragons to explore from the skies! There are four Dragon Isles Drakes to be obtained, and each one is fully customizable.
What’s new in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight?
Since dragons are such a pivotal component of this expansion, I’m excited to see the new gameplay mechanics that have been introduced! Dragonriding gameplay will include special moves, a skill tree, and unlockable customizations as your progress with your mount. While the website doesn’t explicitly state it, there are hints of sky combat among dragon-mounted players.
Dragonflight also introduces the first strictly-ranged class in the game! This dragon-inspired Dracthyr will wield deadly magic and can transform between a “humanoid visage” and a “fearsome draconic form”. This class adds new abilities to master and an array of customization options.
We also get a new continent in this update. The Dragon Isles are the ancestral home of the dragons and are filled with new treasures and threats to discover. Within the Isles, you’ll find 4 unique leveling zones that have their own aesthetics and mysteries.
Blizzard also made many quality-of-life changes in this patch. They increased the level cap to 70, added a new raid against the Dragon Aspects, created additional dungeons to conquer, introduced a revamped talent system, updated to the HUD system, and designed new professions.
For full details, make sure to head over to the official Dragonflight website and sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates!
Will you be playing World of Warcraft: Dragonflight? What aspects of this expansion are most appealing to you? Join the conversation in the comments section!
