WoW Forever Zones Overview
New Starting Experiences
At the Blizzcon Found Photographs Panel, Lead Content Designer Evan Lee explains that all starting zones will have new NPCs, quests, and experiences compared to what players are used to in WoW Classic. Although new quests are added, it looks like the original content we're used to will also still exist alongside it. Along with these starting zones, places like Desolace and the Wetlands have gotten major quest additions to make these zones feel less empty. Overall, Blizzard has stated there are over 1000 new quests added in WoW Forever at launch!
Senior Game Designer Josh Greenfield (Aggrend) also explained that WoW Forever takes place at "year 1" of World of Warcraft, before the Dark Portal opened, and before players traveled to Northrend to take down Arthas. Executive Producer & Vice President for World of Warcraft Holly Longdale also explained that WoW Forever will take place directly after the campaign of the new Warcraft III Expansion: Forsaken Kingdom.
A new plateau area overlooking Thunderbluff in Mulgore
New World Travel Additions in WoW Forever
Several additions come to the open world for traveling. For starters, three new ports have been added to WoW Forever. Something players are familiar with is the Stormwind Harbor, originally added in Wrath of the Lich King, assisting players from Auberdine and the Wetlands in getting to Stormwind City more easily. However, two brand new ports are also being added. Southshore now has a use for its dock and will now serve as a stop for players between Menethil Harbor and Auberdine.
Steamwheedle Port can now actually be called a Port, because it now has a boat to take players across the continent to the new zone in WoW Forever: Riverglades.
Four New Zones in WoW Forever
World of Warcraft: Forever launches with four new zones: Mount Hyjal, Shen'Dralas, Riverglades, and Zephras Isle. Mount Hyjal is a new endgame zone and will host the first 20 and 10 player raid; Hyjal Summit and the Barrow Deeps. Because this takes place after Warcraft III, you will still find Archimonde's skeleton here by Nordrassil.
Shen'Dralas will be set between Mulgore and Desolace, and will continue the story of the Shen'dralar, while also continuing the story of the Centaur Tribes of Desolace. Along with that, there will be quests that will add more to the dungeons Razorfen Downs and Mauradon.
The Riverglades serves as the answer to the leveling drought for players in their mid-thirties to early forties (levels, that is). Players can reach here from Steamwheedle Port, but can also gain access from a new travel point in Redridge from an entrance through the Burning Steppes. Players can break off from questing in Stranglethorn Vale, Desolace, and Arathi Highlands to venture into this new land inhabited by Ogres and the Twilight's Hammer. Riverglades also hosts one of the new dungeons in WoW Forever: Kor'Dok Stronghold.
Finally, Zephras Isle will be a new starting zone for the Skyborne, the first new race in WoW Forever, available at launch. Zephras Isle will help explain the lore of the Skyborne, an elf race that escaped from Dire Maul with the help of the Air Elementals of Al'Akir. This zone will serve players from level 1-12, where they will break off into their respective factions' level 10-20 zones afterward.
The Journey, not the Destination
The developers have stressed at BlizzCon that there is a high focus on the leveling journey, and not just endgame content in WoW Forever. Associate Production Director of WoW Classic, Clayton Stone, highlighted that through features such as Camping, a strong focus on tradeskills, and Legacy Talents, players will be able to stop and savor the exploration and wonder of the new game.
Camping pushes players to focus more on tradeskills as they're leveling, and not just at max level. It brings not only social interactions, but also new buffs to players depending on their tradeskills. Some of them are cute thematic additions, like a little fish bowl!
ProfessionItemBuff
BlacksmithingSharpening WheelStrength
TailoringFaction BannerSpirit
HerbalismIncense CandleIntellect
FishingFish BowlAll Stats %
These buffs will imitate class buffs such as a Mage's Arcane Intellect or a Paladin's Blessing of Kings. Along with that, Cooking receives a major buff as a new type of "Well Fed" buff enters WoW Forever: a +5% Experience buff!
Blizzard has a hard focus on slowing down players as they level up and getting them to interact and meet other players out in the world (of Warcraft). Although we do get buffs to leveling alts through the Legacy Talent system, there is a clear focus on making the leveling journey have that old-school MMORPG feeling, especially on that first-time playthrough from 1-60.
