Missed the Shadowlands live stream? Here’s a recap of what’s coming as the next WoW expansion approaches beta.
In yesterday’s developer update live stream, World of Warcraft Executive Producer John Hight and Game Director Ion Hazzikostas walked through what’s on the horizon for Shadowlands as the beta test period approaches, which is currently scheduled to begin next week.
Details on what John and Ion covered in the live stream are below—read on for a breakdown of the Shadowlands Collector’s Edition contents, as well as deeper dives into the specifics of the Covenant system, including Soulbinds, Renown, Sanctums, and more.
Mark Your Calendars—Shadowlands Beta Test Starts Next Week World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will officially go into beta next week, and the team is looking forward to having even more players jump in the action—look for a new round of invites to coincide with the beta launch. Player feedback from the alpha test has had an immense impact on the development of Shadowlands so far, with over 1,600 bugs identified as a direct result of reports from players. In addition, player feedback has had led to significant design and class balance changes, and has shaped some key decisions, like the elimination of timers and keys to get into Torghast, the ever-changing dungeon experience coming in the expansion. Choosing a Covenant Covenants play a huge role in the Shadowlands story and gameplay experience, and it takes on even more significance once players reach max level. Upon reaching a certain point in the story and hitting level 60, players will be invited to return to Oribos to contemplate this character-defining decision. They’ll get to review some of the rewards that come with each and test out their class abilities before making the pledge and beginning their journey to restore the Covenant’s Sanctum to glory.
Covenant Powers and Perks In addition to abilities, cosmetics, and other boons unique to each Covenant, each also has a selection of characters that players can form a Soulbind with, a ritual by which they can harness some of that character’s power. Each Soulbind character has its own selection of perks and abilities to choose from, which includes empty “sockets” where players can assign Conduits that grant special powers and are acquired through various activities across the game. Players can swap and respec their Soulbinds fairly easily from their Covenant’s Sanctum. As players recover lost souls and collect the precious resource known as anima during their adventures in the Shadowlands, their level of Renown with their Covenant will increase, unlocking numerous rewards, including cosmetics, and allies for use in Adventures, the evolution of the mission system. Adventures introduces combat and party-building dynamics more reflective the main WoW experience, and will available both via the in-game client and companion app when Shadowlands launches. Amassing anima will also help players restore their Covenants’ Sanctums to greatness. Each Sanctum has four features that are waiting to be restored and upgraded, and players will decide which ones they’ll pursue. These include sites that provide utility, like transportation networks, and scouting maps to send allies on Adventures. Each sanctum also has an Anima Conductor, which activates points of interest across the zone, granting access to rare spawns, treasures, quests, and other perks. Each Covenant also has its own unique feature specific to its character and purpose, including:
- The Necrolords’ Abomination Factory, where players can construct horrific corporeal bodies for spirits they rescue around the Shadowlands.
- The Kryian Path of Ascension, which allows players to take control of their Soulbinds and face a gauntlet of combat challenges.
- The Ember Court of the Venthyr, where players are called upon to host and entertain the fastidious aristocracy of Revendreth.
- The Queen’s Conservatory, a garden-like sanctum where members of the Night Fae tend to spirits awaiting rebirth.
Finally, at max level, players will be able to continue their Covenant’s story through their unique Covenant Campaign, which promise exciting rewards, including new Soulbind characters. Enter the Maw Once the beta kicks off and players hit max level, they’ll have more opportunities to return to and explore the hazardous sandbox zone known as the Maw, where they took their first tentative steps into the Shadowlands. In their journeys, they’ll have the opportunity to team up with Ve’nari the Broker, a rare friendly face in the Maw’s harsh hellscape, who will help players prepare themselves for the horrors therein—as well as the trials that await them in Torghast.
Shadowlands Collector’s Edition Contents In addition to a host of digital goodies from the digital Epic Edition like the EnsorcelledEverwyrm Mount and Anima Wyrmling pet, the Shadowlands Collector’s Edition is jam-packed with other treasures, including a mousepad showing the shattered sky above Icecrown, a hardcover art book, a digital soundtrack, and a collection of four pins bearing the Covenants’ sigils, so players can proudly proclaim their chosen Covenant to the world. Coming Soon to Beta As the beta progresses, players can look forward to comprehensive testing of many of Shadowlands’ key features, including:
- The expansion’s first raid, Castle Natharia, which will be playable across all difficulties.
- Shadowlands’ Mythic Keystone system.
- Legendary Runecrafting, which allows players to work toward building the ideal legendary equipment for their specific play style.
- PvP testing, with a focus on how Covenant abilities and Soulbinds impact the game.
- . . . and more!
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