World of Warcraft: Forever senior game designer Josh Greenfield has teased the development of a new "mega dungeon" designed to offer players an experience akin to the lengthy, complex dungeons of the past. This type of content, characterized by its raid-like duration but designed for a standard five-player group, is being developed to recapture the feeling of getting "lost" in expansive environments for hours.
Greenfield's comments reference Blackrock Depths, a famously large dungeon from the original World of Warcraft that featured numerous boss encounters and multiple pathways, requiring players to learn its layout to efficiently navigate. This type of sprawling design is less common in the modern WoW, which typically features more streamlined, seasonally integrated dungeons. The prospect of a mega dungeon in WoW: Forever suggests a return to the game's roots, focusing on exploration and a more enduring challenge within a single instance.
While details are scarce, a teased image suggests a dungeon themed around the Timbermaw, a faction of bear-like creatures from WoW lore. This potential dungeon, possibly named Blackmaw Hold, was previously hinted at by Blizzard for level 55+ players, though its scale was not specified at the time. The current tease implies it will be significantly larger than typical dungeons.
The design philosophy behind WoW: Forever, which does not need to adhere to the same content cadence or progression structure as the live game, allows for the inclusion of features that might not fit a modern MMO. This opens the door for creative uses of large spaces beyond just combat and gear acquisition. There is potential for mega dungeons to incorporate elements such as unique resource gathering, rare creature taming, or even social hubs, drawing parallels to the more relaxed atmosphere found in areas like WoW: Midnight's Arcantina hub.