As World of Warcraft: Forever prepares for its launch next week, fans have been dissecting its new release trailer, uncovering what appears to be an easter egg hinting at a possible return to Northrend, the iconic continent featured in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. This detail has ignited speculation about Blizzard's future plans for the game.
The trailer, released earlier this week, includes a zoomed-out view of Azeroth with notable lights emanating from its continents. As pointed out by Reddit user Whatdididotho1, faint red and blue lights are visible to the north of the main landmass, on what appears to be Northrend. This has led many to believe that the continent, a significant location in Warcraft 3 and the 2008 World of Warcraft expansion, may feature in Forever's future content.
While the game is designed to focus on Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, with no new capital cities planned, Blizzard has not dismissed the possibility of visiting other locales. Principal game designer Kris Zierhut confirmed in a recent interview with IGN that Northrend, along with Pandaria and the Dark Portal, are considered canon within Forever's timeline as they existed when the original World of Warcraft launched. However, Zierhut emphasized that the game's core experience is centered on exploring the initial continents in greater detail.
Despite the primary focus remaining on Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, Zierhut suggested that occasional visits to other regions could be possible, potentially through dungeons or new endgame content. Lead Classic designer Tim Jones elaborated on this, describing the game as being in a "time bubble" between Warcraft 3 and the Burning Crusade. He posited that a "hostile" level 60 zone set in Northrend could be feasible, especially given Arthas's activities at that time. This perspective implies that while players might not visit the exact version seen in Wrath of the Lich King, a new, challenging iteration of the continent could be introduced.
While Northrend is not expected to be accessible at the game's launch, the numerous hints suggest its inclusion could be imminent. Players anticipate that further clues will emerge as they engage with the endgame content. This potential expansion offers a compelling prospect for players who enjoy exploring familiar territories while remaining open to venturing into new, or in this case, revisited, areas of the Warcraft universe.