Much has been said about World of Warcraft‘s latest expansion, Dragonflight, as akin to a return to “classic” WoW in the modern age. You’ve certainly would have seen much from the alpha build, whether from content creators or having played it yourself, if you looked it up. That said, there’s surely more to discover once the expansion actually launches.

Check out our Q&A with Senior Game Designers Graham Berger and Jake Miller here.

LEGACY OF THE DRAGONFLIGHTS, BIRTH OF THE DRACTHYR

Let us set the stage. Lead Narrative Designer, Steve Danuser, brings us back to an age long past. Galakrond has been defeated by the combined powers of five powerful primal dragons, who are then blessed by the titans, at the behest of Keeper Tyr, transforming them into the Dragon Aspects. While many gladly accepted the titans’ gifts, there were those who saw it as dragonkind being subservient to Order. As such, four dragons who embodied the primal elemental energies of the world became the Incarnates, their followers Primalists, essentially rejecting the Aspects.

Queen Alexstrasza believed she could mend the rift of divided dragonkind, but the other Aspects were less certain. Neltharion, Earth-Warder and defender of dragonflights, for one, believed war was to come. Retreating to a secret laboratory under Obsidian Citadel, he sought to create the perfect soldier to defeat the Incarnates and Primalists. There was a time where he had yet to be corrupted by the Old Gods, a strategic mastermind who understood every facet to waging war. After many iterations, the dracthyr were created, made from the magic of dragonflight, and the essence of adaptability of the younger mortal races.

Until he knew their true worth, Neltharion trained the dracthyr on an uninhabited island. A titan relic was used to maintain absolute control over them. However, an army is not a secret that can be kept for long. Raszageth, Incarnate of Storms, struck at once on learning their existence. The dracthyr could push these opposing forces back, until the titan relic was destroyed. The faltering dracthyr seemed set to be doomed, were it not for Neltharion drawing on an unknown power to overcome and imprison Raszageth. The mists of time have since obscured knowledge of this power.

No longer able to control the dracthyr, Neltharion sealed them away and suspended them in magical stasis. He would then embark on the road of shadow, leading him to betray his kin, and become Deathwing.

The Dragon Isles reawakening comes at a cost. The Primalists have broken Raszageth out of prison, and the dracthyr are thrust into a world they have never known, a world that doesn’t know them. The Dragon Aspects, having surrendered their titan-gifted powers upon defeating Deathwing, Queen Alexstrasza must somehow restore the Aspects’ power to fight back against the Incarnates and Primalists who seek the prisons of the remaining Incarnates.

Keeper Tyr is long dead and the titans absent, so her remaining hope is to have the five flights reclaim their ancient seats of power in the Dragon Isles, rekindling the oathstones symbolizing bond between dragon and titan. Hopefully, before the Incarnates unleash their fury upon Azeroth.

CONCEPTING THE DRAGONS

The models for the Dragon Aspects weren’t updated since Cataclysm, making Dragonflight the opportunity to refresh them. Senior Character Artist, Sukjoo Choi, talks about wanting to do more than just ‘hi-res’ the older models. As such, it was important to keep them grounded in their original design, while adding new details and elements iconic to them. This is shown in Alexstrasza’s distinguishing jewelry, magical tattoos for Kalecgos, and Nozdormu’s sand and hourglass theme.

Character Artist Natacha Nielsen gushes over Alexstrasza’s various looks over the years. For Dragonflight, she’s meant to look regal, extravagant, coming back into form as Queen of the Dragons. Her armour had to not look too heavy, while retaining her elegance.

For Kalecgos, Character Artist Cody Harder wanted to emphasize his magical side mode. He too, gets a more elegant attire, adorned with arcane runes befitting an archmage of the Kirin Tor, and leader of the blue dragonflight. His mortal visage being a half-elf gave them a chance to make it a more distinctive feature in a new model.

When it comes to Nozdormu, Character Artist Calvin Boice wanted his design to look similar to his older one, simultaneously simplifying certain elements while drawing more attention to others. This comes in the form of the more emphasized scales around the waist and neck, which have their own geometry in the 3D model. He also gets an asymmetrical shirt covering one shoulder for a more unique look that integrates his iconic shoulder pad.

Last but not least, the dracthyr armour. Senior Character Artist Ariel Fain ensured the starting armour had to be modular so that players could mix and match. Details consisted of swooping lines and spiked silhouettes, avoiding straight lines.

As we can see, there’s much consideration to be had in the build up to Dragonflight. Even as I know nothing much about the lore of Azeroth itself, I can’t deny it sounds incredibly fascinating to learn. How will we see it all play out when the expansion launches?

Let’s wait to find out.