wow The Jailer's Look Confirmed, 1 Legendary Limit, 2020 Release and More: Zoltan Ion Hazzikostas Interview

[Starym 3,800]

 

Here comes a new Shadowlands interview, this time by french streamer Zoltan, talking to Game Director Ion Hazzikostas. The actual interview is hosted by Cinderys, of awesome cosplay fame, and is, luckily for us, in English. There's a whole lot of stuff to cover, but one of the first questions immediately dispelled a lot of discussion that's been going on in the community about whether the Jailer model that's been datamined is in fact THE Jailer, aka the main villain of the expansion, or just A Jailer in the Maw.

Ion cleared it all up and said that the datamined model is indeed the main, one and only Jailer, who the plot of Shadowlands will revolve around. We also found out that his actual look was never supposed to be a big mystery, they simply didn't have the design ready for the BlizzCon announcement and so used the shadowy-chainy figure.

Spoiler

Next up on the big news front have have confirmation that Shadowlands is still planned to release in 2020, with the WoW team having been able to adjust to the pandemic situation and working from home after a week.

We then move on to another other big feature of Shadowlands, the legendaries. Ion shared that we'll only be able to equip one legendary item at a time (obviously that may change during the expansion). The items themselves will have a theme similar to the Helm of Domination, since the smith that's making them made that as well, and we will be getting some transmog options for them later in the expansion - so we'll be able to have a full "legendary look" at some point [I speculate possibly through Torghast cosmetic rewards]. Ion also reiterated that the current plan of legendary acquisition is around 1 in 2-3 weeks.

Endgame activities: World Quests, Callings (the new Emissaries, but more complex and varied), leveling your Covenant Sanctum (by bringing back Anima/souls from the Maw and Torghast), raids, M+ and PvP.

The current leveling speed on Alpha (with players getting to the new 120 in 7 hours) is not the intended one, but they do want it to be faster than on live [again presumably Ion means without the 100% XP buff, but it's unclear].

Part of the story of Shadowlands will be discovering how it all works, including the relations between its 4 rulers, and just as Azeroth was created by the Titans, the Shadowlands was also created by some currently unknown forces.

The pre-patch will deal with the effects of the Helm of Domination being destroyed on the undead (hopefully the whole "there must always be a Lich King" issue will be addressed), and will take place in Icecrown and Northrend. Obviously more details to come as well.

And here are some other highlights:

• Switching Covenants actually won't be hard, but returning to a Covenant you left will be.
• 2 Soulbinds available when you join, 1 additional you get during the Covenant campaign.
• There will be seasonal M+ affixes and probable changes and tuning to existing ones. M+ comes last in the design process as they need to know the dungeons inside and out before starting on it.
• Sylvanas' new look is due to her allying with the Jailer, similar to how the players will get new looks depending on what covenant they join, hers is "the Maw Covenant".

• Bwonsamdi wasn't going to feature much in the Shadowlands, but since players really liked him in BfA, his presence has been increased!
• Blue eyed Blood Elves will not be customization options, the datamined ones are for NPCs only.
• Reiteration of bringing class themed sets back at a later point in the expansion.
• No new Battlegrounds, possibly a new Arena. Honor and Conquest will be returning.
• We "might be able to" set Kael'thas free [which obviously means we will be setting him free].
• You'll be going to the Maw a few times during the 50-60 leveling/Covenant quests and it will unlock as a zone at 60.
• No plans for console WoW, the controller additions were just for accessibility.

You can also check out the full interview by Zoltan and Cinderys:

 

Shadowlands interviews:

• Bolvar, Arthas, Tyrande, the Jailer and a More Linear Story: Lead Narrative Designer Interview

• Torghast Interview with Senior Quest Designer Paul Kubit

• Legendaries, No War/Titanforging, AOE Explanations, Covenant Abilities and More: The Ion Hazzikoszas Interview

The Game Director talks legendaries, release window, the Jailer, Covenants and more.

[ORCSMASH 29]

As far as the Jailer goes, I much preferred the potential in the silhouette that was shown at Blizzcon. The datamined version looks like buffed-up, gothed-out Mr. Freeze.

I would have liked for them to address what leveling speed they were shooting for. The players doing it in 7 hours are intentionally doing it as fast as humanly possible and is not indicative of the actual speed average players will level.

Edited April 28, 2020 by ORCSMASH

[shanghaied 55]

I'm just really interested in what's happening with Sylvanas in this.

[Starym 3,800]

14 minutes ago, shanghaied said:

I'm just really interested in what's happening with Sylvanas in this.

Hopefully they don't throw her to the side as a plot device like they did with Garrosh in WoD.

[Migol 433]

Sounds like the Helm's getting closure at least insofar as the Undead running around like locusts threat.     Still want to know how and why it's breaking resulted in the giant rift in reality to the afterlife, after it was already hosting the soul of Nerzul and acting as a controller for the undead...that's a lot of very different properties in one magic helm!      If you had asked me which was more powerful/important between the helm and frostmourne, I woulda said Frostmourne, but breaking it didn't do much.

Quote

World Quests, Callings (the new Emissaries, but more complex and varied), leveling your Covenant Sanctum (by bringing back Anima/souls from the Maw and Torghast), raids, M+ and PvP.

So, World Quests, Emissaries/Dailies, leveling your garrison, raids, M+ and PVP.    Got it.

[Migol 433]

1 hour ago, Starym said:

Hopefully they don't throw her to the side as a plot device like they did with Garrosh in WoD.

I've got a feeling the _second_ raid will be against the Jailor, then as we are ready to deal the final blow she'll swoop in and stab him with Xanatesh or something similar, absorbing his power.

Then she'll turn into a giant angel of golden light (naked of course), pull out the sword from Azeroth and slay the void lords (who'll turn out to be the real final raid of the expansion) as they try to invade.    If we're lucky we'll see a giant beam of energy shot at the Void Lord leader as she somehow combines holy power, fel fire and some hand wavy titan artifact into one weapon.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Migol

[Halock 156]

1 hour ago, Starym said:

Hopefully they don't throw her to the side as a plot device like they did with Garrosh in WoD.

Almost hoping they do, at this point. I was interested in Garrosh. I was interested in Sylvanas, but my patience has not been rewarded.

[Starym 3,800]

1 hour ago, Halock said:

Almost hoping they do, at this point. I was interested in Garrosh. I was interested in Sylvanas, but my patience has not been rewarded.

That's very fair and I'm 100% in agreement with you in terms of my personal investment, but in terms of story development it really would be the final nail in the "Blizzard sh*t writers" coffin.

[Lith 52]

30 minutes ago, Starym said:

That's very fair and I'm 100% in agreement with you in terms of my personal investment, but in terms of story development it really would be the final nail in the "Blizzard sh*t writers" coffin.

Doesnt matter what blizzard writers do, ppl who don't understand the lore will call it bad writing anyways. 

[dartbodman 64]

THAT is the jailer? A sickly human in barbarian armor? Hard pass.

[darkgreenwax 412]

Not a fan of the Jailer look, he looks like an unassuming rare mob wandering around Argus.

As far as Sylvanas goes, what can I say man... I think they took too sharp of a turn in her direction and by that point they just pressed forward. I still don't think Vol'jin needed to go. Hell, I don't think Garrosh needed to go. I was just saying to my friend the other night I felt they could have easily placed Garrosh in the Saurfang position in BFA, and ended his story in a nice redemption arc (could have, meaning they never made him go all mustache-twirling evil out of nowhere).

 

I know they're limiting characters brought back for Shadowlands, but after all we went through with WoD, Legion, and BfA's character directions, I think we could use a little fan service nostalgia.

[Halock 156]

2 hours ago, Starym said:

That's very fair and I'm 100% in agreement with you in terms of my personal investment, but in terms of story development it really would be the final nail in the "Blizzard sh*t writers" coffin.

I could see it being a bad ending to a bad story, but it could also be breezing past the vestiges of the last story and moving onto the new, hopefully good, one.

I really would not have wanted Garrosh taking up much time in MoP. I think he just had no spotlight at all in-game until the cinematic, and perhaps that cute quest where you followed his footsteps. I assume Sylvanas will get a little more than that, and assuming she does, I'm quite happy for her to be a side quest. 

(Also, it's not like we haven't been here before, right? Cata was atrocious for story. I was far less involved in it than BFA, and that's saying something.)

[Halock 156]

39 minutes ago, TyZone said:

I still don't think Vol'jin needed to go.

I am quite fond of saying that Warlords was amazing, they just didn't give themselves enough time to finish anything. Your comment makes me think that perhaps Vol'jin was the story they didn't get around to telling at all. 

 Varian actually got quite a lot from that expansion, even just from the Warlords cinematic-things. Though I'm not a hundred percent sure what the resolution of his story was supposed to say, if anything at all, I did feel it had a resolution. Unlike Vol'jin, who of course disappeared as soon as we remembered he was on the stage.

(Also, does anyone know if they're going to release some more of those for Shadowlands?) 

Edited April 29, 2020 by Halock

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Starym said:

Hopefully they don't throw her to the side as a plot device like they did with Garrosh in WoD.

Hopefully she dies. She's started to get annoying/boring for a while now.

[hadewych12 0]

thats not the jailer, you already confirmed the jailer looks on a Concept Art.

 

[Arcling 898]

17 hours ago, Starym said:

Hopefully they don't throw her to the side as a plot device like they did with Garrosh in WoD.

Probably not, but if it's for the better, only time will tell. I think more people are worried about her being made into some sort of saviour of the universe, because our end game is still fighting those Void Lords, so Shadowlands may serve as some sort of "filler".

Jailer looks too much like Bolvar. They should have went in different direction with him, rather than making another human (even if he was never human. he looks like one).

Edited April 29, 2020 by Arcling

[Starym 3,800]

8 hours ago, hadewych12 said:

thats not the jailer, you already confirmed the jailer looks on a Concept Art.

 

Um, that was a leak and this is an official interview with the Game Director of WoW where he specifically and explicitly says that the datamined model is the jailer. That doesn't mean they aren't BOTH him in different forms though (which is what I'm hoping for as the concept art is 10x better).

[Starym 3,800]

3 hours ago, Arcling said:

Probably not, but if it's for the better, only time will tell. I think more people are worried about her being made into some sort of saviour of the universe, because our end game is still fighting those Void Lords, so Shadowlands may serve as some sort of "filler".

Jailer looks too much like Bolvar. They should have went in different direction with him, rather than making another human (even if he was never human. he looks like one).

Yep. Why don't the main villains ever look like G'huun or that mount from Argus or something... even Deathwing got a human form dammit!

[Guest]

20 hours ago, Starym said:

Um, that was a leak and this is an official interview with the Game Director of WoW where he specifically and explicitly says that the datamined model is the jailer. That doesn't mean they aren't BOTH him in different forms though (which is what I'm hoping for as the concept art is 10x better).

"Santa Claws the Infinite Death Titan" looks absolutely amazing concept wise. As in, literally would be my favourite character in lore/game forever if that comes in. When I first saw the features trailer it reminded me of Leoric (from Diablo/Hots type model) and I LOVE that character, so here's hoping.