Everything we know about the lore leading up to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

World of Warcraft has concluded the tale of its current expansion, Battle for Azeroth. The next expansion, Shadowlands, is due before the end of the year. Now, fans are waiting for the pre-expansion event that will help usher in new systems, story materials, and a prelude to the next expansion’s new zones.

Here’s everything we know about the pre-patch event for Shadowlands, and what players can expect from Battle for Azeroth’s final days.

New world event: Scourge Invasion 2.0

Long-time fans will be familiar with the Scourge Invasions, which first appeared in Patch 1.11. The Wrath of the Lich King expansion specified that there must always be a Lich King. The Shadowlands cinematic trailer shows Bolvar Fordragon, the current Lich King, losing his Helm of Domination to Sylvanas and having it snapped in half. No crown means no Lich King, and no Lich King means the Scourge will go bananas. This will be an upgraded, modern take on the original Scourge Invasions, and will likely work in a similar fashion to the pre-Legion demonic invasions that offered tons of experience and a special set of scaling gear.

Getting revenge on the absolute worst guy

Data miners have uncovered the existence of dialogue from Nathanos Blightcaller in the Shadowlands pre-event. It looks as though players may finally get to confront this character, which will be a juicy opportunity for both Horde and Alliance heroes. Nathanos has been sneering his way through the story for the majority of Battle for Azeroth; he’s a grade-A villain who cannot stop twirling his mustache. He’s helped commit genocide, desecrated corpses, and made fun of the Horde player for a full expansion. Most players actively dislike (or love to hate) him, so it’ll be interesting to see how this encounter plays out.

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