World of Warcraft's season of leaks continues as more information keeps being released about what the game's next expansion may be.
Sticking to the Dragon Isles concept, the new leak alleges that not only will the zone make its World of Warcraft debut but there will be a new take on endgame world content as well as many other changes and additions along the way.
With that in mind, here's what we've learned in the latest WoW 10.0 leak that while entirely unconfirmed, offers some exciting ideas for what could be next for World of Warcraft.
WoW 10.0 Release Date
Unlike previous leaks, this one doesn't have a specific WoW 10.0 release date nor a ballpark estimate. World of Warcraft expansions usually have a shelf life of two years. This means that every two years players can expect a new expansion to release.
On top of that, outside of The Burning Crusade which was released in January of 2007, expansions tend to release towards the latter half of the year. Months like August and November are especially common.
This means that if Ashes of Galakaros were to be the WoW 10.0 expansion, it'd release sometime in late 2022.
READ MORE: WoW Shadowlands 9.2: Everything we know about the final patch of the expansion
WoW 10.0 Leaks: Breaking Down Ashes of Galakaros
With every new expansion comes new toys and tools to play with. According to the leak, Ashes of Galakaros will have plenty, with some concepts that would be entirely new to the franchise and an exciting new location to visit.
With that, let's dive right into what the leaks suggest for WoW 10.0.
New Location: Dragon Isles (Galakaros)
Like previous leaks, the new location would stick to the Dragon Isles concept. Galakaros as the Dragon Isles would be named is an island chain on the opposite side of Azeroth, which as per the leaks is being called "the far side of Azeroth."
Inspired by the Galapagos Isles, the Dragon Isles, or Galakaros in this case, will be filled with an abundance of wildlife that evolved in complete isolation. The island is just filled with draconic themes and relics, but only Galakrond and his brood were strong enough to get through the storms surrounding the island.
The island chains are all based on primordial Azeroth with lots of rampaging elementals and raging elements. In a way, this new location would be an anti-Northrend.
To add to all of this, there are also some Black Empire Ruins, ancient temples for each of the five Dragonflights, and the zone's own Uld facility where life on Azeroth first evolved. In this case, Uld refers to the likes of Ulduar in Northrend and Uldir in Nazmir.
New Class: Tinker
New classes gracing World of Warcraft is not that common, with only three of the last eight expansions offering new classes. In this case, since the previous two expansions, Battle For Azeroth and Shadowlands didn't offer one, it seems like a new class is in order.
According to the Ashes of Galakaros leak, a new class, namely the Tinker, will make be available, not only that but will be a core part of a new feature Blizzard is trying to implement in the future.
The Tinker will be the game's third hero class, and would have a tank, healer, and DPS spec, while also utilizing a special backpack. This special backpack will have mechanized gizmos and gadgets that will pop out with different abilities and animations. The tank spec will have its backpack turned into a mech suit, the healer spec will have its backpack turned into a medical drone and the DPS spec will have its backpacked turned into a robotic companion.
Lore Implications and Story Progression
With a new expansion comes more progression to the game's story. In Ashes of Galakaros' case, the story will involve the progenitor of dragonkind, Galakrond, and Elune. It will also be delving into the connections between the Shadowlands and the Realm of Life as well as the origin of life on Azeroth.
As per the leaks, patch ideas and concepts are still in early development but one idea is having players travel to the moon which holds an Uld facility, and the dead husk of Y'Shaarj is present. The Black Empire cultists stranded in Galakaros are looking to revive Y'Shaarj.
The story would be deeply connected to Elune and her role in helping the Titans sort out Primordial Azeroth.
READ MORE: WoW Shadowlands 9.2 Patch Notes: New Content, Balance Changes & more
Borrowed Power
Ever since the release of Legion expansions have had their own version of Borrowed Power. From Legion's Artifact Weapons and Battle for Azeroth's Heart of Azeroth necklace and Azerite traits to Shadowlands' Covenants. There's always something new players will get to add to their classes. For Ashes of Galakaros, this will continue.
According to the leak, Ashes of Galakaros would keep a version of the Covenant/Renown system, calling it "Accords". Based on the feedback Blizzard has received, these Accords will be optional and cosmetic.
Towards the end of the leveling experience, players will get empowered by Elune during an eclipse, becoming "Dragonsworn" giving players a movement ability and a unique active ability. As opposed to past Borrowed Powers where each class and spec could utilize one to its fullest, choosing an Accord will only affect the way Dragonsworn abilities look and the cosmetic rewards players receive. Upon completing one Accord Campaign, players will be able to unlock the other four.
The Living World
Apart from a new location, new borrowed power, and a new class, the leak states that Blizzard is "making a push" for something that they're calling "the living world". The leak claims that Blizzard has already started implementing it in the live game, citing weather effects in some of the old zones.
This living world would give an incredible focus to cross-faction play, eventually expanding into world content, guilds, and possibly a way for players to gain reputation with the opposite faction and learn its languages.
The basic idea would be a revamping of old-world zones, making them a constant part of an open-world endgame experience. It would include world quests, reputations, treasures, rares, and more. It'll also have its own campaign, titled, The Azeroth Campaign, starting in Darkshore, Arathi Highlands, and Tanaris. The story will run in parallel to the current expansion's story, adding new zones as they get completed.
That's where the Tinker class comes in. Although not affiliated with the Dragon Isles, they'll start at level 10 in the revamped Gadgetzan and go through a revamped Tanaris.
Following Tanaris, the Azeroth Campaign will shift to a focus on the Dark Shore and Arathi Highlands, gradually building up to the Night Elves rebuilding Hyjal and Calia cleansing the Ruins of Lordaeron. Additionally, Baine will be looking to repair relations between the Tauren and the Night Elves while Anduin goes on a self-imposed exile in Lordaeron.