Durling BlizzConline‘s opening ceremony, we got a taste of what was to come in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. We watched in a brand new cinematic as Anduin walked right in Elysian Hold, changed into evil Anduin (white hair and Lich King-like gear) and brought the Archon down in a single stab. It was an epic opening to the expansion’s first major content update. Later, during the Shadowlands Update panel, we got the chance to get a more in-depth look at patch 9.1 Chains of Domination. Unfortunately, we already knew quite a bit going in because of a leak. But for those who have more perseverance than me or just looking for additional information, I have broken down the important announcements below.
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Story Focus
Up until this point in Shadowlands, we have spent most of our time helping our covenants and getting their anima situation back on track. What we haven’t been able to do is really get a foothold in the Maw or any information on the Jailer and his plans. Chains of Domination will swap the focus of the story and, in turn, start to give us answers to some of our questions. We will be exploring more of the Maw and uncovering the secrets behind the Jailer and his minions. We will also get the chance to see how our covenants will handle this and where we will go from here.
Return to the Maw
With the covenants reinvigorated by our actions, they will help adventurers finally get the foothold into the Maw we have been missing. It sounds as if we will be getting a new home base to zone in and out from. We will also be given a chance to explore further into the Maw without fear of the Eye of the Jailer throwing us out. But of course, we will be facing new and stronger enemies the further we progress, so beware. The best part, though, is that our mounts are finally going to hear our call and players will be able to mount up and ride through these treacherous zones. Of course, no patch is complete without new rewards for players to work towards. Within the Maw, we will be able to obtain two new mounts and two new pets. My particular favorite happens to be the hand mount which kind of makes me think we ripped it right off of one of the Jailer’s giant creatures.
New Zone Korthia
Since we will be spending quite a bit of time within the Maw as we advance, we have a whole new zone to explore. At the end of the 9.1 Chains of Domination cinematic, we watch the Jailer throw his chains into a giant new landmass. This place is Korthia, an ancient space that was lost in the In-Between. Here we will come across new inhabitants, but we will also see some familiar ones as well, such as the Protectors and Attendants that appear in Oribos. And similar to Oribos, Korthia holds secrets and mysteries that the Jailer is trying to uncover.
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Sanctum of Domination
Patch 9.1 Chains of Domination will introduce Shadowlands’ second raid, Sanctum of Domination. Here we will be taking the fight directly to the front steps of the Jailer and battle against his toughest forces. The raid will feature ten bosses, five of which were teased during the panel. We will get a chance to fight against Tarragrue, that create that throws you out of Torghast when you run out of lives. We will come face to face with the Eye of the Jailer. They also listed the Fate of the Damned though the only explanation we got was that there is a place within the Sanctum where the worst souls that make their way into the Maw are taken. This gives me the impression that this will be a multi-boss fight with some iconic figures from World of Warcraft history. Finally, it looks as if we will face off against Kel’Thuzad one (hopefully) last time before coming face to face with Slyvanas herself.
Updates to Torghast
This patch will also feature updates to Torghast, giving players more floors, wings and enemies to face off against. And we are going to fight them with brand new powers! So if your class has been a bit lackluster when it comes to fun Torghast abilities, here is the chance to get some brand new ones. The new wings will have an all-new art style to give players something they have never seen before. This, along with new floor setups, traps and tricks up the enemies’ sleeve, players will be rechallenged to climb to the top of Torghast.
Broker Megadungeon
Blizzard knows how much we loved the megadungeons in World of Warcraft: Legion and World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth. And now, we are finally getting one in Shadowlands. This new 8-boss dungeon focuses on the traders we first met in Oribos, known as the Brokers. Players will explore a large Broker trading city that feels like an actual city in-game. There will be portals and auction houses along with different Broker cartels that have made this their home. We even get to meet new types of Brokers and dive more into their lore and culture. But the most epic part is that as we exit the city and start the second part of the dungeon, we will chasing after a Broker who has stolen an artifact for his own devious purposes. Yes, we will be apart of a heist and we may even dive into a portal where a pirate dragon is awaiting us.
Covenant Updates
Right now, most players are maxed out with their covenants or coming close to it. In the next few weeks, we will reach max renowned and all that is left is farming anima for mounts and cosmetics. However, with 9.1, we are going to be seeing more than a few updates. Everything is still in the ideation phase, so nothing is substantial. They have tossed around ideas about adding new soul binds or conduits for players. This would give us the ability to really customize our play style. One thing that they do know is that through our covenants, we will be able to unlock flying in Shadowlands. Instead of being reputation locked, it is locked behind story progression. Once the players unlock flying, they will also receive a covenant-specific flying mount.
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