World Of Warcraft: Shadowlands Expansion Officially Delayed

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

World of Warcraft has been hyping up its latest step into its fantasy MMO, the Shadowlands expansion, for a while now, with teasers going back as far as last year when it was first officially announced. The expansion’s vibrant realms of the afterlife have been greatly fleshed out in the months since, as fans prepare for the adventure’s full release later this October. However, it appears fas will have to wait as World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has now been officially delayed.

Taking to the WoW blog, Blizzard announced Shadowlands will not release in as planned in October, citing a need to implement “additional polish” as well as “balance and iterate on some interlocking pieces—particularly those related to the endgame.” The message mentioned the decision took place following the last several months, as fans contributed their feedback to Shadowlands’ testing phase. Though as development came to a head, the developer found that the project’s “intricate” nature, as well as COVID-19-related work-from-home complications, forced the team to make the difficult decision to delay.

Blizzard has a commitment to quality. We believe Shadowlands will be something special, and we’ve heard from many of you who feel the same. We need this extra time to ensure that Shadowlands lives up to its full potential.”

While this means that World of Warcraft: Shadowlands won’t meet its intended release window, Blizzard reveals that the long-awaited pre-patch for the expansion will go live on October 13th. The blog post reads: “Beginning October 13 we will be releasing the Shadowlands pre-patch, which lays a lot of the groundwork for the expansion and includes our revamped character leveling, new-player experience on Exile’s Reach, and a host of new character customization options. And once we get closer to Shadowlands’ release, you’ll be called upon to defend Azeroth against a resurgence of the Scourge during our pre-launch event.”

This new delay announcement occurs as fans have been eagerly preparing for the full release of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, with the pre-release patch even becoming available to pre-download in the last few weeks. However, upon the arrival of October, fans began to question whether the pre-patch would release on time, or what state it might leave the final product with not even so much as patch notes to speak of. Though it means waiting for a while longer, Blizzard’s announcement is likely a relief for many, as it means the full expansion stands a better chance to deliver on the hype.

What do you think? Are you glad to see that World Of Warcraft: Shadowlands was delayed, or do you feel that the expansion can’t possibly live up to expectations? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:

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Eric Hall2712 Posts

Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.

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