World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
October 21, 2024
Warlords of Draenor: The Time-Twisted Struggle for Draenor's Future
Part Six of a Multi-Part Series on the Game that Defined a Generation
Released on November 13, 2014, Warlords of Draenor was the fifth expansion for World of Warcraft (WoW). This expansion took players back to the savage world of Draenor but in an alternate timeline where the orcish Iron Horde poses a new, formidable threat to Azeroth. With the introduction of Garrisons, updated character models, and fresh zones, the expansion aimed to push the boundaries of what WoW could offer. However, despite its promising start, Warlords of Draenor quickly became one of WoW's most controversial expansions. In this part of our series, we will explore the plot, key characters, gameplay innovations, world-first races, controversies, and fan reception of Warlords of Draenor.
Plot Overview: Revisiting Draenor in an Alternate Timeline
The plot of Warlords of Draenor revolves around the villain Garrosh Hellscream, who escapes his imprisonment following the events of Mists of Pandaria with the help of Kairozdormu, a rogue bronze dragon. Together, they travel back in time to an alternate version of Draenor before the orcs drank the blood of the demon Mannoroth, which had corrupted them under the influence of the Burning Legion.
Garrosh's interference in the timeline prevents the orcs from becoming demonic slaves. Instead, he unites the orc clans under the banner of the Iron Horde, a mighty army that seeks to conquer Azeroth through the Dark Portal. The Alliance and Horde must band together to stop the Iron Horde's invasion and face the formidable Warlords of Draenor, including Grommash Hellscream, Blackhand, Kilrogg Deadeye, and Kargath Bladefist.
The expansion's story culminates in confronting Gul'dan, a familiar villain from Warcraft's past. After Garrosh's plan falters, Gul'dan seizes control of the Iron Horde, resurrecting Mannoroth and later summoning Archimonde to lead an invasion of Draenor in the Hellfire Citadel raid. Archimonde's defeat sets the stage for the next expansion, Legion, as Gul'dan is cast through a portal to the main timeline's Azeroth.
Key Characters and Antagonists
Garrosh Hellscream
After his defeat in Mists of Pandaria, Garrosh escapes to the past, where he prevents the orcs from succumbing to the demonic influence of the Burning Legion. Garrosh's vision of a pure orcish empire leads him to unite the clans into the Iron Horde, but his eventual defeat is inevitable. He becomes a tragic figure whose unyielding lust for power ultimately leads to his demise.
Grommash Hellscream
In this alternate timeline, Grommash is the leader of the Iron Horde and Garrosh's father. Grommash's refusal to drink demon blood symbolizes strength and independence, though it also leads to the creation of a brutal, expansionist empire. Throughout the expansion, Grommash is imprisoned by Gul'dan and eventually becomes an unlikely ally in the final battle.
Gul'dan
Gul'dan is the main antagonist in Warlords of Draenor. Although Garrosh disrupts the original timeline, Gul'dan continues his pursuit of power through the Legion. He corrupts the Iron Horde and forces the orcs to serve his demonic masters. Gul'dan's influence culminates in the Hellfire Citadel raid, where he summons Archimonde and takes control of the Iron Horde.
Khadgar
Archmage Khadgar, one of Azeroth's most powerful mages, serves as the primary guide for players in their efforts to thwart the Iron Horde. He leads both factions in Draenor and plays a key role in combating Gul'dan's schemes, providing players with powerful tools, including a legendary ring, to defeat the demonic threats.
Innovations and Changes
Warlords of Draenor introduced several new systems and features designed to reinvigorate WoW's gameplay. However, not all of these changes were received positively.
Garrisons
One of the most significant additions to Warlords of Draenor was the Garrison system, which allowed players to build and manage a personal stronghold on Draenor. Garrisons acted as hubs for players to recruit followers, complete missions, gather resources, and unlock various rewards. While initially praised for offering a new form of player agency, Garrisons quickly became a point of contention. Many players felt that the system encouraged isolation, as much of the content could be done without interacting with others, diminishing the game's multiplayer aspect.
Updated Character Models
One of the highlights of the expansion was the update to the game's original character models. Classic races like Humans, Orcs, and Night Elves received visual overhauls with improved textures, animations, and higher polygon counts. These updates breathed new life into the game's aging graphics while Blizzard ensured that the essence of each race's original design was retained.
Level Cap and New Zones
The level cap was raised to 100, with players venturing through seven new zones on Draenor, each tied to one of the orcish clans. Zones like Frostfire Ridge, Gorgrond, and Nagrand offered breathtaking landscapes, while others, such as Tanaan Jungle, became key battlegrounds against the Iron Horde.
No New Races or Classes
Unlike many previous expansions, Warlords of Draenor did not introduce new playable races or classes. Instead, Blizzard focused on expanding existing systems, including the Garrison system, updated models, and significant gameplay changes.
The World First Races
The race for world-first raid completions in Warlords of Draenor was highly competitive, with top raiding guilds competing for the coveted titles. Method, one of the top raiding guilds in the world, secured the world-first kill of Imperator Mar'gok in Highmaul, the first raid tier of the expansion. Their success continued with world-first kills in the Blackrock Foundry and Hellfire Citadel raids, solidifying their dominance during Warlords of Draenor. Paragon, another elite guild, also had notable achievements during the expansion, achieving a world-first kill of Blackhand in Blackrock Foundry. These world-first races drew significant attention from the WoW community as players followed the progress of top guilds through live streams and rankings.
Best Moments in Warlords of Draenor
The Opening Cinematic
The opening cinematic for Warlords of Draenor is considered one of Blizzard's best. It depicts Grommash Hellscream rejecting the demon blood of Mannoroth, breaking the cycle of demonic corruption, and establishing the Iron Horde. The cinematic is a striking blend of nostalgia and alternate history, setting the tone for the expansion.
Blackhand Encounter in Blackrock Foundry
The Blackhand fight in Blackrock Foundry was one of the most memorable encounters in the expansion. Blackhand's mechanics and the thematic design of the raid, set in a massive forge, made it a favorite among raiders.
Hellfire Citadel and Archimonde
The expansion's final raid, Hellfire Citadel, brought the expansion's story to a dramatic conclusion. The climactic battle against Archimonde was both a challenging encounter and a key moment in the WoW narrative, as it foreshadowed the return of the Burning Legion in the next expansion.
Controversies
While Warlords of Draenor began with high expectations, it quickly became one of the most controversial expansions in WoW's history due to several issues:
Garrisons and Player Isolation
Although Garrisons were initially praised, they soon became one of the most divisive features. Players felt that spending too much time in their strongholds detracted from the social and multiplayer aspects of WoW, as much of the content could be completed without ever leaving the Garrison.
Content Drought
After the release of Hellfire Citadel, there was a long content drought that lasted over a year. During this period, no major updates or patches led to a significant decline in subscriber numbers. This drought became one of the most frustrating points for the Warlords of Draenor, and it contributed to the expansion's reputation as one of the least successful in terms of player retention.
Lack of Endgame Content
Many players criticized Warlords of Draenor for its lack of engaging endgame content beyond the Garrison and a few raids. While Garrisons offered a novel gameplay experience, they lacked the lasting appeal needed to keep players invested in the long run. Once players completed the available raids, there was little to keep them engaged outside of repetitive tasks, leading to complaints that the expansion lacked meaningful content beyond the initial leveling experience.
Disjointed Storyline
Another controversial aspect of Warlords of Draenor was the perceived inconsistency in its narrative. While the expansion initially promised a compelling alternate timeline with the Iron Horde, many players felt the storyline could have been more focused. The transition from the Iron Horde to Gul'dan's Burning Legion felt disjointed to some players, as the original threat of the Iron Horde was quickly sidelined to make way for the Burning Legion storyline. This left many feeling as though the central theme of the expansion wasn't fully realized.
Reception and Legacy
Despite its controversies, Warlords of Draenor had a strong start, with over 10 million subscribers at launch. The initial player response to the new zones, updated character models, and Garrisons was positive, and Draenor's lore-rich world captured long-time fans' attention. However, the enthusiasm was short-lived, and as the content drought dragged on, the player base dwindled dramatically.
Warlords of Draenor is now often remembered as one of WoW's most divisive expansions. While it introduced essential updates, such as new character models and the Garrison system, its content pacing and perceived lack of meaningful endgame activities hurt its overall reception. However, the expansion set the stage for future storylines, particularly the resurgence of Gul'dan and the return of the Burning Legion, which would play a significant role in the next expansion, Legion.
Warlords of Draenor's Legacy and What's Next
Warlords of Draenor was an ambitious expansion that sought to explore alternate timelines and delve deeper into the lore of Warcraft. Despite its visual and thematic strengths, it fell short in content longevity and left many players wanting more. Nevertheless, Warlords of Draenor set important narrative pieces in motion for the next chapter in WoW's history.
In the next part of our series, we will explore Legion. This expansion saw the return of the Burning Legion. It introduced significant new features, including the Demon Hunter class, Artifact Weapons, and one of WoW's most memorable raid experiences: The Tomb of Sargeras. Stay tuned as we dive into the story of Azeroth's fight against the Burning Legion and the world's fate.