World of Warcraft Deep Dive Panel Recap - Warbands, Delves, PvP, Account-Wide Unlocks!

The World of Warcraft Deep Dive panel just concluded! We've recapped the entire presentation for your convenience. It's been quite the whirlwind of information, including quite a few tidbits that weren't mentioned during the opening ceremony such as more interface updates, information on how to unlocked the new Earthen Allied Race, and additional details on the account-wide changes coming with The War Within.

Delves

• Ion Hazzikostas is starting us off. We're looking at Delves first.
• Delves are a quick adventure for 1-5 players. They are role-agnostic.
• They are a capstone to the outdoor content experience, much like dungeons & raids are for group PvE content.
• Design pillars: Variety, flexibility, progression.
• They've learned lessons from Torghast, Island Expeditions, Scenarios, Horrific Visions and are applying them to Delves.
• Delve vibe: "Unravel mysteries and seek treasure, in nooks and enclaves throughout the world."
• All Delves are going to end with a room full of treasure. Some might have a boss at the end, others might involve puzzles etc. Delves will be more varied than dungeons.
• Delves will be seamless - no loading screen. You enter some room, and you're suddenly in a Delve.
• Delves will be tied to seasons. Each season brings new rewards, higher difficulty etc.
• The Season 1 NPC companion, accompanying you on delves, is Brann Bronzebeard. There'll be a different companion each season.
• Power up Brann and spec him to complement your playstyle: more survivability, help with tanking, more damage etc.
• Great Vault 'World' row: Complete 1/4/9 Delves or World Activities for each tier. World activities are higher-effort outdoor content like World Bosses.

• A day in the life of the Delve-runner:
• You come across a structure and you decide to venture in. You are seamlessly entering the Delve event. There's a bunch of explorers inside that need your help!
• They have an enchanted candle that can light the way of the dark building. However, it has very limited fuel. You, being the champion, are up to the task.
• The light radius shrinks progressively as your fuel burns.
• Inside, you run across a bunch of Kobolds. They'll put up a fight, but you'll take their candles, which will help fuel your light, so you can keep traversing the Delve.
• Defeat some lieutenants, solve some puzzles, and eventually you reach the treasure room, filled with all sorts of treasure chests!
• Some chests (Resplendent chests) might require special keys to open. These keys can be found in other outdoor content. The aim is to provide some greater rewards, with a cap.
• If you come back to the same Delve the next day, you might find a completely different Delve encounter in the same place.
• There are 12 Delves at launch, almost equally spread between the four zones.
• New silly hats: Mushroom heads, candles, fish skeletons!

• A new customizable flying mount will be available through thorough completion of the Delve season.
• It's a flying machine with lots of swappable parts!
• Certain Delve progress paths are also account-bound, such as Brann Bronzebeard's progression being one-and-done.

Player Versus Player

• PvP row is being removed from the Great Vault.
• Instead, you'll get a whole lot more Conquest each week for better control over your gearing path.
• New battleground! A 10v10 map set in The Ringing Deeps.
• Inspired by Silvershard Mines, with a more symmetrical layout.
• Push minecarts to collect resources while fighting over a central control point that changes the flow of the match.

Dragonriding

• Dragonriding is here to stay! Called "Dynamic Flight" moving forward.
• More mounts available for Dragonriding, including Invincible and Ashes of Al'ar! Invincible means all horses will be able to dynamically fly.
• Hundreds of mounts will be able to dynamically fly.
• In 10.2.5, you'll be able to Dragonride across the entire world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• You'll still be able to use normal flying if you wish, by simply toggling between Dragonriding and "TBC flying".
• Dynamic flight will be available from the start of War Within.
• Normal flying will be unlocked shortly after hitting level 80. No rep requirements!
• Dragonriding glyphs will be moving to an evergreen system.
• Some current glyphs will only remain active on the Dragon Isles, while others will remain 'core'.
• Dynamic flying will be the new default for leveling players. Earn Dragonriding points as you level!

Warbands

• Warbands! Account-wide everything. We'll see.
• Two thirds of players who have a level 70, have multiple level 70s.
• Half of players have three or more.
• Focus on making it convenient & flexible to play alts.
• The system will not make your main more effective if you have more alts.
• Warband bank! It's basically a Guild Vault! 8x14 slots per tab!
• Any reagents you deposit in the Warband bank, you can use them for crafting on any character.

• New item type: "Warbound Until Equipped". Basically, you can send this item to any of your characters, and it only becomes Soulbound when you equip it.

• Transmog is now account-bound! If a Plate item drops on your Mage, you can send it to your Warrior, equip it, and learn the transmog!
• Account-bound reputation in War Within. Other expansions' reputations will become account-bound retroactively, one by one, starting with Dragonflight.
• Flight Paths are also account-bound!
• Achievements are account-bound! Retroactively! PvP achievements account-wide progress tracking!

• New character screen! Place your favorite characters around the campfire.
• All your characters, from all your servers, will be visible on the character screen without having to change servers.

Hero Talents

• Hero talents are designed to explore deeper class fantasy.
• The system is as flexible as your talents. You can change your Hero spec & talents just as easily.

• Meant to offer progression and agency, but manage complexity.
• The choices to make: Which hero spec do you want active, and which choice nodes do you choose?
• Balance Druid can choose from two Hero specs: Keeper of the Grove & Elune's Chosen.

• Keeper of the Grove also available to Restoration.
• Elune's Chosen also available to Guardian.
• Keeper of the Grove & Elune's Chosen tree descriptions!

Click on the images to see them in a higher resolution.

• Here are the current plans for all the Hero specs!

Interface

• Interface updates!
• New Spellbook interface!
• Specialization, Talents and Spellbook will not be in the same window, so your 'P' key is a new empty hotkey!

• Updates to the Quest Log, including new map pin filters.

Cross-Realm Updates, Starting Player Experience, Earthen Allied Race

• Evoker will start at level 10 in War Within.
• Dragonflight will be the 'base' expansion going forward.
• Earthen Allied Race: Play the War Within campaign to unlock. No rep to grind, nothing else beyond that! They're a Neutral race, so you can have Horde Dwarves!
• Can be all classes except Demon Hunter, Druid and Evoker.

• Cross-realm guilds! Servers won't matter when it comes to being in a guild once War Within launches.
• Day 1 cross-realm Mythic raiding! The world first race will be truly region-wide.

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This has been a great presentation! What new tidbit of information are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!