Every newWorld of Warcraftexpansion brings with it a whole new set of zones to explore.Shadowlandsintroduced the dark titular realms,Battle for Azerothbrought players to Zandalar and Kul’Tiras,Warlords of Draenorwhisked players off to the alternate reality Draenor, andDragonflightwill be bringing players to the infamous Dragon Isles later this year. These new zones are promising to be some of the biggest thatWorld of Warcrafthas ever had.
Not much is known about all the specific story beats of these new zones, but players have been able to explore a couple of them now that theDragonflightalpha is in full swing. Each zone promises a plethora of content to chew through, with stories that are heavily ingrained in the richlore of Azeroth, which is something thatShadowlandswas criticized for moving away from. The five new zones that make up The Dragon Isles will be where players spend most of their time at the start, and they will need to grow accustomed to the specifics of each.
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The Forbidden Reach
The Forbidden Reach serves as the starting zone forthe brand-new Dracthyr Evokerclass and race hybrid. This island sits off the coast of The Dragon Isles and was crafted by Neltharion, the black dragon aspect who later became known as Deathwing. It served as the training ground for his perfect soldiers, but has since become broken and deserted. Many dragons avoid this island, and deep beneath the surface exist large underground caverns filled with Dracthyr that have begun to stir due to the presence of an ancient enemy.
The Waking Shores
The Waking Shores will be the first zone thatWorld of Warcraftplayers enter during their adventures inDragonflight, as long as they are not playing as a Dracthyr. This zone is the ancestral home of the red and black dragonflights. As such, players willbe assisting Alextrasza and Wrathionwith reclaiming these lands from the enemy. They will have to traverse volcanic areas, geysers, hot springs, and the remnants of old dragon architecture as they fight to take back this ancient homeland.
Ohn’aran Plains
The Ohn’aran Plains will be the second zone that players enter during their mission to reclaim The Dragon Isles. These plains were once shared by the green dragonflight and the centaurs, but that has all changed. Ever since the green dragonflight left duringthe Great Sundering of Azeroth, the centaurs were able to spread out across these plains and build out their civilization.The zone itself is teeming with life and looks straight out of the realms of the Emerald Dream. The players will assist the green dragonflight with making a new home in these beautiful lands, and they will make one or two centaur friends along the way.
The Azure Span
The Azure Span is said to be one of the largestWorld of Warcraftzones to date and takes heavy inspiration fromGrizzly Hills in Northrend. It is the home of the blue dragonflight, and will be the third zone that players visit on their travels. Players will be assisting Kalecgos and the blue dragonflight as they try to discover the secrets of their ancient homeland. The zone is filled with a variety of different biomes from large snowy peaks to lush forests, and it will probably be the perfect place to mess around with the new dragonriding feature.
Thaldraszus
Thaldraszus serves as the seat of power for all five of the major dragonflights of Azeroth, and it is also the location of the main hub city ofDragonflight,Valdrakken. The zone is dotted with large dragon architecture themed after the different dragonflights, and it is where the bronze dragonflight spends their time watching over the timeline. The city of Valdrakken is where players will probably be spending most of their time as it features amenities like an auction house, vendors, trainers, andDragonflight’s brand-new crafting order system. It will also be the last zone that players venture to, and will hopefully be on par with fan-favorite hubs like Dalaran.
These five zones will make up The Dragon Isles and be where players spend most of their time for the next couple of years. These will not be the onlynew zones added withDragonflightas every update tends to add one more, but these will be the primary ones of the expansion. Players can only hope that these beautiful zones have a great storyline to back them up.
