World of Warcraft: The War Within's upcoming 11.2 update is bringing with it one unexpected addition popularized by From Software RPGs like Dark Souls and Elden Ring--asynchronous social features.
In the Ghosts of K'aresh update, Blizzard will add new social functions to Delves, the MMORPG's latest endgame mode that can be played solo or with small groups. Like in Elden Ring or Dark Souls, players within a Delve will be able to see remnants of other players who have journeyed to the instance, see markers where a player may have died from a strong pack of enemies or hidden trap, and leave helpful messages for others to read while inside. I'm sure these messages will always be 100% serious.
It's an addition players may not have known they wanted, but one that makes perfect sense and should make Delves feel more alive than they currently do. WoW is a MMO, after all, even as it continues to offer new ways to achieve endgame goals entirely solo. Adding asynchronous social elements to the game's main endgame mode for solo players helps to further reinforce the idea that WoW is a game played alongside millions of other players, even for those players who largely stick to themselves.
Lead encounter designer Taylor Sanders said in an interview with GameSpot it's important that players are able to progress at their own pace in Delves and play with the group size that they want, whether that be solo or with a few friends. The new asynchronous social features in Delves are there to support that flexibility, as Blizzard believes the mode has been a huge success and doesn't want to change what's working.
"It's a way of getting back to some of MMO's roots," Sanders said. "Of knowing that other players are around you, in a way, without necessarily grouping players up with other players they might not want to play with…This is a way of capturing some of that magic of MMOs, of seeing other players throughout the environment, seeing memories of where they may have messed up and gotten splattered by a trap or something, without necessarily impacting what we think has been really positive and successful about the feature."
The new Delve social features are just the tip of the iceberg for the Ghosts of K'aresh update, which in many ways serves as a sequel of sorts to events and lore first introduced in the game's The Burning Crusade expansion. It will transport players to the shattered homeworld of the Ethereals to stop a cosmic-level threat from returning. Along the way players will unlock a legendary cloak that can be used to transform into an energy form in order to access new content.
Blizzard hasn't revealed when the Ghosts of K'aresh update will be going live, but it's expected to be available on WoW's public test realm in the near future. Meanwhile, players are still waiting for more details on WoW's upcoming player housing system, which we said already feels full of endless possibilities based on a recent hands-on preview.
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In the Ghosts of K'aresh update, Blizzard will add new social functions to Delves, the MMORPG's latest endgame mode that can be played solo or with small groups. Like in Elden Ring or Dark Souls, players within a Delve will be able to see remnants of other players who have journeyed to the instance, see markers where a player may have died from a strong pack of enemies or hidden trap, and leave helpful messages for others to read while inside. I'm sure these messages will always be 100% serious.
It's an addition players may not have known they wanted, but one that makes perfect sense and should make Delves feel more alive than they currently do. WoW is a MMO, after all, even as it continues to offer new ways to achieve endgame goals entirely solo. Adding asynchronous social elements to the game's main endgame mode for solo players helps to further reinforce the idea that WoW is a game played alongside millions of other players, even for those players who largely stick to themselves.
Lead encounter designer Taylor Sanders said in an interview with GameSpot it's important that players are able to progress at their own pace in Delves and play with the group size that they want, whether that be solo or with a few friends. The new asynchronous social features in Delves are there to support that flexibility, as Blizzard believes the mode has been a huge success and doesn't want to change what's working.
"It's a way of getting back to some of MMO's roots," Sanders said. "Of knowing that other players are around you, in a way, without necessarily grouping players up with other players they might not want to play with…This is a way of capturing some of that magic of MMOs, of seeing other players throughout the environment, seeing memories of where they may have messed up and gotten splattered by a trap or something, without necessarily impacting what we think has been really positive and successful about the feature."
The new Delve social features are just the tip of the iceberg for the Ghosts of K'aresh update, which in many ways serves as a sequel of sorts to events and lore first introduced in the game's The Burning Crusade expansion. It will transport players to the shattered homeworld of the Ethereals to stop a cosmic-level threat from returning. Along the way players will unlock a legendary cloak that can be used to transform into an energy form in order to access new content.
Blizzard hasn't revealed when the Ghosts of K'aresh update will be going live, but it's expected to be available on WoW's public test realm in the near future. Meanwhile, players are still waiting for more details on WoW's upcoming player housing system, which we said already feels full of endless possibilities based on a recent hands-on preview.
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