Blizzard has provided an update on World of Warcraft: Shadowlands alt leveling, and the Threads of Fate changes that the developer has proposed feel like a major step in the right direction for an already promising feature. The World of Warcraft: Shadowlands release date is approaching quickly, and the newest expansion to grace the popular MMORPG has promised players a number of significant changes to the already refined experiences that come with a title that has more than 15 years of experience under its belt.
A lot of the adjustments coming to Azeroth center around an unconventional problem that, really, only Blizzard has had to deal with - what happens when an MMORPG exists for so long that its level cap requirements begin to inflate to the point of absurdity? As of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, the character level cap was 120, fully double what the game's level cap was upon release. Skill trees begin to feel barren, the leveling process doesn't have the same rewarding feel with each advancement, and other issues crop up when it comes to balancing and design. As a result, theWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlands level cap will be shrinking down to 60 again.
Another process is getting similar sweeping changes, however. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands alt leveling will be a much better, tighter experience for veterans looking to guide a newer character through the expansion's content. Blizzard introduced the latest version of the Threads of Fate leveling system, which allows players to select a new option upon entering the Shadowlands area with a new character after having already completed the content once. Players will be able to skip repeating the storyline in favor of exploring world quests and side quests, which can be especially useful for those who expect to bring a handful of characters up to level cap in Shadowlands over a small period of time. Alts coming into the Maw for the first time will be given an explicit choice about which experience they want to pursue, and Threads of Fate will see alts join the Shadowlands expansion with the narrative Campaign completed, with access to new bonus objectives.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands alt leveling will also provide flexibility for characters. Shadowlands Threads of Fate lets players earn Anima for their Covenants and Renown while ducking the storyline in favor of a more varied grind, which means those who choose to level their World of Warcraft alt in Shadowlands won't be punished by having less end-game resources by the time they reach cap. The World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Threads of Fate option has been available in beta for a few weeks now, but player feedback has led to the refinements discussed above.
Overall, giving players more options is rarely a bad thing for an MMORPG. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands alt leveling sounds like it will be the best iteration of the experience yet, whether it be the fact that the level squish will now offer players a condensed, zone-centric experience prior to the newest content or the Threads of Fate system offering more flexibility once they're there. With so many changes coming, Shadowlands is definitely intimidating in its scope - but it could also provide fans with their best expansion in recent memory, and the game's tenure suggests aiming high on risky propositions suits it well.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands releases on October 27, 2020.
Source: Blizzard