There are now two ways to level alts in WoW, thanks to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. The eighth expansion for the popular MMORPG introduces a new system called Threads of Fate, offering players a chance to level alts using this new method rather than playing through the main story again. It can potentially be a fast and efficient way to level alts in WoW, but there are still some pros and cons players should be aware of.
One of the greatest new features of the Shadowlands expansion is that it makes leveling much easier. For players short on time, WoW's new level squish is just about perfect. Keeping with the idea of streamlined leveling, Shadowlands also introduces the Threads of Fate, an alternative to the typical method of leveling alts in WoW by playing through the main story again and again.
In order to access Threads of Fate, players will first have to complete WoW: Shadowlands' main story once. Threads of Fate allows players to level alts by completing world quests, side quests, dungeons, and bonus objectives. Because Covenant activities are an important aspect of Threads of Fate, players are allowed to choose a Shadowlands Covenant from the very beginning. This means gaining access to Covenant abilities early on, which is one of the pros of choosing the Threads of Fate path for leveling alts.
The Pros & Cons Of Threads Of Fate In WoW: Shadowlands
By choosing the Threads of Fate path to level alts in WoW: Shadowlands, players will skip the main story. In fact, main story quests are disabled completely, which means players should think carefully before deciding on which leveling path to go with. Experienced players will likely love Threads of Fate, because it allows for more freedom in choosing how alts are leveled. And since WoW players choose their Covenant early on, it means they can work on gaining Renown and leveling up their Covenant reputation along the way (both of which are important Shadowlands endgame mechanics).
However, newer players may feel lost without the structure main story quests provide. It's also unclear at this point if Threads of Fate is actually faster than leveling alts through replaying the main story of Shadowlands. This mostly seems to depend on players and playstyles. It's worth noting, though, that players can select to level through the main story and then decide on using Threads of Fate instead later on; meanwhile, choosing Threads of Fate from the get-go is an irreversible decision. So, if players are unsure of which route to choose, going with replaying the main story first is definitely the safer of the two options.
Until fixes and changes are implemented into the way Threads of Fate works, a lot of players may decide on going the old-school route and replaying the main story to level alts. Still, Threads of Fate is a welcome alternative for anyone who doesn't want to replay the main story of Shadowlands again, and for those who want to concentrate on some endgame content while leveling alts in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.