After players have spent months exploring the brand-new zones of Khaz Algar, all eyes are on what the next chapter ofWorld of Warcraft: The War Withinwill entail. Dubbed Undermine(d), this first major patch is set to bring players to the capital of the Goblin Trade Empire for the very first time. Alongside that will also come a plethora of new stories, mechanics, dungeons, and an exciting new raid for players to enjoy. WhileWorld of Warcraftplayers are excited to finally explore Undermine, some may be wondering why it took so long to be introduced.
Goblins have been playable inWorld of Warcraftever since 2010’s Cataclysm expansionand have been a part of the lore for even longer. However, players have never really gotten to explore their capital city until now. Game Rant recently had the chance to talk to associate game directors Morgan Day and Katrina Yepiz about just why that is. They not only shared what made The War Within the perfect expansion to finally delve into Undermine, but also all the other goblin-focused content that players can expect when they go exploring.
The War WIthin Was the Perfect Time to Explore Goblin Culture
Undermine Plays Right Into the Theme of The War Within
The capital city of Underminehas been talked about inWorld of Warcraftfor what feels like forever. So many goblins have mentioned where they hailed from, players have met various characters that have called it home, and it has been a very important part of the lore. Because of that, it seemed strange that players had not really gotten to explore it. Luckily, Yepiz said Blizzard felt like now was the best time to finally deliver that.
“I think the reason mainly now is that we have a whole storyline that’s featured within the crust of our planet. It’s been a zone that’s been talked about in the game for a very long time, and it just kind of felt like the perfect time to introduce another underground zone in the underground expansion.”
The entire theme of The War Within is around letting playersdelve deep into Azeroth. This has introduced them to brand-new entirely underground zones, the likes of whichWoWhas not really dealt with before. So, it only seemed natural for the underground capital of Undermine to finally enter the spotlight. And because it is finally being shown off, players can also expect a whole host of goblin-filled adventures throughout Undermine(d).
Undermine(d) Also Puts a Goblin Spin on the Entire Expansion
Not only will Undermine(d) give players access to the capital of the Goblin Trade Empire, but the goblins are also going to affect the zones that have already been introduced. Right now, players can find various goblin areas and NPC quest giversthroughout the Ringing Deeps. If they listen closely, they may also be able to hear goblin jackhammers or mining within the very walls themselves. According to Day, this is because things are about to get a lot bigger down there.
“We knew we wanted to have a goblin drill kind of ram through a wall and see a new space open up behind the Ringing Deeps. Because not only is there the Undermine city space that we are adding with this update, there’s an expansion of the Ringing Deeps as well. There is a whole area down there where there’s tons of black blood being harvested by the goblins, which we’ve seen Alleria making use of that stuff. So she’s up to no good again here.”
While the primary focus of the expansion is on the city of Undermine, players can expect even more goblin adventures acrossThe War Within’s zones. Because the expansion is focused on that subterranean world, Blizzard knew that the goblins would need to be at the forefront at some point, and now it seems like they will be. Plus, there may even be more secrets in store for goblin fans as the content continues to roll out.
