Blizzard has added the World of Warcraft Dragonflight Alpha to the Battle.net app, suggesting that the release of the alpha is close.
References to the alpha client for the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion were spotted by MMO-Champion forum user ‘Lumy’ some days ago. As mentioned by the eagle-eyed user, the alpha client being added to Blizzard’s Battle.net app catalog is usually one of the final steps before the actual release of the Alpha. As such, it’s expected that Blizzard will kick off the Alpha in the coming week. For reference, the Alpha client for the current Shadowlands expansion was added to the catalog on April 3, 2020 – the Alpha client was released five days later on April 8.
As expected, going by the planned release of the alpha client, World of Warcraft fans are already heavily speculating about the release frame for World of Warcraft Dragonflight. Blizzard has said that the expansion will launch this December, but going by the running times of alpha’s and beta’s for previous expansions, some are suggesting that a release in Spring 2023 is more likely.
"We are thrilled to share that we’ll be bringing our next expansion to players later this year. Dragonflight is a return to Azeroth, and the freedom and exploration that World of Warcraft is known for," said Executive Producer Holly Longdale last month. "This is your chance to get up close and personal with the rich history of the storied Dragon Isles, and to immerse yourself in the high fantasy at the core of the Warcraft universe."
The Dragon Isles feature four lush new zones for players to adventure through on their journey to the new level cap of 70: the vibrant Waking Shores, the verdant Ohn’ahran Plains, the sprawling Azure Span, and the resplendent Thaldraszus. Dragonriding, a new method of aerial movement, empowers players to soar through the skies of each new area in style atop customizable Dragon Isles Drakes. The isles are home to the all-new playable Dracthyr allied race, who mix the magics of the dragonflights with ranged damage and healer specializations as a solely dedicated Evoker hero class that start off at level 58.
The expansion introduces an extensive overhaul of the game’s character talent system, which offers flavorful and impactful talent choices at every level. There are also significant updates to in-game professions with new work order and specialization systems, on top of a modernized and streamlined Heads Up Display (HUD) and User Interface (UI).
