Maelstrom as the Next Expansion?




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So a few days ago there was an apparent leak at Blizzard as a server called “Maelstrom 3 Test” appeared on the test-server tab for a few moments.

You can read more about it here.

While this may seem inconsequential, remember that the initial WotLK leak was a “Northrend” directory (containing a few Howling Fjord trees) that was accidentally included within a Burning Crusade PTR installation.


So what’s the consensus now?  Emerald Dream?  Maelstrom?

With Emerald Dream, I think our most compelling evidence is the “Malfurion” novel due in 2010.

With Maelstrom, the most compelling evidence is this recent leak.

They’re both compelling, but I think that no matter what the next expansion is, that “Malfurion” novel is all but proof that Malfurion Stormrage is about to take a much more active role in WoW lore.

So we’re left with three options.

– Malfurion Stormrage is going to help us kill Azshara.

– The next expansion is Emerald Dream.

– Emerald Dream and Maelstrom will be combined into one Expansion.


I think they’re all valid.  We could choose to be frustrated over this, but I think we need to focus on the one, very cool, definite: Malfurion is coming.

UPDATE 7/4/09: One of our readers, Kyle, sent us a recording he made of the test server leak.  You can check it out here.  Thanks Kyle!

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Crofe July - 2009 at 7:37 am

I’ve only recently started getting into the Lore of WoW (I’m on the second novel of War of the Ancients trilogy), but I think they could pull off doing the Emerald Dream and Maelstorm in the same expansion. Granted, I’m not 100% sure what the Maelstorm is but from what little I know I think it could sustain a whole expansion. But the Emerald Dream doesn’t seem like you could get a whole expansion from it without using the same devices over and over again. The Emerald Dream seems more like it’ll be an instance than an expansion, leaning on the fact that it’s not good to stay too long in the Dream.

The other thing I could see Blizzard doing is having the Emerald Dream be a phase thing during multiple instances or events. What I mean by that is you have to accomplish something in the Emerald Dream to overcome something in the Real World. . .typing that out makes me think of the Twilight Portals we see in OS.

2 Crofe July - 2009 at 7:43 am

Sorry for the double post, but I just thought of something else. There’s already a server called Maelstrom (and Emerald Dream too). Having a test server called that as well doesn’t mean it’s a look at the next expansion, it could just mean they name their test servers like they do their live servers. I know it’s all speculation, just throwing out more to think about.

3 Brent July - 2009 at 8:45 pm

Apparently Blizzard has recently registered “Cataclysm” http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.php?topic=70411.0

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