The new Chains of Domination update from World of Warcraft for the Shadowlands expansion is adding a new mount that is an ancient giant tree that you can mount and step around. Finally. It’s probably my most anticipated part of the update (I’m just kidding around).
At BlizzConline, I talked to WoW’s leading game designer, Jeremy Feasel, about this mount, including how it came about, why it is so unique and how it connects to a broader tradition.
Blizzard launched a survey of players some time ago asking fans what they would like to see from a new mount, allowing them to vote to determine what it would be. The idea was to work closely with the community in a new way to help players feel a greater connection to Azeroth and the Warcraft universe. Some of the other research options include a giant book that you can assemble, a kitten made of jelly, a caterpillar and a scary spider.
The Wandering Elder was the most popular choice by far, Said Feasel. “By a wide margin, everywhere, walking in a giant walking tree won,” he said.
Fans of The Lord of the Rings are probably familiar with the large trees that roam the Ents, but the Ancients are also a central part of the Warcraft and Night Elf tradition specifically.
“There is this mythology of walking on the top of a giant tree,” said Feasel of depicting giant trees that walk in media like The Lord of the Rings. “But also, Night Elves has a long and extensive knowledge of ancient protectors and. .. this goes back to Warcraft 3. I feel like there is a sect of the player base that always wanted to set up one of these things. They finally got what they wanted. “
The Wandering Ancient is among the biggest WoW setups, and as such, Feasel said that players can expect it to look unique in that regard. “This is the montage to step on the landscape,” he said.
Wandering Ancient is also unique, as it changes color with the seasons – check the animated GIF above to see it in action. In addition, his special ability shakes the tree and leaves of different colors fall depending on the season. Feasel said the Wander Ancient mount will also feature some “unique extra things” to be announced later.
One of these surprises may have already been revealed. If you look closely, you’ll notice that one of the mount ideas that didn’t get enough votes – the caterpillar – actually has a home at the top of Mount Wandering Mount. The bug is positioned in a place that appears to be controlling the mount, which is a nice touch.
As part of BlizzConline, the studio released a detailed video for Wandering Ancient in which developers from various disciplines talk about how they brought the mount into the game from the beginning to the final model. It’s an impressive video and really shows how special and unique the montage is. Check out the video below.
Wandering Ancient is not the only new mount that comes to Shadowlands in the Chains of Domination update. There will be a number of new flying mounts as well, and you can see them below.
Chains of Domination is the first major update to Shadowlands since the expansion launched last year. It will include a new 10-boss attack, an eight-boss mega-dungeon that will feature Hard mode, additional PvP content, Maw changes and more. On the story side, players will finally have to fight Sylvanas, which is a battle that has been brewing for years.
We spoke with Feasel, as well as technical designer Frank Kowalkowski, about a number of other topics related to Shadowlands, Chains of Domination and the wider World of Warcraft universe. Come back soon with GameSpot for our full interview.
For now, you can check out some of the main BlizzConline stories below, as well as our summary of all the great news from BlizzConline:
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