We are not even a week into the newest expansion to the ever growing World of Warcraft and Blizzard is already talking about the future of the franchise. More importantly, the future of the factions them self. 

WoW has always had two factions, the Alliance - the good guys and the Horde - the bad guys.     

Players have grown up with just these two factions. You are either Alliance, or you are Horde. You have fought for your faction, you have died for your faction, you have killed for your faction. 

Your banner means everything to you, as a player in this world.  

Battle for Azeroth pits these two factions against each other, for the first time since Mists of Pandaria. That was six years ago. A lot has happened in those six years. At the end of Legion, we saw a dying Vol'jin make Sylvanas the new Warchief. While a lot of the player base does not believe that Vol'jin is dead, it doesn't matter. Sylvanas is in charge of the Horde, and she sets her sights on the Alliance. This is the crux of Battle For Azeroth. The Alliance vs the Horde. Which side do you stand on?  

Blizzard's entire ad campaign for this expansion has been "It matters".

Look at their commercials, which are hilarious btw. 

It does matter.

But does it matter to all of the Horde? 

Sylvanas maybe the Warchief, but not everybody is agreeing with her decision making and according to Steve Danuser, Senior Narrative Designer on World of Warcraft. That may possibly be the catalyst that changes the factions in the future. 

Speaking to Polygon he went on to explain possible changes to the two factions in the future. 

Well, what I would say is that there is definitely room for what those factions represent to evolve and change and for their relationship to change. Those factions are so tied into player identity, when you see those banners, you know what they stand for — they’re personal to you as a player - That wouldn’t be something we would take away lightly. That’s part of the Warcraft DNA. But shaping what those factions mean in the world and how they interact with one another? That’s something this expansion really allows us to focus on and resolve in a way that will be satisfying for players on both sides.

He also goes onto say;

There has always been some question as to what the Horde stood for, And that has changed and evolved over time. Is it this disparate collection of outcasts that nobody will align themselves with? And that’s why they’re together, out of necessity? Or is it this group that’s driven by honor and courage? Players have been able to identify and pull out parts of the storyline that they favor and maybe turn a blind eye to some of the other things, but all of those things have been part of the Horde’s history.

Could this possibly be a hint to the future of this expansion or the next? Maybe a break off of the Horde into another faction all together? I know from a lot of the Horde quest line that not everybody is with Sylvanas in her little war with the Alliance. So maybe that group will splinter off into a separate faction in the future? 

Everything is speculation right now and with Blizzcon right around the corner, maybe we will get more information on this then. We will just have to wait and see. 

Until then though? I will continue to cut down any Horde scum that comes my way. For the Alliance! 

Anybody else really enjoying this expansion? What are you thoughts on a possible new faction in WoW? Let me know in the comments below. 

And as always, this has been James with Game Fix. Game on everybody!