Ion Hazzikostas, WoW's game director, says that they're already working on plans for The Last Titan patches. That's two expansions after The War Within.

World of Warcraft: The War Within is doing well, barring some early access nonsense. It's still early, but Blizzard appears to have taken their time to improve the evergreen systems and change the way they tell the story. They've also made Xal'atath the perfect dramaturge to kick-off the Worldsoul Saga.

Ion Hazzikostas was at Gamescom when I asked him if the dev team had planted seeds that would sprout story beats in the future. Blizzard had announced three WoW expansions all at once. He not only said "absolutely", but also revealed that they're already working on the larger details of The Last Titan patch quests.

Hazzikostas stated that "we've always known the next expansion would be. But if I am being honest, two expansions in advance was unrealistic for our development processes." "But we're currently in meetings to figure out not only what The Last Titan will be, but also what the major patches in The Last Titan will look like and what they'll contain, as well as which characters are crucial."

You might think that Blizzard is planning their next expansion, but then you remember the Worldsoul Saga trilogy: The War Within and Midnight, followed by andThe Last Titan. Blizzard's new and improved strategy allows them to plan ahead two expansions in terms of story.

What can we do now to make this possible? How can we involve them in a way that we may not have thought of before, but will be crucial for players to know who they are, when it is their turn to be the center of attention?

It's impressive to hear. But it puts a lot of weight on execution. The Worldsoul Saga has a long way to go. While I have been impressed with the improvement in storytelling, it still has a lot of work ahead. The kind of long-running story Blizzard is trying to tell will be determined by its patch quests. It can't afford another Sylvanas, especially if it depends on the rest of the story.

Hazzikostas was full of energy and pep when I spoke to him, which is a positive sign. He said, "We have a very ambitious plan and we are very excited about it." "I am so excited at all the meetings I attend, seeing the progress updates, concept art, and seeing where this is heading down the road--I want fast-forward to arrive there because it's just so cool.

"I think that we have the major pieces in place, but there is still room for pivots and twists based on the feedback we receive from the players as they begin this journey."