World of Warcraft just saw the release of patch 12.1.5, complete with new story content, and it’s officially the end of a 20-year era for the game. Recently, Blizzard unveiled the trailers for the 12.2 Midnight patch and a teaser for the final expansion in the Worldsoul Saga, called Last Titan, much to the hype of longtime fans. Although Last Titan has seen a positive reception overall, the 12.2 Midnight trailer didn’t reveal much, and fans are waiting for a resolution to Xal’atath’s story in World of Warcraft.
The new patch does a lot for the game, including a big class and spec balance update and the addition of a customizable 7-million gold mount in World of Warcraft that allows players to change what vendors and NPCs it carries. Yet, many fans have been disappointed or underwhelmed by the story beats in the update, featuring several quests to pacify the Blood Elves of Quel’Thalas and the Amani Trolls of Zul’Aman. A major character in this story is Lady Liadrin, though she doesn’t get a lot of screen time, build-up, or character growth, leading to a disappointing conclusion.
WoW 12.1.5 story spoilers below; proceed at your own risk.
World of Warcraft Officially Kills Off a Faction Leader After 20 Years
World of Warcraft‘s 12.1.5 patch marks the death of the Horde faction leader Lady Liadrin, the head of Blood Elf Paladins, after almost 20 years. First introduced in Burning Crusade all the way back in January 2007, Lady Liadrin has had a major role in World of Warcraft‘s history and the unfolding of events, and she has been a beloved faction leader with a crucial part to play in Midnight. In patch 12.1.5, she channels the Light’s Holy energy to defeat Kith’ix,
but her physical body collapses on a cave floor due to exhaustion, and she dies. This death not only marks the end of a character introduced almost exactly 20 years ago, but it has also sparked multiple debates online about the quality of writing in WoW expansions, the difference in treatment between Horde and Alliance leaders, and the general direction of the story.
The problem is that Liadrin’s death feels unnecessary to the overall plot, undeserved for such a beloved character, and possibly unearned in terms of in-game events. One could argue that Malfurion from the Alliance has had plenty of close calls, but was instead retired and lives on, maybe to come back in the future. Liadrin’s death makes it seem very hard for her to return in any meaningful capacity, though some fans are speculating that the addition of Undead Paladins in World of Warcraft could mark Liadrin’s return as a Forsaken herself. Regardless, this is yet another Horde leader being killed off in an unceremonious way, and Liadrin’s death doesn’t feel relevant or well played out.
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Another example of such treatment comes from Sylvanas, who isn’t dead, but had a huge role in the Shadowlands expansion. She has mostly flown under the radar for a long time, almost forgotten in the overall story, just to come back seemingly out of nowhere to save her sister and nephew at the end of the March on Quel’Thalas Raid. Sylvanas will come back with a new design in November, but this is for WoW: Forever instead.
Whether World of Warcraft will get its rumored console support in the near future remains to be seen, and it’s not a guarantee with The Last Titan’s release. However, many fans are hoping that the game’s overall story will make more sense come the next expansion, and perhaps give meaning to Liadrin’s untimely death.
- Released
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November 23, 2004
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Engine
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Unreal Engine
