Patch 2.2 may take "weeks" longer
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 3rd 2007 at 1:29PM
MMO Champion's about right-- patch 2.2 is likely not coming for a matter of weeks. Since background downloading started a little while ago, we all figured this Tuesday or next was looking pretty good for a patch update, but Hortus on the forums alludes to new PTR patches "several times in the upcoming weeks," which is a good indication that we've got a while to go on the PTR.It doesn't necessarily mean that we're looking at a November patch-- it could be that the PTR updates are for 2.3, or that 2.2 will drop with hotfixes coming later, or that Hortus just doesn't have the information from the devs right. But take a deep breath-- even if it takes a few more weeks for a new patch, odds are we'd all rather have it "right" than "right now."
And Boubouille says that if it takes this long for 2.2, he doesn't see how they'll release the expansion by next January, which is just plain laughable. Sorry Bou, we love you and all, but WotLK isn't dropping anytime before July 2008, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if we didn't see it until early 2009. It's not that we won't have content until then-- Zul'Aman is coming, and a new arena season will show up before then (maybe even two), as well as guild banks, a new CoT instance, and of course the Sunwell. But if you're still thinking we'll see Arthas as soon as January, time to stop holding your breath.
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Fletch Sep 3rd 2007 1:40PM
Considering that the feature that's holding this patch up, voice chat, is a feature that most people probably aren't even going to use...
Avaloner Sep 3rd 2007 6:43PM
Well they said they were going to release an expansion every year after the release of Burning Crusade. By that calculation is should be out by February 2008. Blizzard just cannot keep a deadline.
Eleanorrigby Sep 3rd 2007 1:54PM
i thought that WotLK had a definite release date of May 2008?? What is this about it not coming out until 2009??? I think we will definitely see it in 2008.
Ryan Sep 3rd 2007 1:59PM
Yea I like it the way it is now, where I can have Ventrillo use my headphones and wow use my speakers. Not sure I really want to have voice going through my speakers.
Boubouille Sep 3rd 2007 2:35PM
Wait wait wait ... You love me ?
Melenor Sep 3rd 2007 2:34PM
@3: If you've played on the PTR and used the voice chat feature, you know it allows you separate inputs for both microphone input and speaker output.
Ayashi Sep 3rd 2007 2:55PM
@2: If I have learned anything from playing Blizzard games since the original Warcraft, it is that a "definite" release date from Blizzard is NEVER "definite". I remember hearing information about Warcraft III back in... 7th grade? And then I think it came out when I was in 11th, or maybe even a senior :/
(Obviously not saying that WotLK is going to take 5 years, but still - I'll believe it is coming out on Date X when I see it on the shelves :P)
Daveti Sep 3rd 2007 2:59PM
patch or no patch, i'm at least hoping for a hotfix to all the #132 and nv4_disp.dll errors blizz caused in the last patch. half my guild is down because they had the nerve to use high end video cards that blizz themselves recommend.
Passit Sep 3rd 2007 3:00PM
Can they please just hotfix the orc shoulders...I mean really...
Vanterax Sep 3rd 2007 3:16PM
If we're lucky, it's patch 2.3 that we may see in January 2008. If we're lucky... Blizzard has been aweful with patches since the release of TBC. Looks like two patches in 2007 is all we're gonna get.
crazy Sep 3rd 2007 3:23PM
um I thought the new CoT instance was coming out in WoTLK...
Medros Sep 3rd 2007 3:36PM
Blizz has said there will be one more CoT instance coming before the expansion. As for the 2.2 patch, well, ponder on this: The 48 hour maintenance for Argent Dawn, Earthen Ring, Mannoroth, and the rest... that was to add in the voice chat hardware. The rest of the realms will need this as well. I dislike that 2.2 has been on the PTR nearly 2 months, and could go as much as another full month yet, but it is the reality of the fact that Voice Chat will take a lot to implement. I would say they should have held it back, but then there would have been nothing advertisable in the 2.2 patch, and we all know how they like to advertise.
Fletch Sep 3rd 2007 5:04PM
No, there's no CoT instance coming out before the expansion. There are three confirmed instances that will be released before WotLK: Zul'Aman and the two Sunwell instances (one 25-man one 5-man). None of those are in the CoT.
PallySucks Sep 3rd 2007 5:38PM
Yeah, a delay on Pally nerfs.
Vanterax Sep 3rd 2007 8:35PM
And by calculation, there are 10 more months in 2008 beyond Febuary. Blizzard said they were going to TRY to issue a new expansion pack every year. First, they never said it will be exactly 12 months apart. Second, they said TRY. They never made a commitment.
phisquare Sep 4th 2007 2:26AM
Just give me my pimped out Spectral Tiger, that's all I ask.
my2cents Sep 4th 2007 2:58AM
@15 - They said they were going to *aim* for an expansion a year. Blizz never promised to release the next xpac within a year of bc coming out. Also @2, who ever said anything about a may 2008 release date? =P Just wondering where you guys are getting your info from.
tdf Sep 4th 2007 5:39AM
What happened to 'a patch a month'?
As someone else said, it's frustrating that voice chat is what's holding this one up, a feature most people won't use.
At the moment they seem to keep adding stuff to 2.2 while they try and fix the sound issues. I'd have preferred it if they'd taken the voice stuff out and give it to us a few weeks ago.
Green Armadillo Sep 4th 2007 12:06PM
Realistically speaking:
2.2 PTR: At least one more week (Sep 11 at the earliest).
2.3 PTR: Suggestion is that it's done with internal dev and ready to go up almost immediately after 2.2 goes live. PTR's tend to go live on a Friday, so that's Sep 14 at the earliest. I'd be shocked if a PTR with a new raid spends less than a month on the PTR, so we're looking no earlier than mid October for 2.3 going live.
2.4 PTR: Perhaps they've been able to get a jump on this one, if they're actually done with 2.3. So perhaps an early Nov PTR and a late December release.
2.5: Not announced, but there's almost assuredly going to be a "hype the expansion" patch the way there was for TBC. Feb at the earliest.
Earliest possible date for the expansion: March.
Earliest reasonable date for the expansion: May.
Super Guest Man 9000 Sep 4th 2007 3:21PM
I honestly do not think we'll see the next expansion until the end of 2008. My guess is October/November 08 for WotLK.
What they've released so far as the information is lacking at best and with the amount of new dungeons and stuff to still come (ZA probably in late september and Sunwell in january/febuaray) they won't be releasing the x-pack for a bit.