What we know and don't know about the dungeon after Ulduar
by Adam Holisky 
Apr 8th 2009 at 9:00AM
One of the most often asked and debated questions on WoW Insider lately has been:"What is after Ulduar and patch 3.1?" While no one can know for sure, we do have some evidence out there that can help us at least look smart about it.Back in October 2008, Kaplan said in an interview with Curse that Patch 3.2 will contain a new raid instance that hasn't been announced yet. There's some question as to what exactly he was talking about. We also know from the article that Patch 3.3 will contain the Icecrown Citadel, so we know the 3.2 dungeon won't be that.
There is also the possibility that Kaplan didn't mean a new raid instance in Patch 3.2, but a new battleground. Many people think this is the case. Zarhym confirmed that there will indeed be a new battleground sometime in the future, and signs point this happening in patch 3.2.
However...
Last night Crygil, a Blizzard blue poster, said that the next dungeon after Ulduar is still a secret. This makes me scratch my head and wonder if indeed there will now be a new 10/25-man raid in 3.2 or a new 5-man dungeon (or both).
As I said about we know that 3.3 will contain Icecrown Citadel, so no secret there. We know that there will be a new battleground, and that's no secret anymore. But a battleground isn't a new dungeon. So is this confirmation of a new dungeon/raid in patch 3.2?
I gather this just opens up more questions, but it's still interesting to pay attention to this now and reflect on it more when patch 3.2 actually does come around.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Instances, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
pietrex Apr 8th 2009 9:06AM
I say let's have 3.1 first. :)
Feress Apr 8th 2009 9:32AM
It will have something to do with the Nerub most likely. Not much has been done with what blizzard described in alpha as "A spwraling underground kingdom filled with spider like creatures, a zone in itself." I think they'll have the main city as a raid dungeon, Itd be a good lead-in to ICC, they are his guardians after all.
Feress Apr 8th 2009 9:36AM
P.S. They will not do Uldum, they did Ulduar, thats enough titans this expansion imo. And Grim Batol is probably saved for another expansion, and also, we killed malygos......enough with blue dragons for now. Gun'drak is a possibility, although they don't fit in the "Lich King" storyline very well.
Matchu Apr 8th 2009 11:00AM
A "first" comment rated up?
Zomg.
pietrex Apr 8th 2009 12:29PM
Believe me or not, but it wasn't my intention. ^^
Ferarro Apr 8th 2009 6:22PM
OMG They're gonna redo MC/BWL now!!!
=P
Kassu Apr 8th 2009 9:06AM
Grim Batol raid, Uldum dungeon.
Make it happen.
SmokeTheBear Apr 8th 2009 9:09AM
Uldum would be a good fit, Grim Batol not so much. Grim Batol is also rumored to be part of a future expansion.
I really like the Uldum idea.
Rhozul Apr 8th 2009 10:21AM
Ulduum is certainly a good guess. We know something is going on over there (giant hole in the wall, anyone?) and after we only narrowly stopped Algalon the Destroyer from destroying all of Azeroth, I'd say that someone is bound to be checking out Ulduum.
However, both Grim Batol and Azjol-Nerub fit in with Wrath of the Lich King too. While Malygos definitely spear-headed the Nexus War on the Blue Dragon side, did he have any second-in-command or back up plans should he fall? Is he truly dead, or was The Eye of Eternity merely a set back? What's going on with Kalecgos, and what are the reds so viciously protecting in Grim Batol? There are a lot of unanswered questions to use as Plot Hooks; I'd even go as far to say that the Ruby Sanctum could be located inside of Grim Batol (free port there from Wyrmrest?).
And as someone else said, Azjol-Nerub spans for miles under Northrend, and possibly into the Frozen Sea. Plus we really haven't seen much of the free Nerubian Vizers (as in nothing) that were mentioned during Wrath Beta and for that matter, we've only seen three free Nerubians outside of an instance (and the ones in Azjol-Nerub got their asses handed to them by the Scourge).
What will we see? Only time will tell, but it is bound to be kickass.
notworksafe Apr 8th 2009 12:09PM
I'd rather have more Nerubians!
Mognet T Apr 8th 2009 4:56PM
I agree with you, Kassu. An Uldum 5-man and a Grim Batol raid would be perfect for me.
Does anyone have a blue quote about Grim Batol being saved for another expansion? As I recall, the blues stated the next raid would be something fans have wanted for a long while, which led to the Uldum/Grim Batol speculation.
CactusHam Apr 8th 2009 6:46PM
After the comments made a few days ago by several blue posters on the forums... why are more people not thinking Gilneas as the 3.2 raid? Grim Batol doesn't really fit... We already killed Anub'arak, the king of Azjol Nerub in the 5 man (though I wish he had been a raid boss, he deserved raid boss status)... Uldum would be ANOTHER titan instance right after Ulduar so I do not see that happening...
We have blues hinting at Gilneas, and there is the speculation that Gilneas might be overrun with Worgen (and possibly undead) now. What's to say that the plague didn't spread from silverpine and into Gilneas (other than that wall...) and that Arugul didn't manage to Worgen-ize everyone on the other side. I dunno, I think it could make for a pretty sweet raid -- the Greymane Wall becomes an instance portal and the whole zone is a massive raid.
If they do decide to save Gilneas for The Maelstrom, and go with the 'naga invaded it' angle, I suppose that's fair enough and it'll be like the first zone of the next expansion. In which case... maybe they'll find something else to do with the spiders.
Birk Apr 8th 2009 9:06AM
I highly doubt that Blizzard would leave the Expansion to Naxx, Ulduar, and Icecrown.
Even with short raids like Sarth and Maly, that still seems like a short list compared to BC.
Angus Apr 8th 2009 9:59AM
Kara (long) Naxx (long)
Gruul's (short) OS (short)
Mag (short) EoE (short)
SSC (med-long) Uldar (longer than both combined)
TK (short-Med)
MH (short-med)
BT (long)
ZA (short) ZA was weird
Sunwell(med-long) Icecrown (long)
Looking at it compared to BC, it is not that bad to just put 1 medium raid in 3.2 and then add a short raid to 3.3 as well as Icecrown.
That said, I doubt they'll do it. The trend has been to add less in this patch and get it out the door.
Kassius Apr 8th 2009 10:09AM
You say Ulduar is longer than SSC and TK combined, yet I really don't see Ulduar providing a progression stage of 2 and a half months like TK did.
Void reaver 1st down : 11th march 2007 > Kael 1st down: 25th may 2007
Ulduar will be 1 week, 2 maybe. Raid will be longer in amount of bosses, but people will be sick of it in a motter of weeks. So blizz really should put another raid in 3.2 because raiding won't survive the 15 month wait for icecrown.
Nodaba Apr 8th 2009 11:53AM
@Kassius
You seem to be having the same problem others are having. The progression isn't Flame Leviathan -> Yogg. It's FL -> Yogg with no keepers or Algalon. I'm with you in the basic dungeon clear...maybe 2 weeks. But I don't think Algalon is going to be down in the first two weeks. I don't think Yogg with no keepers is going to be down in 2 weeks. This is the new way progession works now, guys. Better get used to it.
Kassius Apr 8th 2009 1:02PM
Yeah. its great how Blizz came up with a way to artificially lengthen instances by feeding us the same fight but with badly thought out complications to make a "hard mode"
Oh well lets not get into this again.
And most competent guild had sarth 3d down a month after wrath. considering everyone and there dog is maxed out in best in slot by now, i seriously doubt many hard modes will be left by week 3 of 3.1
Charlie Apr 8th 2009 11:26PM
@Kassius
"most competent guild[s] had sarth 3d down a month after wrath."
So only the top 10% of raiding guilds are competant now?
I could have sword 3d sarth took an entire 2 weeks to get a world first, but maybe it was one week.
(Partially made up number: it think its 25% have done 3d now?, but one month after launch is a short time to completley finish all raid content, even if it is easy)
I do agree with you that 3.2 better have a raid in it. Although Ulduar and its hard modes will take much longer than all raid content, it definatley won't last till icecrown.
Cmoooon Grim Batol. I think it really fits in with whats going on, with all the dragons going crazy, Deathwing bringing the twilight eggs from there too OS, etc. And one more thing that is a huge lore spoiler from Ulduar that i won't say here >.<
If its a CoT instance it fits in too with Nozdormu possibly being the
leader of the infinate dragonflight.
Either way it hink we are looking at a dragon dungeon in 3.2
SmokeTheBear Apr 8th 2009 9:08AM
Well, let's hear the speculation! What could it be? Are there any hints in lore, maybe some possible scenarios in the new Arthas book?
bakatsuji Apr 8th 2009 9:11AM
uldum would be awesome to expand on that.
i'd maybe like to see something over in gun'drak, looks like a prime spot for a raid instance.