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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBlizzard registers Mists of Pandaria trademark
by Mathew McCurley 
Aug 2nd 2011 at 8:32PM
While it is not confirmed that Mists of Pandaria is the next expansion, it very well could be. We don't exactly know what the next expansion has in store for WoW players, but we are certain to find out at BlizzCon. Mists of Pandaria could be an expansion that opens up many islands still as of yet explored and populated by players on Azeroth and could potentially provide some new land grabs for the Horde and the Alliance to quarrel over after Deathwing's demise. Whether or not the Pandaren race will be playable is definitely up in the air, but Blizzard has apparently had issues with bringing panda people into the game in the past. Personally, I would much rather prefer another space exploration expansion like The Burning Crusade, as we've been on Azeroth for two expansions already, and I think it's time to head to the stars again.
Filed under: Blizzard, News items
Reader Comments (Page 12 of 12)
cdmoller Aug 3rd 2011 10:09AM
I know many people have already written this off as NOT a patch, but hear me out...
Just because they haven't trademarked a patch in the past doesn't mean that they can't. I think they ran this through the legal trademark filings so they could see how long it would take for someone to pick up on it. That way they can time it properly so the trademark for the next expansion wouldn't be picked off by sites like MMO-C until they were ready to announce it at BlizzCon.
styopa Aug 3rd 2011 10:21AM
New continent, Asian flavor. It's pretty much the only meme that they haven't hit yet.
mqualls Aug 3rd 2011 11:07AM
Ghostcrawler already said that they want to go to a new continent for the next expansion ... soooo ... I guess this would fit that; but, count me among the underwhelmed.
Alliance can have the panda people .... give me ogres ... call them half-ogres if they need to be able to get through doors ...
Donegan Aug 3rd 2011 11:46AM
Surely by now someone who is Pretty Good At Predicting These Things has weighed in.
Yes? No? Too old a reference?
Plainswander Aug 3rd 2011 12:30PM
Brewmaster Pandarens: Drunken Bear Style.
I've been waiting for this one since vanilla. Healer/Tank hero class. Crappy DPS, too drunk to hit, and guarantee's their teammates "feel no pain".... yes please. With a few extra pints for good measure. /hic
Armyford Aug 3rd 2011 12:59PM
I wonder if the new class (if there is a new class) might involve fist weapons since it seems very little classes use them...monk would be nice also.
maoa_22 Aug 3rd 2011 1:13PM
Pandaria.... I GOT IT!!!!
PANDORA!!! Avatar will be a new race :)
Brock Aug 3rd 2011 1:19PM
Can't say I'm too excited over this. I am a little surprised that they are using pandaren to compete with ToR and GW2. If they do add a class I hope it's another class that uses bows/guns we need another one of those. A monk class would also be cool, although I wouldn't play it.
Lenoir Aug 3rd 2011 1:22PM
Quick plot summary/idea/whatever I'm throwing out here:
A strange, foreign boat arrives in the Kalimdor. Aboard are few Pandaren monks, appearing in desperate need of help from their former allies, the Night Elves. The island of Pandaria is shrouded in a choking mist caused by some bad dude the Pandaren aren't aware of (Emerald Nightmare, Kil'jaeden, Kvaldir, and/or Naga.) Meanwhile, to make matters worse, some elder god corrupts an ancient mysterious race that lived in harmony with the Pandaren making them really, really mean to the bear men (enslaving, committing genocide, and/or corrupting them). Are you a bad enough dude to save the bear men?
In gratitude, the Pandaren teach the races of Kalimdor and Azeroth the wise and ancient path of the Monk (new hero class.) The monk fights with holy-powered punches and kicks (Talent slot A, DPS), staves, 1/2h maces or polearms (Talent slot B, DPS) or heals their allies with chants and chi (Talent slot C, Healing). The Pandaren also share the art of Woodworking (new profession). Players are able to carve and infuse wood they find on their travels or cut from trees (Lumberjack (?) new profession) and create powerful staves, bows, fighting shoes (exclusive for monks) and weapon hilts (for Blacksmiths).
New PvP staging area is the Galapages Island, West of Pandaria, where the Alliance and Horde battle for the Pandaren's favor (take and hold). The Galapages is a densely forested island remains untouched and pure for thousands of years, and would be a safe haven for the threatened Pandaren as well as hold secrets on the creation of Azeroth. Always in search of more aliies, the two factions fight for dominance on the Galapages.
New Archaeology artifacts include the Pandaren and Tauren.
Level cap raised to 95.
Lenoir Aug 3rd 2011 1:37PM
The last one could be 95-100, or go out with a bang and be 90-100, making this one 85-90 which does sound more reasonable.
It was just an idea while at work.
brb Excel aggro.
Lenoir Aug 3rd 2011 1:38PM
D'oh, meant to reply to Tyler.
Shaunping Aug 3rd 2011 3:05PM
I think it's great that they can just file a trademark, then sit back and watch you guys speculate like MADMEN.....even if it was a hoax, where can you buy advertisement like this for 400 bucks?
Spiritfire Aug 3rd 2011 3:25PM
It could be a separate game on it's own then. They have stated numerous times that Pandarens would never be a real part of WoW.
Kolonus Aug 3rd 2011 6:09PM
I feel I should be recusing myself, since I do not have the strong feelings for TBC expansion, however I enjoyed it very much. I always cringe just a bit when folks call it their favorite expansion, I think because I found the mechanics and design still in a polishing phase where players could game mechanics to OP levels, and certain other classes just had to watch and accept it.
But to my point, I also believe it gave the player base a certain expectation that WoW would begin satisfying Sci-Fi interests. I love the Draenei, Outland, and especially sci-fi themes and environments. But I have to fully support when Blizzard lets those aspects wiggle lazily in the wind while they bead in on more fantasy-oriented themes. That is what the Warcraft universe is. I like me some steampunk, and you get glimmers of that to, but even just in small doses. If they want to make another expansion that takes place wholly on Azeroth again, which is the planet that without TBC would be the only playable environ since Warcraft, then I got their backs.
If the World of Warcraft story is brought to its eventual fate over the course of 18 more expansions, then I do have to believe we're going into Space/The Twisting Nether. I don't reject it, and will definitely love it, especially with everything Blizzard is learning about game design and where the art is going. I liked TBC, but I don't look at off-world adventures as a necessity. I suppose I just hold onto the planet Azeroth as being the accepted focal point of the game. ...Lost my train of thought.
Philster043 Aug 3rd 2011 7:03PM
It's soon to be Aprils' Fool Day...
That being said, I wouldn't mind seeing an archipelago-focused expansion (the pirate aspects of WoW have always been some of my favorite parts), but I do think they could name it better than something like 'Mists of Pandaria' plus I don't think ALL the islands necessarily would have to have a pandaren race living on them.
That being said, I agree with somebody here who said there probably won't be a new playable race - they already did that with Cataclysm - and we will likely get a hero class in the next expansion. Brewmaster actually doesn't sound like such a bad idea, but I'd kind of hope it would be something with a little more dignity. Monks and whatnot.
Still, I CAN see the next expansion (lvl85-90) being centered around exploring the islands of WoW because they've already started experimenting with underwater zones and obviously there probably would be some of these included in a project like this, too.
Philster043 Aug 3rd 2011 7:05PM
Actually the hero class WOULD have to be pirates in an expansion like this. I mean, c'mon!
LiquidElaina Aug 4th 2011 12:36PM
Yeah, going to say no. Blizz has already said they're staying away from Pandarins as NPC/Playable characters because it is offensive. Nice try though.
Inconnel Aug 5th 2011 12:33AM
great goodly moogly..
everyone is thinking a bit two dimensional/flat earth using a cartesian coordinate system.
Think spherical, Newtons 1st law, and the latest discussions plate tectonics.
Spherical - azeroth is round. yeah obvious, right.
The maelstrom marks the spot of the sundering. Now it is also where deathwing broke thru to the surface from deepholm.
Both of those were a lot of force and energy, particularly the sundering. A whole lotta force there. Per Newtons 1st Law, there should have been an equal force send inward, spreading thru the core of azeroth as well as bouncing off the underside of the crust of azeroth..
Latest tectonic theories say that those interior forces will be focused on a spot on the other side of the planet from the sundering.
Thus, a new continent called Pandaria was formed during the sundering, and brave azerothian adventurers have just stumbled acrose the place. if you need a location, go est from Highbank or dragonmaw castle in twilight highlands. it will be out there somewhere.
As for new class, my bet is on monks with the Panderans being the teachers. Nuetral like booty bay in a way.
No charge for the physics, geology, and astronomy lesson.
*grin*
Inconnel Aug 5th 2011 12:34AM
er... go east from Highbank and/or dragonmaw.
Willing to pay 23 copper for an edit button,
thelordsavenger Aug 5th 2011 6:13AM
I have but one thing to say: PANDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSS!!!!!!
Yes. Pandas. BOOM. :D