Kvaldir would make sense. We could have a situation (like mentioned in the article) where the new "continent" of the expansion, akin to Outland and Northred for their respective xpacs, would instead more closely follow the Cata model, that of scattered new zones. Except this time, the zones are all islands.

Thing about it. Most xpacs have about six zones (rough, top-of-the-head guess), so you'd have to have about six islands. Pandaria, Kul'Tiras, Zandalar, Undermine... All you need is two more. Possbilities for those two include the Broken Isles and, maybe, another underwater zone.

I'm still a bit uneasy about, you know, the possibility of "World of Warcraft: The April Fool's Day Expansion," but there ARE ways that this concept could be done right. Not MANY ways, but ways nonetheless. We'll just have to see.

Plus, I leave you with this thought. Pandaren + Dwarves + Brewfest = AWESOME

Where there's Naga, there should also be Kvaldir. An if it's an island-centred xpac, I would certainly bet to see some South Sea Pirates, too.

However, I doubt we'll see a new playable race PLUS a new class. Since Pandaren have never been associated with either faction, probably never even heard of them, I see no obvious reason why they should choose one side or both of them. I think they will stay neutral.

As major beachheads, possibly Undermine for Horde and Kul Tiras for Alliance come to my mind. Perhaps Zuldazar, the Zandalari capital, once it's liberated. I just hope we'll never get a common capital hub for alliance and horde again. I remember too well the lags that were the dominant feature of Shattrath and Dalaran.

As for the big villain, I'm not fully convinced that we'll see Deathwing dead during Cataclysm. I expect a cliff hanger of sorts.

I agree that the Kvaldir are likely to make a return, hopefully it will be the next expansion. It makes sense with the name Mists of Pandaria as well, since the Kvaldir travel in the mist and bring it wherever they go. They also kept saying something along the lines of "the mist is coming..."

It is possible that the Pandaren need saving from the Kvaldir. Maybe some wounded pandas wash up on the shores of Org and SW and ask for help. They lead us to Pandaria, where we beat down the Kvaldir. I doubt they will become a playable race, but it is possible they come with a new class to play.

As for Kul Tiras, I think it will be added at the end of Cataclysm, like a special event (think Gnomes and Trolls near the end of Wrath). That event could also include Undermines.

If the Kvaldir are in the next expansion, then they will probably throw the Naga in, too, since they are also fighting the Kvaldir. I'm not sure how that would work out with us, since we are fighting both. Maybe we join up with one temporarily to defeat the other.

I think fighting to save a race or two would be a welcome change from fighting to save the world.