BlizzCon 2011: Pandaren will be playable by both the Horde and Alliance
by Alex Ziebart 
Oct 21st 2011 at 3:05PM
The choice as to whether you're Alliance or Horde doesn't happen at character creation, though. The choice will come after you've played through the introductory quest chain for your character. Once the stage has been set and you see where the lines of war have been drawn, you will choose which faction represents your interests best. Exciting? Oh, yes.
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Filed under: BlizzCon
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
facepalmer2 Oct 21st 2011 3:06PM
Yay pandas! 0.0
ravyncat Oct 21st 2011 3:15PM
And monks!!! O.O
YAY!!!
wat Oct 21st 2011 3:19PM
Nice! Half the work for Bliz, since they only have to make one starting zone.
Me Oct 21st 2011 3:25PM
I wonder if this will also open up cross faction communication? If pandas choose different sides, they surely won't "forget" their pandaren language, will they?
Sacrilege Oct 21st 2011 3:26PM
I think that starter zone should be pretty interesting... lots of conflict between the factions, both sides vying to win you over to join them.
My only concern really is the "cutesy" nature of pandaren, and the vibrant zones, attracting immature crowds who aren't really suited to the mature gameplay of WoW (as opposed to say, Perfect World). The header screenshot could actually fit a lot of current F2P oriental-themed MMOs, which worries me. Hopefully the content will be fantastic enough - Cata's old world revamps were really, really good.
ecwfrk Oct 21st 2011 3:36PM
I doubt they'll open up cross faction communication. They had it for awhile in the Vanilla Alpha where undead could speak common and just that limited amount of cross faction communication made for a lot of harassment issues. And the community was *a lot* less hostile at that point than they are now.
I don't know how they'll justify it or if they'll even bother and just make it a "Gameplay > Logic" decision, but Pandas on different sides probably won't be able to talk to each other
Kylenne Oct 21st 2011 3:37PM
@Sacrilege: As opposed to the totally mature people who are freaking out over pandas? Given a relative definition of maturity, I'd rather take the panda fans tbh. At least they don't take everything so deathly seriously.
(And, to be frank, WoW's art style was never Serious Business so I'm not quite sure what point you're trying to make with this.)
joshychrist Oct 21st 2011 3:50PM
monks available to all races except goblin and worgen
furrama Oct 21st 2011 6:12PM
Dear Blizzard:
Please don't let the lady pandas have ridiculously perky boobs or be strangely thin compared to the males or have anything else that doesn't fit the race. Please don't wait to put them out until last minute to test or have far fewer customization options than their male counterparts.
Don't do the same thing you did with the Worgen, the Tauren, and the Trolls. Be true to the race, (more like the female Charr from GW2), and don't just cater to what 17 year old boys want.
Jeff Oct 21st 2011 8:21PM
In 2 years we will all point to this day as the day WoW jumped the panda.
tulipblossom Oct 22nd 2011 7:50AM
I can't believe it! I'm so insanely excited right now. I'm so jazzed that the race is neutral, so that both the Alliance and Horde can play them. I feel like that's such a fair way to go. And, from what I've seen, the new zones are breathtaking! The male pandaren look incredible so far. And, so the ONLY thing I hope is that the females will honestly look just as good this time around. I was so disappointed in the female worgen. I desperately wanted them to look more like their male counterparts, but I feel like they unfortunately went another route. I'm just hoping with as badass as the male Pandarens look, that the females will look just as amazing. Please please!
I'm just so excited, though. I seriously can't wait!
Thorie Oct 21st 2011 3:07PM
Im going to make a guild in Guild Wars 2 called "Pandas brought us here"
kingoomieiii Oct 21st 2011 3:15PM
Better that than complaining about it in trade chat.
Bye!
WrecklessMEDIC Oct 21st 2011 3:48PM
Yep, looks like movin to SWTOR was a good call. Gimme a shout in 2 years Blizz when you think of something better than Kung-Fu Panda kiddie content. Laterz. :(
*cancels subscription*
Rimar Oct 21st 2011 4:26PM
Needs more Cow Bell...
Killeryams Oct 21st 2011 3:07PM
Epic fail on Blizzard's part...only Alliance would want to play as a freaking panda...where are the ethereals?
epiclulz Oct 21st 2011 3:09PM
tbh i think pandaren have more of a horde affiliation, sadly no ethereals this expansion.
Kylenne Oct 21st 2011 3:15PM
I'm a Horde loyalist.
I want a Panda.
AudreyR Oct 21st 2011 3:28PM
The horde remember Chen's help in building and securing Orgrimmar fondly. :)
NielsdeJONG Oct 21st 2011 3:49PM
The Pandaren actually have a strong connection with the Dwarves (because of the ale). I even remember one seeing as part of the Ironforge militairy :)
Also Pandaren are peacefull, so I don't think they would fit the expansionistical and aggressive Horde. Especially not when they attack the NIght elf their lands.