World of Warcraftis just about to release Embers of Neltharion, the first major patch in Dragonflight. This content update adds the subterranean Zaralek Cavern zone, the Loamm Niffen Renown faction, and a new raid called Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible. Players can collect new gear and customizations as they participate in new activities and world events. And of course, a new patch means a new chapter ofWorld of Warcraft’sstory, complete with new cinematics and cutscenes.
Game Rant spoke with cinematic narrative director Terran Gregory about the lore and cinematics coming inthe new Dragonflight update. The in-game cutscenes have given wings to the characters and plots ofWorld of Warcraft’smost recent expansion. Gregory explains a few of the ways that he and the cinematics teams use these tools to breathe life into the narrative to help Dragonflight soar to new heights.
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Giving Life to Dragonflight’s Antagonists
It is no exaggeration to say the Primal Incarnates have stolen the show in Dragonflight so far. The battle between Raszageth and Alexstrasza and the schemes of Fyrakk, Vyranoth, andIridikron inWorld of Warcraft’srecent cinematicsparticularly stood out as memorable moments. “Raszageth was our introduction as the single freed survivor of this mysterious force that was being talked about in hushed tones by the Aspects,” Gregory explained. But besides Raszageth, the other Primalist leaders have just recently broken free, players have only seen them in a few cinematics. Despite this, they’ve already captured the attention of many players.
“The artists were able to express that so vividly with the Incarnates, with Iridikron manifesting as this mysterious mountain of a character, Vyranoth representing the frosty elegance of her elemental domain, and Fyrakk – which, as clear from my vector point on social media, has rapidly become a fan favorite because he really does not care to hide the fact that he is impish and unbound.”
According to Gregory, even the design of the Primal Incarnates’ visage forms helps tell their stories. “We thought about the nature ofwhat visage forms represented to the original Aspects- their desire to communicate and collaborate with the mortal races.” The primalists, on the other hand, want to do the opposite. “There is usefulness in being able to walk around in tighter spaces within the earth, while at the same time having no interest in masking who they are and what they represent.” Their monstrous, inhuman designs, combined with their actions and attitudes, paints a comprehensive story of these antagonists that helps players understand them better than just fighting them as bosses without any buildup.
Though Raszageth died during theVault of the Incarnates while rescuing her siblings in Dragonflight, Gregory explained that her lack of a visage form like the other Primal Incarnates is a form of visual storytelling. “Her absolute devotion to the Primalists' cause may have reflected in her reticence. She had no interest in expressing herself in a way that resembles these antagonists.” On the other hand, a character like Iridikron has no such compunctions. “He’s tactical. He’s methodical. He’s going to use the methods available to him.” Every detail of the characters, from their designs to their actions, helps paint a better picture.
The Primal Incarnates aren’t going anywhere just yet. Many players expected him to be a boss in Aberrus, but were surprised to findFyrakk isn’t in the new Dragonflight raid. It seems likely that all three of the living Incarnates will survive Embers of Neltharion and live to scheme another day. According to Gregory,World of Warcraftplans on continuing to let players get into the heads of the enigmatic villains, so they can safely expect to see more about them in the new content update.
Showing A Quiet Side of World of Warcraft
Cinematics and cutscenes are some of the most important waysWorld of Warcraftcan show its characters in action. From theiconicWorld of Warcraftcinematic trailersto the in-game cutscenes bringing about the deaths of beloved heroes in Legion, these show-stopping moments are immortalized in the memories of fans. As the most recent entry in the long-running series, Dragonflight’s legacy will likewise be shaped by many of these epic battles.
That said, not all of them need to be so exciting. The scene between Ebyssian and Emberthal fromDragonflight Patch 10.0.7was a great example of powerful storytelling in a quiet, personal moment. Rather than a great battle or scheming session, this scene showed two characters in a moment of vulnerability and connection. “They find they share a whole lot more in common,” Gregory said, “and that’s only possible when these scenes allow the characters to open up and confront either their own past, their misgivings, and their failures.” Through a single, short scene, one new character, and another who had small roles until Dragonflight, were able to tug on the heartstrings of the audience.
“A Tauren and Dracthyr, neither of which have an extremely familiar human musculature to the face, and yet we were able to create these emotional experiences… I think there are some scenes where everything comes together, everything fires on all cylinders, and it just feels wonderful.“
Emberthal and Ebyssian, as well as theBlack Dragonflight Aspect contenders Wrathion and Sabellian, will all play big roles in Embers of Neltharion. “There will be many cutscenes that will see them interact - and many were hidden from testing – and show the unique chemistry between the brothers of the Black Dragonflight as it unfolds.”
He couldn’t give details, but Gregory believes Aberrus will be one of the more exciting developments in the story. Considering he called it “a compelling tale” about “how they confront, reconcile, and choose where to go with the Black Dragonflight in the future,” players should definitely look forward to the inevitable post-raid cinematics. It is possible the terrifying truths they discover in the ancient laboratory will shake them to their core and inform thefate of the Black Dragonflight inWorld of Warcraft- possibly even choosing a leader in the process. With the raid opening on May 9, players won’t have to wait long to see how the chapter unfolds.
World of Warcraft Uses its Narrative Oxygen Wisely
While talking about story cadence, Gregory used a fascinating term - narrative oxygen. He described it as the patience to tell a story in chunks, rather than dropping it all at once. As a live service game and a long-running MMORPG besides,World of Warcraftis uniquely suited to give story beats the appropriate amount of narrative oxygen.
“When everything comes out in a single update, the oxygen is completely consumed by everything. But when you actually have a moment that can live by itself and breathe, it develops a different kind of inurement with the audience.”
One of the major reasons why Dragonflight’s story has been so well-received is because all of its major moments have had plenty of narrative oxygen.World of Warcrafthas committed to releasing six content updatesover the course of 2023. While not all of them will be the same size as 10.1, they will all still be full of new stuff. “Our new content cadence we’re doing with our patches is permitting us to have more of an episodic story nature,” he said. “It really gives us the ability to set the stage for our own content much more effectively.”
Thisnew patch model allowsWorld of Warcraftto drop a new story chapter with some awesome cutscenes and cinematics, and then allows it to stand on its own for just enough to make the masses want more. Then, with the next update, more content builds upon the last. Players saw this first hand with the Vault of the Incarnates cutscenes leading directly into the Patch 10.0.7 ones, only to culminate in those leading from Patch 10.1.
World of Warcraftis committed to following this ambitious cadence as it builds upon its own narrative moving forward. “The story of legacy, of coming back together, of facing our past and finding our future, it’s really powerful,” Gregory said. After its struggles over the last few years with Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands,Dragonflight is telling the same story forWorld of Warcraftitself. As Gregory put it, “Hopefully [it will be] one of hope, unity, and lessons learned.”
World of Warcraftis available now for PC.
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