Summary
To wrap up the year, Blizzard gaveWorld of Warcraftplayers a taste of what to expect from the upcoming Hero Talent system that will be released withThe War Withinexpansion. Though the tenth expansion forWorld of Warcraftis not due to release until Fall 2024, Blizzard gave a glimpse at four Hero Talent trees that Paladin, Evoker, Death Knight, and Warrior players may consider.
The Hero Talent trees are one of themajor features coming inWorld of Warcraft: The War Within. With an increased level cap of 80, and a slew of potential balance changes and updates toWoW’s 13 classes, the Hero Talents are considered a way for players to add some additional utility and power to their chosen class and specialization. Each class will have the same number of Hero Talent trees as they do specializations, with each specialization having access to two of the three Hero Talents that their class will have, with some overlap. For example, Holy and Protection Paladins can select the Lightsmith Hero Talent tree.
However, the Lightsmith is just one of the four examples Blizzard provided an early preview of. In aWorld of Warcraftwebsite post, Blizzard showed some mockups of the Lightsmith Paladin, Mountain Thane Warrior, San’layn Death Knight, and Chronowarden Evoker Hero Talent trees. Though each Hero Talent tree is subject to change before the launch ofThe War Within, some of the listed talents will look to bolster either the offensive or defensive kit of each specialization that can choose these Hero Talents.Each Hero Talent treewill have a keystone talent that is granted upon selection at level 71.
AsWorld of Warcraftplayers level their class from 71 to 80, each level will grant an additional Hero Talent point. By the time the level cap is reached, the tree will be filled, and the capstone talent can be selected. Some Hero Talent trees will also have three or four choice nodes littered throughout, which will giveWorld of Warcraftplayers more choices to make for their class and specialization. For example, the San’layn Death Knight will have a choice within the first tier of talents that will allow them to pick either faster movement speed for themselves, or help a teammate get back on their feet quicker after falling in battle. Blizzard stated it would take player feedback from both the closed beta andearly access periods ofThe War Withininto consideration when making changes to each tree.
Even withThe War Withinlooming in the future, Blizzard confirmed thatmore patches are coming toWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflightto tide players over. Only time will tell which Hero Talents will be previewed next.
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World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It’s one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.
