Despite the perceived impact of Covid-19, the latest DLC expansion for World of Warcraft, Shadowlands, is still on track to release in 2020. Ever since its launch in 2004, World of Warcraft has consistently remained one of the most popular online multiplayer games in existence. Titles like Final Fantasy XIV and Grand Theft Auto Online are considered to be high-profile long runners, but WoW has them beat by over a decade. Even after all this time, the massively multiplayer online RPG continues to be supported through new World of Warcraft DLC and expansions, including the unprecedented release of World of Warcraft: Classic, which essentially reverts the game back to its 1.0 settings for players looking for a dose of delightfully janky nostalgia.
While World of Warcraft‘s myriad of expansions have seen their highs and lows over the years, fans continue to look forward to the massive releases, which generally add heaps of new quests while revamping existing content. The next expansion, Shadowlands, was originally expected to launch in 2020, but with the recent Coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on various industries across the globe, many were anticipating the expansion would be delayed to 2021.
In a livestream interview captured by WowHead, it was revealed that Shadowlands won’t be delayed, and is still on track to reach its previously-stated 2020 release window. According to the interview, it only took one week of adjustment for the Shadowlands team to be able to work from home, so progress on the game (and the greater World of Warcraft universe) has continued virtually unimpeded.
By today’s standards, World of Warcraft is positively ancient, so workstations for the game probably aren’t as technologically complex as those for more modern, cutting-edge releases. The popular MMO is also built for currently-existing tech, so it’s likely much easier for developers to work on the PC title from home than it would be for them to build games for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Building any game takes a tremendous amount of work and dedication, even one with a 16-year-old backbone. It’s impossible to say for sure if the version of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands being developed now is the same as what audiences what would have received had Covid-19 not had such a massive impact on the entertainment industry. Still, players and pundits alike are going to be especially curious as to how World of Warcraft: Shadowlands shakes out when it finally releases before the end of 2020. If the expansion turns out great, perhaps more game developers will permit workers to create their art from the comfort and safety of their own homes, even after the coronavirus crisis eventually passes.
