In a recent move, Blizzard, the creator of World of Warcraft (WoW), decided to remove a controversial quest from its upcoming update, Fractures in Time, that had sent the WoW community into an uproar. The decision came in response to serious concerns raised by players on social media over the potential inclusion of the quest.
The controversy surrounds a quest line set during the Second War, a significant period in WoW's lore. Players were set to join Chromie on a mission to this tumultuous time, where they would assist the Dragonmaw Clan of orcs in imprisoning the character Alexstrasza. During the Second War, Alexstrasza, known as the Life-Binder, was subjected to torture, assault, and forced to lay and hatch dragon eggs against her will. These dragons were subsequently used as mounts and beasts of burden by the Horde, who was under the control of Gul'dan and the Burning Legion during this period. The dragons eventually broke free in the aftermath of the Second War during the Battle of Grim Batol, forcing the Dragonmaw Clan to flee.
The idea of players' characters potentially aiding and abetting the Dragonmaw Clan in imprisoning Alexstrasza caused significant distress among the WoW community. The decision to remove the quest was announced by Blizzard community manager Bornakk in a forum post, where he acknowledged that internal discussions and player comments were driving factors in the decision.
The quest was part of the Fractures in Time update, which sees players dealing with Time Rifts appearing throughout the Dragon Isles and facing the Dawn of the Infinite mega-dungeon. Blizzard has often toyed with time travel as a concept in WoW, creating alternative scenarios that could have happened in the game's main timeline. However, the Bronze Dragonflight's creed of maintaining one "true timeline" means that some events must come to pass, no matter how bad they are. This rule, however, did not mean players were willing to aid and abet in certain historical moments, as the reaction to this quest showed.
Despite this controversy, World of Warcraft continues to be a popular MMORPG, available now for PC. Blizzard's response to player feedback in this instance demonstrates their commitment to maintaining a game environment that respects the sentiments of its player base.
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