A World of Warcraft: Shadowlands delay has been announced by Blizzard Entertainment, pushing back the release of the game's newest expansion to an indeterminate point later in 2020.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is the next great expansion to Blizzard Entertainment's long-running MMORPG. Players will get to explore a new realm separated into five zones, each of which has its own unique features and challenges.
Blizzard has been hard at work getting this newest expansion ready for primetime, but now it appears that it cannot get the game ready for this month's anticipated release.
Why is There a World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Delay?
The World of Warcraft: Shadowlands delay can largely be chalked up to two problems: endgame tuning and the challenges of working from home.
"[As] everything started coming together and we’ve been listening to and building upon your feedback, it’s become clear we need a little more time for additional polish, and to balance and iterate on some interlocking pieces—particularly those related to the endgame," read the news post on the game's website. "Shadowlands is one of the most intricate expansions we’ve yet created, and while we’ve made great progress, the challenge of tuning the endgame was compounded by the team having to work from home."
It's not all bad news, though — Blizzard was able to confirm that the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-patch will be going live on October 13, 2020. This new patch will lay the groundwork for the upcoming expansion as players both old and new get ready for the next great adventure in the many realms of Azeroth.
When is the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Release Date?
The World of Warcraft: Shadowlands delay will push the release date back to sometime later in 2020; no specific World of Warcraft: Shadowlands release date has been announced. This delay could very well break a promise from Game Director Ion Hazzikostas that the expansion would be released this fall.
The delay on the expansion might sting, but anyone familiar with Blizzard Entertainment knows that it has a commitment to getting things right before release — even if that means we have to wait a little longer.
"Blizzard has a commitment to quality. We believe Shadowlands will be something special, and we’ve heard from many of you who feel the same. We need this extra time to ensure that Shadowlands lives up to its full potential."
Are you disappointed to hear about the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands delay? Do you think Blizzard will be able to get the game out before fall is over? Let us know in the comments below!
