New races rumoured for WOW expansion

By Oli Welsh Published 11 August, 2009

Goblins for Horde, Worgen for Alliance?

The normally reliable WoW.com has added its weight to rumours that the next World of Warcraft expansion will feature two new playable races.

"Multiple sources close to the situation" confirmed to WOW.com that Goblins and Worgen would join the Horde and Alliance respectively.

Worgen are WOW's werewolves, and a seemingly unlikely choice to join the whitebread Alliance. The ubiquitous, currently neutral Goblins mucking in with the Horde seems more feasible.

Rumours began to swirl around the two races a few weeks ago, when they appeared as new Halloween masks - normally reserved for playable races - on a test server update.

The next WOW expansion is likely to be revealed in some form at the BlizzCon fan convention next week. It may be called Cataclysm, following a Blizzard trademark. Many speculate that it will deal with the Maelstrom, a storm in the centre of Warcraft's world, and have a maritime theme.

In a recent interview with Videogamer.com, lead designer Tom Chilton noted that "we don't feel that we can support the pace of adding a new class with every single expansion" (last expansion Wrath of the Lich King featured the Death Knight class) and said it was "less likely" this time around - making new races are more realistic prospect.

He also noted that any new playable races would have to be well-represented in the game world already, unlike the Burning Crusade's Draenei who "it was harder for players to get... because they kind of came out of nowhere". Goblins are everywhere in WOW, and Worgen appeared as enemies in the early levels of the original game as well as being revisited in Lich King.

We'll almost certainly find out more next week. The opening ceremony of BlizzCon, traditionally home to the big announcements, takes place on Friday 21st in the evening, UK time.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • Optyk #1 3 years ago

    Worgens for alliance? Horde players will be crying tears of blood!

  • ZuluHero #2 3 years ago

    I knew those goblins couldn't be trusted. Now i don't feel bad for killing millions of them in BB for my Bloodsail hat :)

  • Eraysor #3 3 years ago

    I don't think they'll go for goblins. They've always been the neutral side, and there are tons of important quest hubs that are goblin-owned, so eliminating the Alliance's access seems pointless.

    What we really need is Pandaren as a neutral race.

  • Gurgeh #4 3 years ago

    "we don't feel that we can support the pace of adding a new class with every single expansion"

    More like they won't support the pace. They have the money coming in but it isnt being spent on Warcraft at the moment, and the better developers have been moved on to other projects.

  • jim1975 #5 3 years ago

    worgen..... not terry worgen surely.

  • ChaK #6 3 years ago

    +1 eraysor, gobs are neutral, much like...say italy :D


    but i'd love to play as a little worgen, they're fun to look at, even if I don't recall pwning'em in early level, as said in the article

  • Guildenstern #7 3 years ago

    Noooooo, I want a new class, not some silly races :-(

  • ZuluHero #8 3 years ago

    @ChaK

    What about the Venture Co gobs in STV? They weren't so neutral. And there were lowish level Worgens in Duskwood, silverpine and Ashenvale - all pre level 30.

  • ChaK #9 3 years ago

    @zulu : true on both, forgot'em :)

  • Lemming81 #10 3 years ago

    "I don't think they'll go for goblins. They've always been the neutral side"

    Do you know Warcraft lore at all? Goblins have only been neutral for THIS war. They were with the Horde for the previous two.

    "there are tons of important quest hubs that are goblin-owned, so eliminating the Alliance's access seems pointless."

    To anyone without any Warcraft lore knowledge or imagination maybe. You know they are split into factions right? Like Trolls? There is only one Troll tribe allied with the Horde. They could easily keep all the goblin areas neutral and have a Goblin faction ruled by a different Goblin Prince side with the Horde.


    Chances are the Worgen will be of Gilneas origin.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/09 @ 11:52

  • LazyDan #11 3 years ago

    Bleh.

    If it has to be new races and no new class (was hoping for a mage-y hero class to compliment the Death Knight - like a summoner or something,) then can the Alliance have a race that isn't totally lame looking and able to be a shaman? I hate the look of the Dranei, but I want a Shaman so much >:( I was gutted that Blood Elves were Horde.

  • crazyhorse174 #12 3 years ago

    @Lemming81: I think you need to get out a bit more mate - its only a game! Dont take it so seriously!

  • ozzit #13 3 years ago

    Guess that means they'll finally be opening up the Greymane wall and adding Gilneas in :D

  • Rubarack #14 3 years ago

    Bit of a shame, the game is really crying out for a healer hero class

  • sneetch #15 3 years ago

    @Eraysor
    I don't think they'll go for goblins. They've always been the neutral side, and there are tons of important quest hubs that are goblin-owned, so eliminating the Alliance's access seems pointless.

    People seem to think that all goblins/orcs/gnomes/whatever have to be the on the same side. Not all goblins need to switch to horde, most likely Booty Bay, Ratchet and so on would remain neutral but one or two trade princes would decide to outright join with the horde (indeed one already seems to have, given the increasing use of goblin Zeppelins for transport), most are happy taking money from both sides.

    It's like the high-elves, the horde high-elf faction are the blood-elves but there are no shortage of high-elves in the alliance and in neutral forces (despite the fact that I remember pretty thoroughly wiping the high-elves out in Warcraft III ;) ). As Alliance I've done quests for orcs, high/blood-elf, tauren, forsaken/undead and troll npcs. Similarly I've killed humans, dwarves, night-elves, draenai (hmmm... not too sure about that) and gnomes for quests. They had it coming.

    Worgen seem less likely to me. If nothing else they're shapeshifters, they look human by day, worgen by night.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/09 @ 12:51

  • sneetch #16 3 years ago

    BTW, I seem to recall multiple sources saying that gnolls would join the Alliance and Goblins would join the Horde when the first expansion was announced so... take pinches of salt as required. :)

  • ZuluHero #17 3 years ago

    @Sneetch
    "Worgen seem less likely to me. If nothing else they're shapeshifters, they look human by day, worgen by night.

    Thats only for a select few:

    "Most worgen keep their wolf-like forms at all times, but experiments by the mage Arugal has resulted in human/worgen hybrids who only appear as worgen under the light of the moon..."


    Taken from:
    http://www.wowwiki.com/ Worgen

  • sneetch #18 3 years ago

    @ZuluHero

    Ah, didn't know that, I thought the human/worgen hybrid thing was the usual case.

  • darkmorgado #19 3 years ago

    They've previously said that won't add Pandaren to the game because the Panda is a sacred animal in China and would cause too many problems in that country.

    Which is a shame because Pandaren is all kinds of awesome :-(
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/09 @ 13:12

  • actionfitz #20 3 years ago

    might be time to go for that Blood Sail hat now :D

  • actionfitz #21 3 years ago

    @jim1975
    "worgen..... not terry worgen surely."

    guess i know what my Worgen alt will be called :D

  • actionfitz #22 3 years ago

    @ darkmorgado

    "They've previously said that won't add Pandaren to the game because the Panda is a sacred animal in China and would cause too many problems in that country.

    Which is a shame because Pandaren is all kinds of awesome :-( "

    seeing as they recently reskinned the entire game for china removing skulls and bones and remodelling the forsaken to be more human-like...
    I doubt they would have much bother reskinning pandaren to look like normal bears (grizzlies etc) and renaming them.
    if they wanted to.
    but they prob wont.

  • darkmorgado #23 3 years ago

    @actionfitz - good point, I hadn't thought of that. But wouldn't it affect the Lore having two different races in different countries?

  • VicViper #24 3 years ago

    @actionfitz, darkmorgado

    I think the whole sacred animal reason might be more myth than fact, I think blizzard just arent really that keen on them as they were more a joke race that managed to get a bit of lore support (kinda like Dan in SF, so who knows)

    Personally I'm up for getting a worgen rogue going if this becomes true

  • darkmorgado #25 3 years ago

    Yeah but they were playable in Warcraft 3! There was a Pandaren hero unit in one of the bonus campaign missions, and there was masses of stuff made for them for the PnP RPG.

  • Canyarion #26 3 years ago

    Haha, I've been suggesting Worgen for Alliance for 2 years now. ^_^ Would be so cool. Even though I don't play the game since TBC.

  • DrMGinius #27 3 years ago

    If they put goblins in the Horde, I will forgive Blizzard for adding the elves in the Horde, and may be even start playing the game seriously and considering it a good game.

    You know what would be good? new races AND a new class in the same expansion, but noooo, for Blizzard, that is madness.

  • oktava #28 3 years ago

    Murlocs or bust!

  • Sharzam #29 3 years ago

    Both goblin and worgen were rumors before TBC was even offcially annoced.

    So two reasons this is just blalent and pointless rumour mill stuff. Or blizzard thought about it ages ago just hasnt gotten around to it yet.

  • AOFanboi #30 3 years ago

    As long as we are guessing, Furbolgs are just as likely. Alliance do not have an "animal" race yet. However, it would make it harder for Horde to get to Winterspring/Moonglade unless they vacated the tunnels leading there...

  • TriggerHippie #31 3 years ago

    I always wanted to play a Gnoll or Naga. Personally I think Worgen are a terrible idea, and Goblins have always been neutral. Please Blizzard, theres no need to go all "Greenskins" on us now.
    Edited by 1 at 12/08/09 @ 03:46

  • davisorle #32 3 years ago

    @ Optyk
    Worgens for alliance? Horde players will be crying tears of blood!

    What you said makes no sence since you can be both horde and alliance on same server anymore...

  • EmiliasHorse #33 3 years ago

    I asked an in game Goblin last night to clarify this story and he told me "I got what you need". He then offered me various food items that truth be told I did need, but as to an answer sadly I was left wanting.

  • chatoyant #34 3 years ago

    If they went with Naga they could expand to the waters, add underwater cities and more quests. They could also add advanced swimming abilities so it would be less tedious and you could travel faster.

  • Lemming81 #35 3 years ago

    @crazyhorse174: "I think you need to get out a bit more mate - its only a game! Dont take it so seriously!"

    Actually I don't even play the game. But I tend to check things before I start shooting my mouth off about what can and can't happen ;)

    Correcting someone who's wrong is like, the whole point of the internet, you know?