To help cultivate excitement forWrath of the Lich King Classic,World of Warcraftis releasing its nextExploring Azerothbook focused on Northrend. However, an excerpt from the upcoming atlas has someWorld of Warcraftfans preparing themselves to be disappointed.Exploring Azeroth: Northrendis thethird entry in theWorld of Warcraft: Exploring Azerothseriesof atlas-like lore books. Like its predecessors, it promises to explore the frozen north of Azeroth through the lens of in-universe narrators–this time being Brann, Muradin, and Magni Bronzebeard.RELATED:World of Warcraft: Ysera’s Possible Return in Dragonflight Might Have a Steep CostThough the book is not yet available, a few screenshots of pages are available on the internet via Amazon, and the text itself does not inspire hope for the book. The excerpt in question focuses on Zul’Drak, the home of the Drakkari Frost Trolls. ThoughWrath of the Lich Kingtook place seven in-game years ago, it seems like the zone of Zul’Drak has been virtually unchanged. Despite the rise of the Zandalari and the fall of the Lich King, the Drakkari have not returned to their home, and the Scourge still runs rampant. Instead of using the book as a chance to develop or progress the lore, it seems likeExploring Azeroth: Northrendmay simply be regurgitating known information and maintaining the world state as it was.
TheExploring Azerothseries has been the target of criticism since its release. WhileExploring Azeroth: Eastern Kingdomswas well-received,Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdorwas fraught with issues, with its reliance on outdated stereotypes and baffling worldbuilding decisions. While these egregious issues will hopefully not be present inExploring Azeroth: Northrend, it may still disappoint in other ways.
Fans are already preparing themselves to be let down by the book. Northrend andWrath of the Lich Kingare some of the most beloved parts ofWorld of Warcraft.Many fans hoped this book would take the chance to provide a lens into how the world has changed over the years, especially considering thepotential timeskip betweenShadowlandsandDragonflight. Unfortunately, it seems more likelyExploring Azeroth: Northrendis going to play it safe and read more like an in-universe version of the Northrend Wowpedia page.
Of course, it is still too soon to condemn the entire book; one mediocre page does not mean the entire book will be a let-down. Regardless of the quality of the book, the phenomenal artwork contained within the book will undoubtedly delightWorld of Warcraftfans, especially as theyreturn to Northrend inWrath of the Lich King Classic. Fans will have to wait and see how the final product reads once it releases on October 18.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC.Wrath of the Lich King Classicreleases on September 26.
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