The Intelectual Property (IP Australia) Office listed a new Trademark filed by Blizzard Entertainment today November 1, 2013. Just a week before BlizzCon 2013.
The new trademark is “Warlords of Draenor”.
A trademark doesn’t always tells you with certainty what it is about — for example Heroes of the Storm. The “Draenor” part is obvious to be a Warcraft-themed related game. Yet, we don’t know the genre. It is open to interpretation.
It might be World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor (a new expansion). It might be Warcraft IV: Warlords of Draenor. It might be Hearthstone: Warlords of Draenor. Or an entirely different genre or game altogether based on Warcraft.
I do have to bring up that at BlizzCon 2010, during the Lore Q&A it was mentioned there are plans for a revamped Outland, which fits with this new trademark. Outland was formerly “Planet Draenor”. It was destroyed when Ner’zhul opened several portals in Draenor which accidentally tore the planet apart. (Read the Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal missions)
The destruction of Draenor was novelized a few years ago by Christie Golden and Aaron Rosenberg — read World of Warcraft: Chronicles of War
Based on Wrathion’s Legendary questline concerning the return of the Burning Legion, it might lean towards the trademark referring to a World of Warcraft expansion. That’s my two cents.
We can argue a plethora of different speculations about what it might be, but the good news is Blizzard Entertainment might announce whatever this is at BlizzCon on November 8-9th. You don’t need to miss what they reveal. Get the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket to watch the livestream.
The video below takes you to the BlizzCon 2010 moment when Chris Metzen and Alex “furor” Afrasiabi mention an Outland revamp. (Jump to minute: 12:05)
Additionally, during the “Mists of Pandaria” launch party, Chris Metzen mentioned the return of Turalyon and Alleria in the next expansion after Mists of Pandaria.
Turalyon was also brought up during the Cataclysm Lore panel at BlizzCon 2010. (Jump to minute: 3:05)
