World of Warcraft seems to be going through with the controversial Alexstrasza quest after all, though the context of the player's involvement has now changed. When the quest found its way to the Public Test Realm, it didn't take long for the community to call out Blizzard over its inclusion. In it, fans had to ensure Alexstrasza stayed a prisoner of the Dragonmaw Orcs, and as a result, play a direct role in the abuse the Life-Binder endured during her time in captivity. After the initial wave of negative feedback, Blizzard considered removing the controversial World of Warcraft quest.
One of the moments that replaced the Alexstrasza quest involved the players interacting with an iconic World of Warcraft villain, as they were forced to set events into motion that made sure Arthas Menethil would fall from grace and ultimately become the Lich King. Many fans welcomed the change, as it kept the motivation of the Infinite Dragonflight consistent while providing World of Warcraft players with the moral conundrum of causing a tragic event for the sake of preserving the sanctity of the timeline.
However, it would seem that Blizzard is ultimately choosing to keep the Alexstrasza quest instead of removing it entirely. This decision comes with a rewrite, as fans instead have a hand in freeing her from the Dragonmaw Orcs. The lighthearted tone of Chromie's dialogue is preserved, as is most of the gameplay structure, with the change in context primarily coming through rewritten dialogue and text. Namely, the new version sends World of Warcraft players to Dun Algaz to relocate a dragon egg, which eventually gets discovered by Rhonin and kicks off the events from Day of the Dragon.
Though most fans have accepted the rewrites, a few can't help but wonder about its necessity in the first place. The modus operandi of the Infinite Dragonflight revolves around thwarting tragedies from the past to seemingly create an ideal future, while the Keepers of Time instead have the thankless job of preserving the timeline from any tampering. Players have had to ensure the opening of the Dark Portal, and the Culling of Stratholme, which are both considered calamitous events in World of Warcraft history.
That being said, they have also played a role in Thrall's escape from Durnholde, as well as the Battle of Mount Hyjal, which pokes a hole through that whole argument. Ultimately, it cannot be denied that the current quest is a significant upgrade over its initial version, and it certainly won't feel out of place when put together with the other dailies from Eon's Fringe. Patch 10.1.5 in World of Warcraft focuses on the Bronze Dragonflight, and though the Primalists remain an ever-present threat on the Dragon Isles, shining a spotlight on the Infinite Dragonflight through the campaign and the new megadungeon is a welcome change of pace.
World of Warcraft is available now for PC.