The end of World of Warcraft's controversial expansion Shadowlands is fast approaching and World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is on the horizon. Players will be traveling to the mysterious Dragon Isles to assist the Dragon Aspects in retaking their sacred homeland. They will travel far away from the world of the dead and enter a land rife with old school Warcraft lore. It will serve as World of Warcraft's ninth expansion and will bring with it a whole suite of new features to revitalize the aging MMO.
One of the largest features that World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will bring is the introduction of a brand-new race. While some assumed that Blizzard would utilize the allied race system it introduced in Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard instead chose to introduce a brand new race-class hybrid known as the Dracthyr. This is the second neutral race to be added to the game and the first that is only allowed to play one class, the Evoker. While lore on the Dracthyr is a bit light, the species is slowly being rooted into classic Dragon Aspect lore that will no doubt be expanded upon as the expansion roles around and players get their hands on this dragon creature.
Who are the Dracthyr?
Not a lot of information is known about the specifics of the Dracthyr. They will be a brand-new race to World of Warcraft and an entirely new creation in the Warcraft story. As the release date of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight nears, Blizzard will most likely shed more light on just who the Dracthyr are. Players will also most likely learn more about the Dragon Isles throughout the questing experience and the Dracthyr are surely a big part of it.
Blizzard has made it known that the Dracthyr are a product of the black Dragon Aspect Neltharion, the same aspect who later turns into Deathwing and lays waste to Azeroth. He wanted to create a race of ideal soldiers, so he created the Dracthyr for that purpose. Using the essence of dragons and the adaptability of the mortal races, the Dracthyr were born. Neltharion also created the Forbidden Reach off the coast of the Dragon Isles which would serve as the training ground for his new soldiers, and it will be where the player begins their journey as a Dracthyr.
After a terrible battle, the Forbidden Reach was left dormant and abandoned. The Dragon Aspects left the Dragon Isles to deal with the Sundering of Azeroth and the Dracthyr were left to slumber. The return of an ancient enemy has stirred the Dracthyr awake, and now they must rejoin the world to help the dragons. Players will embark on this journey throughout Dragonflight and be able to choose to join the Horde or the Alliance. As they level they will learn more about the islands and about this ancient enemy that seeks to do harm.
What Sets the Dracthyr Apart from Other Races
The Dracthyr are the first brand-new fully fledged race to the game since the Pandaren were added in Mists of Pandaria. Battle for Azeroth added the allied race system to the game which saw the introduction of 10 new races. However, these 10 races were based on pre-existing models and the majority served as offshoots of the major races in Azeroth, The Dracthyr are an entirely new race to the game and do not fall under the allied race system, and because of this they bring with them a whole host of new customization.
The Dracthyr are similar to Worgen in that they have two forms. They can present themselves in either humanoid form or draconic form, with the draconic form being used for combat. They have a load of different customization based on the five major dragonflights of Azeroth, and they look entirely unique from any race that the game has added. They also are the only ones who can play as the brand-new Evoker class, and the Evoker class can only be played by them. A class-race hybrid like this has never been seen before in World of Warcraft, and may never be seen again.
World of Warcraft's Dracthyr are shrouded in mystery that will surely be lifted as Dragonflight progresses. Players will be able to get their hands on this class-race hybrid without the same unlock requirements that the allied races had and will be able to jump right in at level 58. They look like a unique and interesting addition to World of Warcraft, and one that will surely see a lot of attention in the upcoming expansion.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.