Ok, so day 1 is done for WoW, but given there were only 2 panels that didn't take long...

First up we had the movie trailer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Rxoz13Bthc

Looks a lot better than I was fearing, so pretty relieved. Hopefully it turns out well and kicks off a full trilogy.

https://twitter.com/Sarcrux/status/661585338528366593

Anyhoo, first up for WoW we have the Legion Intro Cinematic! :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYNCCu0y-Is

Pretty fucking epic, right?

Love the interpretations of Wrynn and Sylvanas, but just had to fit this concept artwork for her in here somewhere:

Honestly wasn't expecting this cinematic to be ready today, especially in light of the news that we may have to wait another 10 months for Legion's release...

Legion Release Date

Yep, pre-orders are now live and it has a latest release date (on or by) Sept 21st 2016:

So that means we have a 3rd quarter 2016 release window clarified.

Anyway, after the intro cinematic we headed straight into the content panel for Legion.

Important points to note here are as follows.

Levelling up has no set zone to zone path in Legion.

They're going balls deep with the scaling tech again, and will make the world around you level up with you. This was a terrible idea in Oblivion and was hated by players, so I'm not overly fond of this idea just yet, but Blizzard might pull this one off and make it a cool feature...

Each zone will have its own story as you try to recover the Pillar of Creation for each individual zone. Scaling means you'll be able to either re-do your favourite zones first or last, depending on your inclination.

Suramar however will remain a level 110 only zone.

Also note that this scaling applies to the level up dungeons as well, so you can tackle them in any order.

Dungeons are being positioned as an alternative to  raids, not a pre-cursor.

There will be 10 dungeons altogether in Legion. Half will be played during levelling, while the other half will serve as the max-level dungeons.

Blizz are intending these max level dungeons to scale in difficulty the more gear you get, the harder you've completed them previously etc etc. Gear drops will eventually be as good as those in raids, so 5 man content will be a real alternative to raiding. Given WoW's severely dwindling population this is a must, given how hard it will be to get even a 10 man together for a full raid.

Endgame challenge dungeons will also feature mutators each week, leading to different effects, such as all mobs in the dungeon enraging at 30% health and doing double damage until killed.

Supposed to be less emphasis on the go-go-go mentality of the current variation of CM's, and more about the actual challenge of playing in it. Still a timelimit, but more lenient than current silver level, so easily achievable.

Two (staggered) raids at launch.

The Emerald Nightmare raid instance will be available right at launch with 7 bosses, whilst the raid on Suramar Palace will launch later with 10 bosses, in a similar manner to how Blackrock Foundry worked in WoD.

One key boss to note: Cenarius will be one of the corrupted bosses in the Emerald Nightmare raid instance!

Demon Hunters start at level 98.

Demon Hunters will begin their starting story just before the raid on the Black Temple from back in TBC, and will finish on the Isle of the Wardens, breaking out of the same prison that's held Illidan's corpse all these long years.

Day to day over-world at 110

The fact that the world around you in Legion scales means that content at endgame can be placed anywhere and still be relevant. Whilst not exactly daily quests (they will come and go at different times), they will appear on the main map and can be tackled at leisure.

Beta Launch

Closed beta launches in a few weeks! I fully expect to keep up my fine tradition with closed Blizzard betas and not get into this one too early as well.

Artifact Weapons

I'm not going to go into them all here, because WowHead has a great and complete run down on all the Artifact Weapons for all classes and specs. But I'll copy & paste the Hunter info in here.

[blizzardquote author="Blizzard" link="http://www.wowhead.com/bluetracker?topic=19932655" source="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/19932655/legion-hunter-artifact-reveal-10-23-2015"]

---

Blizzard

Only Azeroth’s most seasoned veterans possess the fortitude to wield Artifacts of legend against the Burning Legion. Your myth-forged weapon grows in power as you do, and your choices will change its abilities and the way it looks, sounds, and feels in combat. Fashion your Artifact into the perfect instrument of battle, and guide your faction in its most desperate hour.

You have become one of the greatest Hunters in Azeroth, deserving of a weapon not only with power—but with a name.

Masters of the Hunt

Hunters have three distinct specializations: Beast Mastery, Survival, and Marksmanship. Each brings with it a unique identity that is reflected within the Artifact weapon choices.

• Beast Master Hunters are uniquely bonded with the beasts they hunt, blurring the lines between predator and prey. To offset the dangers they face in the wild, they wield the rifle Titanstrike, a techno-magical engineering marvel, perfect for staying on target.
• Marksmanship Hunters are at their best killing from afar. Having a trustworthy weapon in hand is vital, and no finer bow exists than Thas’dora, Legacy of the Windrunners.
• Survival Hunters are masters of enduring in the wild, using traps and snares to bleed their enemies. With the Ancient-touched Talonclaw, Spear of the Wild Gods in hand, they can finish their foes with one final thrust.

Each Artifact is a symbol of the might of the Hunter that wields it. Names have power—learn those of these mythic weapons well, for they will be your constant companions against the deadliest foe you’ve faced yet.

Beastmaster - Titanstrike

A peerless example of techno-magical engineering, the Titanstrike was designed by Keeper Mimiron, a titanic watcher and brilliant inventor. Securely housed in the heart of the rifle, a relic known as the Thunderspark powers the Titanstrike, harnessing the essence of storms and focusing it into concentrated blasts of energy. The rifle's power source can also be credited to Mimiron, who devised it for his comrade, Keeper Thorim, in ages past.

Marksman - Thas'dorah, Legacy of the Windrunners

A proud heirloom of the Windrunner family, Thas'dorah was carved from a bough of the mother tree of Eversong Woods shortly after the elven kingdom of Quel'Thalas was founded. Handed down to the eldest of each generation, the bow was last wielded by the high elf Ranger Captain Alleria Windrunner. It disappeared along with its owner following the destruction of the orcs' homeworld, Draenor, and the subsequent formation of Outland.

Survival - Talonclaw, Spear of the Wild Gods

The Highmountain tauren crafted this spear, which predates the first demonic invasion of Azeroth more than ten thousand years ago. Talonclaw's wielders have fought alongside many guardian animal spirits, also known as Ancients, to defend the world of Azeroth and its wildlife in particular. Over the millennia, these Ancients have bestowed their blessings on the weapon, imbuing it with a portion of their power.

[/blizzardquote]

So that was Day 1 in a nutshell. Started the day off on a bum note with the news/leak of the release date, but was overjoyed at how the trailer looked and the release of the full cinematic intro.

As mentioned above, still wary about the scaling up of the zones in Broken Isles, as it did not work well in Oblivion, but we'll see.