Summary
World of Warcraftjust teased the potential return of Archaeology inThe War Withinand the Worldsoul Saga. Though it likely won’t take the same form it did before,World of Warcraftis looking at ways to revive the forgotten profession after seven years without an update.
Archaeology was a secondary professionadded inWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysmthat allowed players to unearth relics, uncover lore, earn achievements, and unlock unique cosmetics and mounts. Unfortunately, no new content was added for Archaeology inBattle for Azeroth,Shadowlands, orDragonflight, meaning it has been over seven years since the profession saw an update.
However, duringthe recent BlizzCon Q&A video,World of Warcraftteased that the profession might make a return in the future. At the 31:15 mark during the video, game director Ion Hazzikostas answered a question regarding Archaeology inThe War Within, the game’s next expansion. He recognized players wanted Archaeology to return, but also admitted the triangulation minigame involved was not popular. “When we look at Archaeology, we understand the desire for, and the interest in, both the fantasy of uncovering and unearthing aspects of Azeroth’s history and the cultures that have lived here for centuries or thousands of years," Hazzikostas said. “We’re looking for different vehicles, different outlets, for that gameplay and those rewards,” Hazzikostas confirmed Archaeology as players knew it would not return, but the team was looking for ways to revive the spirit of the old profession in other ways somewhere down the line.
“When we look at Archaeology, we understand the desire for, and the interest in, both the fantasy of uncovering and unearthing aspects of Azeroth’s history and the cultures that have lived here for centuries or thousands of years… We’re looking for different vehicles, different outlets, for that gameplay and those rewards.”
While Hazzikostas cited Delves, anopen-world activity coming inThe War Within, would help to scratch that Archaeology itch, associate game director Morgan Day also teased another feature coming before the end ofDragonflightcalled Azerothean Archives. According to Day, this feature will dive into the lore ofWorld of Warcraftin a way it hopes fans will resonate with. Little else is known about it so far, but the developers confirmed more information would be revealed about this feature soon.
Fans are excited about the prospect of Archaeology’s return inWorld of Warcraft. Many were sad to see it go away inBattle for Azeroth, especially considering the potential it had in zones like Kul Tiras, Zandalar, and Nazjatar. Between the revamp of the other professions andDragonflight’s focus on exploration and discovery, players were shockedWorld of Warcraftdidn’t take the opportunityto revive the profession in the most recent expansion either. While it may not ever return as it was, players now have renewed hope for a new take on Archaeology in the future.
If the Azerothean Archives areplanned for the next update inDragonflight, players might be hearing about it soon.World of Warcraftoften teases the next patch shortly after each update, so lore aficionados should keep an eye out for mention of the mysterious feature over the next couple of weeks.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
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World of Warcraft: Dragonflight was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the ninth expansion pack for the iconic massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft.Dragonflight features an overhauled user interface, raises the level cap to 70, and introduces a new race and class.
