‘World of Warcraft’ Kul Tiras New Expansion: Did Blizzard show the next location ‘WoW’ is going?

World of Warcraft’s “Legion” expansion is still going strong, with the Tomb of Sargeras raid being released in increments and the new Argus questing zone coming in the next major patch. That said, it’s been about a year since “Legion” launched, and WoW has gotten a new expansion every two years or so since 2007. Thus, it’s about time for Blizzard to start talking about what’s coming next.

Item in World of Warcraft PTR hints at Kul’Tiras expansion

Thanks to PC Gamer for spotting this and to YouTube user Bellular for the impressive video above. There’s a ton to consider here, but in short, the current build of World of Warcraft in the PTR contains data for a set of questing gear based on the lost human nation of Kul’Tiras. If you’re not up on your Warcraft lore, allow me to explain.

Kul’Tiras is an independent human city-state that formerly existed off the western coast of the Eastern Kingdoms. It’s the homeland of Jaina Proudmoore, a major Alliance character who angrily teleported away at the beginning of the “Legion” story arc and hasn’t been seen since. Kul’Tiras helped out the Alliance during the plots of Warcraft 2 and Warcraft 3, but aside from a few scattered references over the years, the nation itself has never appeared in World of Warcraft.

The island isn’t even on the world map anymore after the events of “Cataclysm” reshaped the world, but some Kul’Tiras soldiers appear in certain “Legion” quests, so it almost certainly still exists somewhere in the ocean. One of the relevant pieces of gear in the PTR contains a map stitched into the side of a robe’s skirt (weird fashion choice) that looks an awful lot like a new World of Warcraft area.

The map on the robe is surrounded by tentacles, which in the visual language of Warcraft means Old Gods. Those are the Warcraft universe’s version of Lovecraftian cosmic horror, four powerful entities that have either played a part in major story threads or even been raid bosses. Of the four Old Gods in Azeroth, only one remains living: N’Zoth, who is said to be buried beneath the sea.

Kul’Tiras is a maritime nation and N’Zoth is under the ocean. Put two and two together and you’ve got the plot of a World of Warcraft expansion. Long-lost human kingdom is under the throes of a terrifying cosmic entity? Sign me up. It will probably be a good, long while before we hear about the next expansion, but don’t be surprised if this is what it is.

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