Second panel today. Concentrates on the next Expansion.

Basics: there will be two entries into Northrend. Unlike Hellfire Peninsula, which was the way in for everyone, this expansion continent has two “low” level areas. This is, as I am assured after the panel, especially important since there’s no new races/classes to play and everyone will hit the new zones on opening day.

First Area: Howling Fjords. Viking themed. The “Howling Fjord” demo video shows a Fjord with small and larger settlements. Lots of snow.

Second Area: Borean Tundra. This one is Naga themed with the Tuskarr as its native inhabitants. The demo video shows a truly majestic Orc town and a goblin Settlement with an air strip as well as the Tuskarr coastal villages with fishing nets.

Third area, north of the Howling Fjords, Grizzly Hills. Home of the Furbolg. Time to get that rep up, I guess :). Blizz didn’t want to make this yet another “snow” zone, so it’s a lush and very dense Redwood area.

Fourth Zone, Dragonblight. Home of the Blue Dragonflight, which – just as the Burning Crusade last time – seems to the central theme in WotLK. To counter the Blue Dragonflight, the Kirin’Tor unearthed and retconned Dalaran from Arathi to Northrend, placing it hovering over the continent. This will be the Shattrah of Northrend.

Next topic: Death Knights. I’ll address all these things in the DK entry next.

Following: PvP and Battlegorunds. New Battleground with 30-45 minute game times upcoming. Also a PvP zone which is contested even on PvE servers. Siege Weapons and destructible buildings will be available both in the new BG and in the PvP zone.