This is JUST ANOTHER “WoW 2” IDEA.
Hear me out, it’s a bit radical but I think this sort of movement would not just “save” or even restore the game, it would DESTROY our copycat competition once and for all. I miss the time when WoW WAS almost the only big Gaming talk. This is how to Return the King to its former glory:
Delete WoW. Seriously.
No more Retail vs versions of Classic WoW. The latter was a mistake altogether. Nostalgia gets us nowhere but to ephemeral re-experiences. There is only one way to rekindle passion for the game, and that’s to bring the WORLD and the WAR (and the craft for those who want it) back for good, and bring everyone back in.
A familiar WoW in a New Era
The new client released on the same day would be technologically updated all around. Megaservers or at least less sharding, new graphics, some/optional? action combat, new costumization, every race for every class and new appearances, you name it.
Everyone’s characters, guilds and collections from all versions move over to the new version free of charge.
PROGRESS? Not so fast.
“WoW 2” would be HORIZONTAL. Say you get to level 60.
Want to go to Pandaria? Zandalar? Draenor? Or stay in Kalimdor? Go ahead. Loot awaits you regardless of where you go, if you are willing to take on challenges - especially with other players in the open world. That includes zone events, world PvP and flying races etc.
You can get to level 70. It will NOT make you stronger than a level 60, but it will mean you have completed a 1.0 expansion area story and content unlocks outside of the main world. Thus you accumulate additional levels similar to GW2 mastery points, reflecting achievements and skill variety. Current max lvl chars would be level 150, etc.
A more accessible, and less stressful invitation
$30 per year. Okay, maybe a bit more. 50? No more monthly subscriptions.
Island DLC’s that continue the story and feature new content and collectibles would come out every 3-4 months. MAYBE a TINY endgame visitation to outer space every 2-3 years, like an end zone with weeklies or a raid and some fancy mount, mog, housing item rewards. (Edit: NO PAY TO WIN in the store)
Less effort for the team designing away from the world, less effort for the player pocket.
A Living, breathing world!
Dynamic flying, player ships, airships. Player housing. Guild halls. Faction strongholds. Realm castles, halls of fame…
Conquerable fortresses that change the zone for a time, resource contributions, strike missions, animal migrations, corrupted/empowered dungeons and raids… You get the gist.
Bring the MMO and the RPG back into the world. FORCE IT.
Realistic scale cities, no more “Theme park” version of Azeroth.
If immersion and engaging with the world is merely an option, nobody gets up from their chair (or away from their garrisons)
This is my dream vision for WoW moving forward, or perhaps what it should have been instead of barren classic worlds and stagnant retail LFGs, systems and ideas abandoned every 2 years, remaking for its own sake and illusions of progress from temporary pocket-realm systems (although, I do applaud the recent progress and improvements, with the hope things will further be revitalized)
IMO not refocusing from the divided and uncertain present into a player-feedback-shaped future would not just be a mistake, it would be a betrayal to those of us who have played all along. The only way forward is for the crown to be put back on the King millions love.
The best video game ever made.
Join the march, and herald the Reawakening of the World of Warcraft.
TL;DR: My ideal scenario for a modernized WoW would be everyone in one client with new graphics and more streamlined systems that allow more variety. Less stress, more options. More streamlined abilities with fun talents, maybe less buttons?
Combine WoW’s endgame movitators with GW2’s open world and FFXIV’s socialization.
(Discuss my weird ideas, and yours below 
)
With great anticipation towards BlizzCon and the future,
and a hope that we will see a more lively WoW again soon.
~Dextructive