Spoiler: There won’t be any introspection, just a few characters being sad.
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A problem with this question is the inclusion of the word ‘intend’. “But wait!” you say, “Of course as fictional characters the Horde cannot literally intend anything, they have no agency. I mean in-universe intentions!”
Sadly, that itself is my point.
The Faction War at this point is so badly written that the narrative and suspension of disbelief is utterly shattered. The only two remaining vaguely logical reasons for the Horde to once again start a war with the Alliance are
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the Alliance sets such strict and onerous terms for peace that it would functionally serve to destroy the Horde anyway (total disarmament, all territory in the northern Eastern Kingdoms reclaimed by the Alliance), and they think it would be better to go out fighting to the death. This would be realistic, and thus would never actually be allowed to happen. However, it would also require the Alliance to NOT be written as aping the laughably over the top morally of Anduin Christ and turning the other cheek every time it get slapped. Or, if you’re feeling less charitable a frat pledge who can only say ‘Thank you sir, may I have another?’ as they get whipped across the back by a higher Brother for the umpteenth time.
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The Horde are literally comprised entirely of stupid low-functioning psychopaths who are incapable of reigning in their xenophobic need to commit genocide at the flimsiest excuse. This is the level of writing that BFA gave us, and to paraphrase someone else, ‘The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior’
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Ideally, no, because at this point there is zero reason for them to do so. I mean, there was very little to no reason in the War of Thorns but I’ve personally decided that Danuser was traumatized by someone in a Drow costume as a child and also had a tree fall on his first car, so that’s something of a narrative black hole.
The catalyst of the war under Garrosh was originally about resources, or lack thereof, and was predicated by the Shattering mucking with what resources were left. It just continued onward and eventually spilled over to Pandaria (in a pretty decently plotted out way, to be entirely honest). As of the end of that war, resources for the Horde, particularly the orcs, have no longer been an issue, with their uncontested control over Azshara, and Stonetalon. The addition of allied races into the mix further cements that, with their allied races giving them control over major chunks of the Broken Isles, as well as trade with the Zandalari Empire.
Even if they’ve left Ashenvale (I say if because we still don’t know the status of that after… 3 years?) resources would not be the cause for a war, and I highly doubt they’ll try “But they might attack us later!!” again. So no, I don’t think they intend to start/continue war against the Alliance.
That said, the writers could easily make something up if they decide they don’t want players bashing their writing and want them to attack each other again over what their faction did, for another few years. Even the first faction war started in Cataclysm was somewhat contrived, though the reasoning was a bit sound. The orcs were living in a desert and had no lumber, but the land wasn’t naturally like that, ergo the elements would have answered the call to fix it, and the Horde also had druids to help. But, we’re over a decade beyond that now.
So it’s up in the air. Logically, no, they don’t intend it. In practice, I expect an orc to stub their toe on a log that’s shaped vaguely like a night elf and then the Horde burns all of Ashenvale to the ground.
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I want the Alliance to continue war against the Horde. Time to purify Lordaeron boys
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No you must not have gotten the memo. We’re literally giving it back to the Horde for no reason.
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While I wouldn’t want them to succeed beyond reclaiming Gilneas, Arathi (which I guess actually occurred?), refortifying the Wildhammer as Aerie Peak and maybe reclaiming the half of Hillsbrad south of the main road, at least that is a logical reason for Faction conflict to occur. Did the developers think of that? No? They thought up ‘magical titan blood that everyone wants at first that gets forgotten halfway through the expansion’ and ‘Sylvanas secretly makes a pact with the Ultra Mega Lich King to kill as many people on both sides as possible’. Sweet Jeebus, what they getting paid for again? Just implementing new borrowed power and microcurrency grinds, I’m sure.
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I don’t know if this has been mentioned before, but according to weekly BG honor quests in Oribos, the Alliance and Horde are still fighting. I don’t know why.
It’s absolutely irrelevant because neither faction has the free will to make a real choice. They are both fictional constructs and so the question that SHOULD have asked given the nature of this franchise is…
How are the writers and developers going to start the next Alliance/Horde conflict?
My personal suspicion is that the next conflict is going to be touched off by the Night Elves, but not by Tyrande herself.
The other touchpoint might be the death of Anduin and a move made to retaliate by the new leadership of Stormwind.
That’s standard the same thing was going on in Nazjatar as well.
Random Horde military leader, speaking to the Entire Horde Council (minus Thrall and Baine who are mysteriously absent): My fellow proud members of the Horde, the Alliance continues to… exist!
Entire Horde Council (minus Thrall and Baine who are mysteriously absent): (noises of shock, horror, and anger)
Random Horde council Member: In order to rectify this unacceptable situation, we nominate Adolf Dahmer the Ripper as emergency Warchief, with power to completely overrule and ignore us, until this is resolved!
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Sure but the factions were officially at war back then. Why are we fighting now?
Like where? Last we heard both alliance and horde had exhausted their capacity for war.
In the weekly BG quest in Oribos, Strategist Zo’rak tells us, “You seem to be fond of squabbling over contested ground.”
Some may argue that us being able to fight in BG’s is a gameplay mechanic, but this is quest dialogue.
Active fighting in the Korean War ended before I was born. But there are still incidents going on between North and South to the present day.
That’s a measure of the difference between dejure and defacto.
The Korean War never technically ended though. A lot of people don’t know that, I think. Did the war between the Alliance and Horde never end de jure either?
To be fair, to justify PvP at all in the lore there needs to be some sort of armed conflict.
Honestly, it’s vague wording though. It could just as easily be a bunch of outraged vigilantes continuing to squabble.
Also India and Pakistan have small armed skirmishes on a near-daily basis and the two aren’t officially at war. They’re even in a bit of a trade agreement together haha.
England and France continued to trade with each other during the Hundred Years War.
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The inability to reign in the Texans was as much due to the slow speed of communications as anything else. After all you’re talking pre-telegraph, pre-rail, and even pre-Pony Express.
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The Alliance and Horde are in an armistice, the same as North and South Korea.
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…I would welcome quests where Horde and Alliance continue fighting by building giant flag poles, blasting loud pop music at each other, digging tunnels under neutral territory, and hosting rival Olympic Games. Imagine a Horde quest where you kidnap a famous Alliance playwright so goblins can make a cheesy Godzilla rip-off.
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Would it be insensitive to have a questline where a squad goes into enemy territory to chop down a small tree?