Inevitably, in 10.0 or 11.0 or whatever, they’ll use a new class to clickbait attract new/returning players into the new expansion. I have a few hypotheses about what it could be–though obviously I don’t know for certain.
Dragon (Black or Red):
What would be more epic than being a dragon? Now there’d HAVE to be some limitations to a dragon class (your obviously a whelp, so that you don’t transform into a massive dragon and start eating people), but I think being a whelp would be pretty cool as a hero class. Black Dragons make the most sense (uncorrupted eggs from Neltharion’s Lair, Wrathion and Ebonhorn as “racial leaders,” and a well defined moveset (pulling inspiration from Deathwing for a ranged/melee DPS spec, and a Tank spec.) Red Dragons could also work (well defined moveset, fire magic used for healing and DPS, particularly sacrificial healing (Alexstraza from HotS)), though there’s less of a Lore reason at least now to have them (though obviously there’d be a good lore reason if they were released with an expansion.)
Tinker (either some sort of literal transformation of Engineering craft, or Battlesuits like Mogul Razdunk or King Mekkatorque)
NOW, I would have assumed this was going to be 9.0’s class… but then Mechagnomes were announced. That’s not that big of a deal, but wouldn’t have Mechagnomes been the BEST introduction to the Tinker Class? Still, it’s a possibility.
Runecasting (Drust, Vrykul, many, MANY otherplaces)
If we have some sort of expansion on Azeroth, there’s a distinct possibility that Runecasting of some sort becomes a class–since it’s such a widespread powerset that’s left outside of playability. Now, gameplay systems may be as simple as just Casting but there’s room I’d say for complexity (maybe modifying runes to make custom effects? Just a thought)
Some Dark Edgy Hero Class
Obviously, we’re going to get some new, expansion driven, edge lord class (if it happened this xpac, it’d be like, Soul Lord, or Reaper, or some other 12 year old wet dream), since that’s happened now for both DK and DH.
Bard
Let’s face it, everyone has wanted to be E.T.C. Between E.T.C, new Death Metal, Sirens, Music Magic is a thing in the game. Lets get it people (sadly, I think the game has gotten far too serious for Bard to ever been included)
Pops up rarely, but is also the most unrealistic. Dragons are not a class, they are beings far superior to anything we play. No real reason to interact with us on a regular basis and the general public would be terrifies of them and make an effort to hunt them down.
Who knows, see daily threads on this one.
Death Knights use runes. Runes are generated/consumed when various abilities are used. The Runeforge is used to etch weapons to give them special abilities.
Death Knights fit this already, plus we can throw Demon Hunters in there too.
Another one that surfaces at times.
In summary: Fix what we already have before adding something else that will need regular tuning.
That was literally my point, there’s a patten of dark edgy hero classes
Again, how hard is it for people to understand that I want this, but inevitably a new class will get added since it’s the easiest way to clickbait newbies/people who left.
Tinker, To me seems far and away the most likely option.
There’s so Many Tinker assets that exist in game already. From abilities, to animation assets, Models for mechs and turrets.
We already know the 3 specs they’d have thanks to blizzard.
Like. Tinker is obviously being worked on in the background. So I expect it will be the next class.
My Assumption was all but confirmed when we got Exiles Reach, and lo-and-behold, there are Tinkers on that Island too. Ready and waiting to give us a class quest.
Blizzard loves to future proof their games years in advance, so with that in mind. I think Tinker is likely after Shadowlands. More likely than the other classes you have listed here.
This isn’t a good excuse. And Never has been.
Classes have been in crappy spots for 16 years, new classes or no new classes.
You really need to learn that these two things aren’t mutually exclusive.
New classes are pushed by the board of game directors first and foremost.
It has nothing to do with existing class design.
