Given the wait time from 9.0 to 9.1 and comparing it to other expansions, there won’t be enough time for it if there’s to be an expansion in 2022.
The x.3 patch has historically been the big blow-off. Wrath, Cata, Legion, even BFA had large content dumps, introduced a new system that changed the game, ended big lore stories and created new ones. Dungeon finder and LFR are still here today, corruption and access to a spaceship’s giant gun are fun too. By comparison, WoD ended with 6.2 and the story seemed unfinished. The content was ok but it felt like there should be more.
Mists had a 5.4 and TBC had a 2.4. Added content to tide us over has never been bad. Wrath even added Ruby Sanctum at the end.
Do you want another expansion next year or do you want Blizzard to flesh out & develop their story? Personally I’m expecting another content drought either way. Which is the better of 2 bad options?
I think there will be. The next expansion has no chance of releasing in 2022 in any case. It’ll be announced for sure at Blizzcon next February. By then we’ll be in 9.2.
So if the announcement’s there then given usual development time it’ll still never release by the end of 2022. It’s too soon, probably early 2023 at best. But if that’s the case then they can still easily do a 9.2.5 and a 9.3 in the middle of that by summer. And then we’ll probably see 10.0 in spring or something of 2023.
That’s also the route with the smallest content drought. Because otherwise if 9.2 is the end then we’ll go the entire year of 2022 with no new content whatsoever. Scary thought!
I’d rather see SL be a full scale expansion on par with the others and do the story justice. I don’t see any reason yet for it to be cut short. 10.0’s not coming any time soon either way.
If there’s a 9.3, the expansion will go longer than 2 years. I see no sign they’re making any progress toward catching up with a 2 year expansion schedule.
They could do it at another event like they did with that one before the end of the year then give us more info later on at the next Blizzcon online in Feb.
If they hadn’t cut most of the 6.1 content there would of been the planned Shatt raid. So 6.2 probably would of been the last patch anyways.
There is no rule or has Blizz ever stated how many patches minimum an expansion has to be .
This there having to be at least a x.3 patch is something players invented in their own heads. As long as the patches have plenty of content and they properly wrap up the story of SL with us defeating the Jailer in 9.2 then it is a complete expansion .
Anything after that would be more inline with a new expansion .
Sorry but this sounds like a dramatic conclusion to come too.
8.1 was released 4 months after BfA’s launch. 9.1 came 7 months after the SL launch. Its a difference of 3 months which does seem like a lot in a direct comparison for a first major content patch but when lining up the time tables of expansions as a whole really means nothing.
