WithWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlands’final patch on the horizon, dataminers are cracking open the Public Test Realm’s code to piece together the incoming narrative. Recent models and animations of Tyrande Whisperwind and Sylvanas Windrunner indicate a cinematic conclusion of their conflict is imminent, and hint as to Sylvanas’ ultimate fate inWorld of Warcraft.Warning: Spoilers for theWorld of Warcraft: Shadowlandsexpansion below.Both of the new models have more detailed armor and faces then their in-game models, and have extra accessories, like quivers and backup weapons. These detailed models, including one for Tyrande’s spirit owl companion, Dori’thur, fit the level of quality often used inWorld of Warcraftcinematics. Sylvanas doesn’t appear to have any hands, but considering Tyrande’s hands are also rendered wrong, this is more likely a glitch than a story beat.RELATED:World of Warcraft: New Jailer Model Raises Questions About The Villain’s Past and FutureThe datamined animation is glitchy, but depicts Sylvanas leaping off of an edge and plummeting downwards. The most likely context for these discoveries is a cinematic between Tyrande and Sylvanas which ends with her leaping from Oribos down into the hellish Maw to bring back the souls she damned there while aiding the Jailer. This is likely a part of the penance she will receive at the hands of Tyrande–a fate she is willingly accepting according torecently-found voice lines fromEternity’s End.
In an interview with Game Rant, Lead Narrative Designer Steve Danuser expressed the conflict betweenTyrande and Sylvanas would come to a conclusion inEternity’s End, one way or another. Considering Sylvanas’s change of heart after her soul was made whole again, and her efforts to aid players against her former master, her exile into the Maw to clean up the mess she made seems to be a logical conclusion to her story–and one that will take an undefined amount of time, leavingWorld of Warcraftto bring her back later.
Though player response is mixed, most recognize this would be about as good as one could expect fromWoW, given thedirection of Sylvanas’s narrative. Though few want a redemption arc for her, a long road of undoing the damage she caused seems to be a fair path for Tyrande to set Sylvanas upon. Simply killing her off would be unlikely to provide a satisfying end after everything she had done as the Jailer’s pawn.
Yet someWorld of Warcraftfans won’t be satisfied regardless of the context of these new models and animations. After the corner Sylvanas has been written in to, many would be happier if she was killed off just to be done with her, while long-time Forsaken players considerEternity’s End’sSylvanas to be a different character entirely, with their beloved Banshee Queen having been undermined by the unpopular Jailer plot arc. Regardless, the conflict between Tyrande and Sylvanas is coming to an end inEternity’s End, so players will have to wait and see what happens and decide howWorld of Warcraftdid with the iconic characters.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlandsis available on PC.Eternity’s Endis currently in development.
