Blizzard Entertainment has detailed the rollout of the new player housing system for the upcoming World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion, specifically for the Midnight chapter. The system, a long-requested feature by the community, will be accessible through different pathways depending on a player's experience and expansion ownership.
Access Paths for Different Players
The housing tutorial will be integrated into the game's progression for both new and returning adventurers. Players returning to World Of Warcraft for the Midnight chapter will receive a quest directing them to the housing tutorial. New players who begin with Midnight will encounter the option to start the housing tutorial after completing the initial New Player Experience on the introductory boat.
For players who do not yet own the Midnight expansion, access will be more limited. These players can visit Neighborhoods and begin collecting housing items from activities and quests in major cities like Orgrimmar, Stormwind, and Dornogal. However, claiming a personal house or officially joining a Neighborhood will require ownership of the expansion.
Housing System Features and Mechanics
A new tutorial will guide all players through the basics of claiming and decorating a home. Players can then join a Neighborhood, choosing between public areas open to all or exclusive Guild Neighborhoods. To establish a guild neighborhood, a guild must have at least 10 recently active members. The initial Neighborhoods will be Founder's Point for the Alliance and Razorwind Shores for the Horde.
After joining a Neighborhood, players can scout for a plot, claim a house, and begin personalizing their property. The decoration system offers both Basic and Advanced modes, with over 600 collectible items. These items are categorized into types such as Furnishings, Accents, Structural, and Lighting, and can be filtered by style, culture, and expansion. Players manage their collection through a new Housing Dashboard, accessible with the hotkey 'H'.
Professions and the Housing Economy
The update deeply integrates professions into the housing ecosystem. Players can collect resources and craft decor items for personal use or to sell to other players. Notably, the system will utilize profession recipes from across World of Warcraft's history, including the classic era, allowing players to use old reagents to craft expansion-specific housing rewards. This creates a new economic loop and gives purpose to long-stored materials.
It is important to note that the Endeavors system, a separate feature, will not be available until after the pre-expansion content update for Midnight. The housing launch represents a significant addition to the game's persistent world, offering new goals for collectors, crafters, and social players alike.
