Blizzard looks to make everyone mad with WoW Chronicle Volume 4 reveal

Blizzard has the chance to do the funniest thing ever. Of course, I mean that in the sense of being able to do something that is both the thing its over-opinionated fanbase wants and the thing said fanbase screams about the most. Retcons. The publisher revealed today WoW Chronicle Volume 4 in conjunction with Dark Horse publishing. The book is set for release on July 16.

The fourth book in the World of Warcraft Chronicle series, these books are somewhat fascinating to me. One half lore bible, other half a sprawling, dictionary-like mess, the Chronicle books serve an important purpose. For all intent and purposes, they are the official canon of the MMORPG--the canonical, beat-by-beat story of WoW in chronological order.

So, why are fans readying the pitchforks? It has to do with which expansions WoW Chronicle Volume 4 covers.

Picking up where Volume 3 left off, WoW Chronicle Volume 4 covers the canon and lore of Mists of Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands. If you know anything about WoW and the opinion on three of these expansions then you know it's a touchy subject. While Mists of Pandaria and Legion are beloved by fans, WoD, BFA, and Shadowlands are considered to be the worst stories in the game's history.

They're also the stories with the most retcons and backward facing changes to the game's canon.

The question on everyone's minds is simple: What from those expansions is going to be considered official lore? After all, Chronicle was a project helmed by Chris Metzen as the final word and say on all things World of Warcraft. If it isn't in those books then it isn't worth knowing. What will WoW Chronicle Volume 4 have to say about the most-hated, darkest period of the game's lifespan?

Only time will tell, but it's safe to say that all eyes will be on this fourth volume. Heading into what is being heralded as the most important expansions in the game's history, it's somewhat of a breaking point. What will the official and final lore word be on the likes of Sylvanas Windrunner, Garrosh, Thrall, the death of Varian, and other touchy WoW subjects?

We'll know more when WoW Chronicle Volume 4 releases in hardcover and digital on July 16, 2024.

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