something I've been waiting well over a decade for. But I hate the state of the Horde and the way the faction ends up being used, or forgotten, as it seemed to be this time.

The War Within is World of Warcraft's 10th expansion, and this time the primary antagonist is Xal'atath. I love her as a villain, especially since she's an ancient entity that's been sealed away for so long, and now she's free. Her attitude and desire to destroy Azeroth is refreshing in a way, and it's fascinating that the expansion – as of writing this – doesn't include defeating her, because it's the start of a saga rather than a standalone story. But for all its pros, there's still a problem at the core of the game that's been building for a long time.

The War Within Continues A Deep-Rooted Problem With The Horde

The Faction Is Mostly Ignored

The majority of The War Within's campaign has you working with Alleria, Anduin, Magni, Moira, Dagran, and the new characters we meet on the Isle of Dorn and in Khaz Algar. In addition, Jaina and Thrall make small appearances at the beginning and end of the campaign, leaving to bring reinforcements from each faction to help fight Xal'atath and her underlings. As you might've noticed already, it's an Alliance heavy cast of characters. Just like with previous expansions for WoW, it seems like Blizzard doesn't know what to do with the Horde when there's no need to create a new villain using the faction.

Again, this isn't exactly new. It's an issue that's existed for years, but there have never been any good attempts made to fix it. I can't say that Horde characters never receive a storyline or an arc that lets them develop, but unless one's becoming a villain, that storyline isn't at the center of the game, like Alleria’s has been in The War Within. You can argue that Sylvanas has received a lot of time and attention over a few expansions, but her transition to villain didn't make a lot of sense for the character overall.

Missed Opportunities To Bring In Horde NPCs

Plenty Would Have Fit In The War Within

I'd love to see more done with characters from the Horde, and to see them allowed to grow in more heroic roles rather than become villains again and again. There's a lot of potential among NPCs in the Horde, and The War Within missed the opportunity to bring more Horde mages to Dalaran during the pre-expansion content, which would let them play larger roles in the expansion as they'd arrive at the Isle of Dorn at the start. Between the Blood Elves and Nightborne, there are a few strong mages who could've been brought in to help, such as Thalyssra, who's proven her magical prowess.

Since dealing with Xal'atath is a matter of saving the entire world, there should've been more NPCs involved even before the expansion with the content leading into it. I would've loved to see both Anduin and Calia Menethil working together, especially since they both have knowledge of the power of light. We also have characters like Talanji, who could bring the power of the loa to the fight. Sure, she's the leader of the Zandalari right now, but if the world ends, there's no Zandalari anymore. So, I think she could spare some time.

It's Time To Move Past Faction Issues

Let Both Sides Grow

With the increased focus on the story in recent expansions, the problems with the factions have become more glaring than in the past, when the story wasn't as involved and ended up being told mostly through quest text. Now, with more cutscenes and a main campaign to follow through The War Within's quest content, you see a lot of favor for the Alliance. I noticed this starting years ago, but not seeing attempts to balance the factions in of story content grows tiring. I can't be the only player on the Horde who feels a bit out of place during the campaign because I'm mostly surrounded by Alliance NPCs.

I don't even mind the NPCs from the Alliance we spend the expansion with, and I like them as individual characters alongside what they bring to the story. They're interesting, and they feel fleshed out, especially as you watch them learn to overcome their struggles. I simply want to see the same treatment given to the Horde as well, rather than keeping them in the box of potential villains and savages. Additionally, we're in a good spot to do so, particularly with the Undead, as they formed a council of leaders and reclaimed the Undercity after Sylvanas destroyed it.

At this point in World of Warcraft's life, I'm tired of going back to the Horde versus Alliance dynamic in expansions as the core source of conflict for that content. It's been done many times, and now they've had to work together to save Azeroth several times from a variety of threats. Because of that, it's past time to move on from pitting the factions against each other, and instead let them grow and develop, especially since a lot of cities could use a revamp in-game. They don't have to be best friends, share the same ideas and ways of approaching issues, or anything like that.

For me, World of Warcraft has become a comfort game that I return to when there's new content, or when I just need a break from the real world. While I still enjoy the game a lot, and I don't necessarily play it for the story, I'm sad about the state of the Horde, considering it's the faction I've been playing for so long with my friends. Right now, we're at the perfect point to shift away from faction tension and towards handling world-ending threats, and I want to see that chance utilized moving forward from World of Warcraft: The War Within.