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Blizzard announces patch 7.1 for World of Warcraft: Legion ahead of the expansion's release

The patch will bring back Karazhan and fill it to the brim with bosses.

David Craddock

August 18, 2016 1:40 PM

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World of Warcraft: Legion doesn't launch for another week and change, but that didn't stop Blizzard from announcing a sizable update for the expansion.

During a livestream, the company announced patch 7.1, Return to Karazhan, and MMO-Champion caught the salient details. Players who enjoy raids should be happy to learn that Karazhan, introduced in WoW's Burning Crusade expansion as a raid instance for 10 players, is returning with a couple of twists. Blizzard optimized it for five players instead of 10, though it'll still teem with bosses—nine, in fact.

If you have a soft spot in your heart for the original Tower of Karazhan, Blizzard's leaving it around for you to farm XP and items.

The return of Karzhan is important enough for Blizzard to name a patch after it, but 7.1 holds even more in store. You'll find a brand-new raid between The Nighthold and The Emerald Nightmare that wraps up an ongoing story arc, as well as outdoor content relevant to the Nightfallen story. Illidan, a fan-favorite character, will also make a return.

An emphasis on classic locations and more story-driven content speaks to Blizzard's determination to keep WoW players engaged for longer. During the livestream, developers admitted that they were wrong to temporarily shift their focus to cranking out expansions faster; as a result, recent expansions were lighter on content compared to their forebears. This time, they say, you'll have no shortage of things to do, people to meet, and things to kill.

Patch 7.1 will go live on PTR servers immediately following Legion's release on August 30.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.