This will undermine my boldest proclamation about 2008’s mmogdom, but I think it’s true. I don’t think Lich King is going to get pushed to next year. I think speculation of a Summer launch is definitely possible now. My guess is that this means StarCraft 2 won’t be out until late this year or early next.

The reason for my change of heart? Secret insider knowledge? (pfff) It’s actually WoW’s fiction. I think the Lore has now advanced to the point where Blizz is going to have to move on WotLK sometime in the next few months before the end of the year. The forging of the Shattered Sun Offensive is a huuuuge change to Shat, upsetting the status quo that has existed since TBC launched early last year. The result, besides some freaking awesome faction rewards, is an Azeroth primed for change.

It’s honestly heartwarming to see how well the Aldor and Scryer are working together. It really isn’t just lip service, at least not in Shattrath. Grand Anchorite Almonen still comes to give his blessing to departing troops, but now his speech is to Shattered Sun Offensive soldiers, Blood Elf and Draenei alike. He still gives his sermons before A’dal as well, and now they too are an audience composed of both Draenei and Blood Elf, who he counts as equally pursuing the light, who respond to his sermon with a hearty “May it be so!” before dispersing. The Scryers seem to be quite vindicated in the lore with this patch, proving themselves to be true disciples of A’dal and followers of the Light.

Update: Darniaq makes a great point in the comments about lessons learned from timing TBC and Naxx so close together. Maybe not Summer then, but definitely this year. I really wasn’t convinced until I saw the lore. I dunno why business reasons seem ephemeral to me and storytelling reasons don’t, but there you go.