With the release of the first World of Warcraft: Legion raid approaching, Blizzard has taken the wraps off the Emerald Nightmare, an encounter that will pit players against seven 'malignant' bosses that now infest the once peaceful place of repose for Druids and the Green Dragon Flight.
Ever since the first hints of the Emerald Dream were unearthed in classic World of Warcraft over a decade ago, it has been a place players and developers alike have wanted to explore. From the moment the earliest design documents took shape for Val’sharah, with a story revolving around the Nightmare seeping into a peaceful druidic grove, we had “Emerald Dream raid” penciled in as a central piece of the expansion’s content.
Because of the Dream’s nature as a mirror of our world—initially perfect, but now deeply corrupt—we began by brainstorming specific locations in Azeroth that had strong ties to druidism, and those set pieces served as the building blocks for the raid zone. Of course, showcasing the corrupt Emerald Nightmare does not necessarily scratch that itch to see the verdant and unspoiled Dream itself, glimpsed so many years ago. But if adventurers can persevere through the trials of the Nightmare Lord’s twisted realm, perhaps a piece of the pure Dream can still be reclaimed. . . .
The Emerald Nightmare will launch Normal and Heroic versions on Tuesday, September 20th, with Raid Finder Wing 1 opening on Tuesday, September 27th.
Find out the names of these formidable bosses and the lore behind them on the World of Warcraft community site.
