Blizzard Considering Customization Overhauls for Older WoW Races
Blizzard Entertainment is exploring the possibility of giving older World of Warcraft races the customization overhauls that players have been requesting, but the studio has confirmed these improvements are not coming soon. In an interview with Windows Central, World of Warcraft design director Maria Hamilton revealed the team is discussing the matter but has no concrete roadmap yet. The consideration comes as WoW moves into a new era with the upcoming Midnight expansion, the second act of the Worldsoul Saga, with players expressing growing desire for more character customization options.
Maria Hamilton stated that while the team has “taken runs at it from time to time” and knows players love customization features, there’s no immediate plan for implementation. “We don’t have a roadmap just yet,” she explained. “But now we’re looking at it as a sort of larger project, rather than drops here and there like we did with Heritage Armor.” Hamilton emphasized that any customization overhaul “is not soon,” indicating players should not expect these changes in the near future despite ongoing discussions within the development team.
World of Warcraft’s 20-year legacy presents significant technical challenges for implementing new customization systems. Hamilton noted that the game’s inner workings are “a deeply knotted structure,” requiring extensive testing for any new features. With the upcoming Midnight expansion and the planned third act, The Lost Titan, the development team must prioritize major content releases over customization improvements. Hamilton mentioned that “adding and improving animations have come up more than you might imagine” as players want animations appropriate to their roles.
Principal artist Jay Hwang pointed to existing systems like transmog (equipment visual alteration) as examples of the studio’s gradual movement toward player expression. “That’s why we’ve been investing in things like housing, which aren’t player power related, and focused more on avenues of expression,” Hwang stated. He suggested that future updates might include more options for races like goblins, saying “maybe goblins will get more ears and noses for you.” The developers acknowledge these features are things they’re “definitely interested in” but must be approached as part of a larger, consolidated system rather than piecemeal additions. While the wait may be long, it’s encouraging to see Blizzard acknowledging player desires for deeper character customization in the long-term future.
