Blizzard community manager Josh Allen has revealed that World of Warcraft is getting a name change, and the reasons are sure to stir a reaction from you.
World of Warcraft features Tyrande Whisperwind, the high priestess of Elune, and before that, general of the night elf sentinels. Although she is a powerful character in the game’s lore, she has been written inconsistently in the Blizzard games.
One infamous instance fans remember well was in World of Warcraft’s dungeon Well of Eternity. Tyrande uses her powers, including her god-given ones, to protect your party from legions of demons. When she tries to speak, however, her husband Malfurion instant berates her ‘Hush, Tyrande!’
With that context explained, Allen shared this tweet:
Re: "Tyrande's Silence" – it's not a "Hush, Tyrande" reference, but we can see why it'd be taken that way, so we're going to change it.
— Lore (@CM_Lore) April 22, 2015
Allen explained further that the ship Tyrande’s Silence is a reference to an ability she has in another game, Heroes of the Storm. In Heroes, Tyrande takes a support role, and is a powerful ally to use.
Apparently, the ability that is alluded to is Sentinel. Tyrande sends one of her owls across the battlefield to reveal enemies in its path. The first enemy Hero found also receives damage.
Of course, ultimately, Blizzard’s decision is about more than Tyrande’s power, roles and abilities in their games. The developer is certainly more progressive than most developers, when you consider not only their depiction of Tyrande, but also Sarah Kerrigan from the Starcraft games, and the push for diversity in games likeWorld of Warcraft, Heroes of the Storm, and recently, Overwatch.
Do you agree with Blizzard’s decision to rename the ship? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
