The long-standing quest chain titled “The Ashbringer”, held in high regard by many players of Blizzard Entertainment’s seminal MMORPG, World of Warcraft, has been removed from the game with v9.0.1. The quest chain was a cornerstone of many character’s stories and took an ‘extended-length’, which many players carefully plotted out. As a result, it was a beloved part of many players’ adventures in Azeroth, and now that its gone it has left a big void in the lore.

The removal of “The Ashbringer” has come as a surprise to many players, as it was an integral part of the story that has been built up over the years. It commonly served as the stepping stone for players starting their journey in Azeroth, and now that its gone there’s an undeniable feeling of loss amongst the community.

Blizzard’s reasoning for the removal was current limitations with the state of the game engine, which meant the content had to be removed in order to move forward. Despite Blizzard’s intent to eventually re-implement the quest chain without the engine issues, it’s clear the developer wishes to modernize the game without compromising on story content.

Although the removal of “The Ashbringer” has saddened many players, Warner feels the changes have been necessary to keep the game world vibrant and new. Hence, the developer has promised to ensure that the game world evolves with the changing needs of the players, and look for ways to keep the game engine up to date with the current market.

“The Ashbringer” removal is a sad but necessary twist in the ongoing story of Azeroth, but it opens up a whole new chapter for the game, one filled with exciting possibilities. It’s clear Blizzard is determined to keep WoW feeling fresh and new, and the removal of “The Ashbringer” is the perfect example of that goal.