Side Quest with Dvalin

For the very first guest episode of Side Quest with Dvalin, we are joined by full-time Twitch streamer and WoW content creator, Elphiee!

Elphiee just got back from BlizzCon, and she is giving us the ultimate behind-the-scenes rundown. We cover how to dodge the massive badge queues, the reality of the infamous "BlizzCon Flu," and the incredibly inclusive, hype-filled energy on the convention floor when World of Warcraft: Forever was officially revealed. We also share our honest reactions to the massive timeline announcements, including Diablo 5's massive 2029 release date.

Then, we dive deep into everything coming to World of Warcraft: Forever. We break down why Blizzard’s new "horizontal progression" model is the ultimate game-changer that respects your time, dubbed the perfect "retirement home" for gamers who want epic loot to actually last. We also discuss the controversial lore changes like Undead Paladins and the brand-new blue "Skyborne" race, the massive cross-faction serverless communities, and the built-in native controller support that changes how we play.

Finally, we reveal our launch plans! Will Elphiee stick to her Stormwind roots with a dual-wielding Gnome Fury Warrior, or will the Horde call her name? And am I really abandoning the Paladin for a Skyborne Shaman?

#worldofwarcraft #warcraft #mmo #mmorpg #gaming

If you want a clean, minimalist interface for World of Warcraft: Forever without the hassle of downloading, managing, or updating third-party addons, this setup is for you. In this guide, I share my personal layout built 100% within the native Edit Mode, giving you an uncluttered, modern display using only default game settings.

We break down the entire layout design: removing the default gryphon artwork to clear screen space, stacking Action Bars 1-3 right above your experience and reputation bars, and positioning pet, totem, and stance bars cleanly in the center. We also look at setting up raid-style party frames for dungeons, turning on the Personal Resource Display to track health and mana with class colors, and utilizing the default swing timer and built-in damage meter.

Import strings are available for 1080p, 1440p (2K), and Ultrawide displays. You can copy the exact export codes directly from the Discord community linked below.

Beyond Edit Mode, we walk through essential gameplay, audio, and graphics tweaks. You will learn how to turn off camera auto-adjust, mute repetitive error speech ("I have no target"), set up clean class-colored nameplates, cap background framerates to keep your hardware quiet while alt-tabbed, and apply the 98% render scale trick to noticeably sharpen your visuals and boost performance.

00:00 - Intro & How to Import the UI Layout

00:58 - UI Layout Breakdown & Frame Settings

03:20 - Recommended Control & Interface Settings

04:46 - Combat & Target Settings

06:18 - Nameplate Customization

07:44 - Graphics & Render Scale (98% Sharpness Tip)

08:44 - FPS Caps & Performance Optimization

11:35 - Audio Tips (Error Speech & Music Loop)

12:15 - Summary & Outro

#worldofwarcraft #warcraft #mmo #mmorpg #gaming

World of Warcraft: Forever is officially on the horizon, but what actually is it, and how does it differ from both Classic and Retail? In this video, we break down every core feature, mechanical shift, and design philosophy behind Blizzard’s massive new parallel World of Warcraft experience.

We cover the essential facts, from beta access on September 17 to the global November 4 launch, and dive deep into why this game is built around a permanent level 60 cap with pure horizontal progression. Discover how the "time bubble" philosophy keeps your gear and accomplishments permanently relevant in year-one Azeroth without continuous gear resets.

We also explore the world expansion, including over 1,000 brand-new quests, 9 new dungeons distributed across leveling brackets, 10/20/40-player flexible raid tiers, and previously inaccessible zones like Mount Hyjal, Cyphras Isle, and Riverglade. Finally, we break down the account-wide Legacy system, the Skyborne Elves, new faction-class combinations like Undead Paladins and Dwarf Shamans, native controller support, the 15v15 Darkspear Island battleground, and how the regional megaserver architecture replaces traditional realms with four distinct rulesets.

00:00 – Introduction & Overview

00:28 – Beta Access & Release Date

01:00 – Level 60 Cap & Content Focus

01:27 – Horizontal Progression Explained

03:01 – Core Philosophy & World Setting

04:58 – Alt-Friendly Legacy System

05:51 – New & Expanded Zones (Mount Hyjal, Caiphus Isle, Riverglade)

07:22 – 1,000+ New Quests & 9 New Dungeons

08:52 – Flexible Sizing Raids (10, 20 & 40-Player)

09:27 – New Race: Skyborn Elves & Racials

11:28 – New Class/Race Combinations & Talent Overhauls

13:19 – New PvP Battleground (Darkspear Islands) & Honor System

15:06 – Native Controller Support

16:00 – LFG Tool & Community-First Design

17:06 – Server Structure & Rule Sets

18:23 – Outro & Upcoming Guides

Welcome to Episode 7 of Side Quest with Dvalin. BlizzCon 2026 is officially in the books, and Blizzard completely flipped the script with game-changing announcements across every single franchise. Today, we are breaking down every major reveal, expansion, and surprise release so you don't miss a thing.

Our biggest highlight is the reveal of World of Warcraft: Forever, Blizzard's official answer to "Classic+." We dive into everything this new parallel game offers, from a permanent level 60 cap with horizontal progression to 1,000 brand-new quests, 9 new leveling/endgame dungeons, 2 raids, and a single regional megaserver featuring four distinct ruleset layers. We also cover new race/class combinations like Undead Paladins, Dwarf Shamans, and Skyborne Elves, alongside the new 15v15 three-lane Darkspear Island battleground and the visual toggle between classic and modern HD graphics.

Beyond WoW Forever, we break down all the other massive announcements from the show:

- World of Warcraft Retail & The Last Titan: The "Eclipse" patch concluding Midnight with Xal'atath in The Worldcore raid, lifting armor-type transmog restrictions, and returning to a revamped Northrend in The Last Titan (2027).

- Warcraft 3: Reforged Campaign Shadowdrop: The surprise release of "Forsaken Kingdom", a brand-new 30-hour story campaign following Sylvanas that bridges the gap between Warcraft 3 and vanilla WoW, complete with an updated engine overhaul and a new Forsaken Paladin tavern hero.

- Heroes of the Storm Revived: Johanna Faries taking the stage to announce Xal'atath as the first new hero added to the Nexus in six years.

- StarCraft Open-World Shooter: Dan Hay's narrative-driven open-world shooter set 70 years after Legacy of the Void, officially targeting a 2030 release.

- Diablo 5 Announced: The unexpected reveal of Diablo 5 for 2029 where Sanctuary has completely fallen, introducing a mobile caravan camp mechanic and the new Plague Knight class.

- Diablo 4 & Other Franchises: Season of Hell's Legacy, the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, the Amazon class arrival in 2027, Hearthstone's Monk class, Overwatch's new techno-vampire support hero Doctrine, and the official Diablo animated series coming to Netflix.

00:00 - Intro & BlizzCon Overview

00:24 - World of Warcraft: Forever (Classic+)

04:16 - WoW Forever: Leveling, New Dungeons & Raids

05:46 - New Zones & Expanding the Azeroth Map

07:04 - Skyborn Elves & New Class Combinations

08:32 - New 15v15 Battleground (Darkspear Island)

09:34 - Graphic Upgrades & SD/HD Toggle

10:39 - WoW Forever Release Date & Beta Access

12:00 - Megaserver System, Rule Sets & Guild Plans

14:43 - WoW Retail: Midnight "Eclipse" & The World Core Raid

19:30 - WoW Retail: The Last Titan Expansion Tease (2027)

21:25 - Warcraft III: Reforged - Forsaken Kingdom Campaign

25:09 - Heroes of the Storm: Xal'atath Reveal

29:19 - StarCraft: Open-World Shooter Announcement (2030)

35:10 - Diablo V Revealed (2029)

42:10 - Diablo IV: Season of Hell's Legacy & Amazon Class

47:38 - Hearthstone: Reign of the Black Empire & Monk Class

50:30 - Overwatch: New Hero "Doctrine" & Season 5 Updates

52:33 - Netflix Diablo Animated Series Announcement

55:45 - Outro & What’s Coming Next

#worldofwarcraft #warcraft #gaming #gamingpodcast #podcast

Welcome to Episode 6 of Side Quest with Dvalin! We are just two days away from BlizzCon 2026, and the hype is off the charts. Today, we are laying our cards on the table with our official predictions for the Opening Ceremony and weekend panels, ranking the biggest rumors into tiers ranging from "Absolute Locks" to pure "Copium."

We dive into the loudest rumor on the floor: the highly anticipated StarCraft FPS reportedly led by former Far Cry developer Dan Hay. We debate whether it will be a tactical extraction shooter or a narrative-driven campaign. We also tackle the massive World of Warcraft Classic+ hype, breaking down why a permanent Classic+ holds a 75% probability compared to the near-zero chance of a complete WoW 2.0 engine rebuild during the active Worldsoul Saga roadmap.

Plus, we cover strong contenders like a Hearthstone Monk class and a fast-paced Shadowlands Remix, alongside the guaranteed locks: a new Overwatch hero and the next Diablo IV expansion to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary. We even dig into the wildcards, including potential Microsoft-pushed Netflix adaptations (Overwatch anime or Diablo dark fantasy?), new WoW specs, and the copium-fueled dreams of a Diablo 1 Remake, Heroes of the Storm Reborn, or a brand new Warcraft RTS.

00:00 Podcast Intro

01:07 Diablo 1 Remake?

02:39 New StarCraft FPS Game?

04:48 WoW 2.0 or Classic Plus?

07:57 Hearthstone Monk Class?

08:57 Heroes of the Storm 3.0?

11:00 Warcraft Forever?

13:41 New Overwatch Hero?

14:33 Netflix Series?

17:35 Next Retail WoW Expansion?

19:11 Shadowlands Remix?

20:32 New Warcraft RTS?

22:46 Next Diablo IV Expansion?

30:38 Outro

#blizzcon #blizzcon2026 #gaming #gamingpodcast #podcast

Welcome to Episode 5 of Side Quest with Dvalin. Today, we are sitting down for a massive 50-minute deep dive covering the absolute best game reveals, gameplay demos, and floor announcements from Gamescom 2026 and Opening Night Live.

From surprise AAA announcements to massive genre shifts, we break down all 8 major titles that stole the spotlight:

- Nodus Fall: HoYoverse breaks away from anime gacha into a gritty, Unreal Engine 5 dark fantasy co-op monster hunting action RPG with gameplay-unlocked rosters.

- Gears of War: E-Day: The prequel taking Marcus and Dom back to Emergence Day with survival-horror pacing, fluid sliding/jumping movement, and ray-traced visuals.

- Ananta: The high-speed urban superhero open-world RPG featuring Spider-Man-style skyscraper swinging, dynamic 4-character tag combat, and zero stamina gates.

- Game of Thrones: War for Westeros: PlaySide Studios' epic PC RTS featuring Stark, Lannister, Targaryen, and White Walker faction warfare with controllable heroes and dragons.

- Aion 2: NCSoft's Unreal Engine 5 MMORPG showcasing seamless 3D aerial combat, 100v100 Abyss sieges, and a PC-native Western rollout.

- LEGO Skylines: Paradox Interactive and Iceflake Studios combining deep city simulation infrastructure with unlimited, instruction-free LEGO brick building.

- Total War: Warhammer 40,000: The Gamescom "Best PC Game" winner bringing squad tactics, orbital drop pods, an army painter, and a groundbreaking PlayStation console launch.

- Path of Exile 2: The 1.0 launch breakdown detailing the newly revealed Duelist class, dual-stance sword combat (Blood & Sand), active parrying, and hybrid scaling.

00:00 Gamescom 2026 Recap & Intro

01:20 Nodus Fall (Hoyoverse) Co-op Dark Fantasy

08:13 Gears of War: E-Day Prequel Roots

12:48 Ananta (Project Mugen) Urban Open World RPG

17:14 Game of Thrones: War of Westeros RTS Strategy

24:50 Aion 2 Next-Gen MMORPG & PvP Focus

31:29 LEGO Skylines Creative City Building

35:55 Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Strategy Shift

42:47 Path of Exile 2 Launch & New Combat

48:00 Outro & Future Podcast Plans

Welcome to Episode 4 of Side Quest with Dvalin. This week, we are taking a deep dive into the highly anticipated global launch of Aion 2. Will this massive Unreal Engine 5 title be the ultimate MMORPG revival? We are breaking down everything you need to know about NCSOFT's newest release, featuring a seamless open world that is 36 times larger than the original game with zero instanced loading screens.

We explore the massive lore shift set after the collapse of the Tower of Eternity, where you awaken as the prophesied Arch-Daeva to fight the Balaur and their new soul-trapping Fafnite technology. Plus, we cover the 8 launch classes, including the brand-new, high-mobility Monk spec, and the evolution of PvPvE combat with massive 100v100 Abyss War sieges and unrestricted 3D flight.

Finally, we discuss the Western release strategy. NCSOFT has decoupled the Western launch from mobile to focus purely on a high-fidelity PC experience and is dropping the controversial two-tier Eastern monetization model. The game will be free-to-play with a cosmetic-only cash shop, an optional battle pass, and an optional $15/month subscription.

00:00 Intro to Aion 2 & Western Launch

00:46 Eastern Market Revenue & Success

01:36 Twitch Streams & Steam Details

02:02 PvE & PvP 50/50 Balance

02:28 Early Access vs Free-to-Play Dates

03:04 PC Focus & Scrapped Mobile Version

03:32 Consoles & Controller Support

04:41 Open World Scale & Exploration

05:23 Core Loop & Territorial Contests

06:09 3D Flight & Aerial Combat

07:03 Playable Classes Overview

07:52 Melee: Templar, Gladiator, Assassin, Monk

09:55 Ranged: Ranger & Sorcerer

10:55 Support: Spiritmaster, Chanter, Cleric

13:21 Abyss War: 100v100 Faction Battles

14:54 PvE Endgame & Dungeon Tiers

16:11 Combat Power & Talent Trees

18:00 Structured PvP: 1v1, 4v4 & Arenas

20:02 Abyss Conflict & PvP Resilience Gear

21:54 Spacetime Rifts & Invasions

23:48 100-Player Battle Royale Mode

25:05 Lore: Tower of Eternity & Balaur

28:01 Your Character's Origin Story

29:27 Western Free-to-Play Business Model

31:27 Final Platform Strategy Recap

33:53 Outro & Gamescom Teaser

Welcome to Episode 3 of Side Quest with Dvalin. Today, we are shifting gears from MMORPGs to take a deep dive into one of the most surprising upcoming releases of the year: Minecraft Dungeons II.

Launching globally for Windows and home consoles on September 29, 2026, this sequel is completely overhauling the formula. We break down how Mojang and Double Eleven are adding a new jump ability, expanding build crafting by splitting armor into four individual pieces, and introducing talismans that provide passive effects.

From the game originally leaking as "Project Spicewood" to the brand-new story focused on threats from the Deep Dark and Ancient Cities, we cover everything you need to know. We also discuss how this family-friendly dungeon crawler could potentially beat titans like Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2. Is this primed to take over your living room and become the best ARPG of 2026?

00:00 Intro to Minecraft Dungeons 2

01:10 Development & Spicewood Leaks

04:30 Reveal & Release Date Info

05:55 Platforms & Cross-play Details

06:55 Pre-orders & Game Pass Info

08:22 Open World vs. Instances

10:05 Verticality & Jump Attacks

11:22 Gear & Armor Customization

12:24 New Artifacts & Talismans

13:42 Co-op Changes & Friendly Fire

14:48 Storyline & The New Threat

16:40 Endgame Boss: Twisted Warden

18:50 Corrupted Worlds & Empowered Mobs

20:57 Lego Set & Pre-order Rewards

22:28 Final Thoughts & Channel Update

Welcome to Episode 2 of Side Quest with Dvalin. We are keeping the momentum going by breaking down the most anticipated upcoming MMOs in the industry. Today, we are tackling the giant in the room: the highly anticipated League of Legends MMORPG by Riot Games, often referred to as the Runeterra MMO.

We are analyzing the entire development timeline, from the initial 2020 announcement with Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street to the massive 2024 project reset led by Marc Merrill. We discuss Riot's ambitions to dethrone World of Warcraft, the recent hiring of heavy-hitting Blizzard veterans, and how the rich lore of Runeterra, alongside Arcane and 160+ champions, will translate into a living, breathing world. We also dive into release date predictions, combat expectations, and why Riot refuses to release a traditional MMO clone.

00:00 Introduction to the Riot MMO

01:23 Development History & Key Personnel

03:03 Platforms & Initial Announcement

03:56 The 2024 Project Reset

06:45 Why Riot Scrapped 4 Years of Work

08:04 Evolving the MMO Genre

09:48 Predicted Release Window

11:30 LoL 2.0 & Announcement Strategy

13:54 New Hires: The Blizzard Dream Team

17:46 World Building & Arcane Connections

21:40 Music & Audio Pedigree

25:00 Gameplay: Champions as NPCs

28:07 Future Episodes & Upcoming MMOs

28:57 Outro & Podcast Info

Welcome to the very first episode of A Side Quest with Dvalin. In this new podcast series, we explore the biggest upcoming MMOs in the gaming world. For Episode 1, we are diving deep into ArenaNet's newly announced Guild Wars 3.

We cover everything you need to know from the Summer Game Fest reveal, including the massive shift to include PlayStation 5, the transition to an action-RPG combat framework, and the lore behind the Vaelwarden role set 1,200 years before the original game. We also discuss the upcoming Fall 2027 beta, the strict buy-to-play model, and why the developers are officially skipping the battle pass system.

00:00 Welcome to Side Quest with Dvalin

00:30 Why Start with Guild Wars 3?

01:00 Future of Guild Wars: What We Know

01:38 What is Guild Wars 3?

02:12 Well Wardens & World Exploration

02:34 Combat & Movement Evolution

04:03 Action Adventure vs Traditional MMOs

05:08 Platforms: PS5 & Steam

06:28 Controller Support & Cross-Save

08:10 Beta Testing & Launch Predictions

10:10 The Future of Guild Wars 1 & 2

10:41 Cross-Progression: Hall of Momentum

11:12 Monetization: No Subscriptions

12:38 Lore: 1,200 Years in the Past

13:50 Transitioning to Action Combat

15:54 Playable Races & Future Species

18:33 Dvalin 2.0: New Channel Direction

21:33 Wrap Up & Riot MMO Teaser