World of Warcraft: Dragonflight's Alpha has begun, grants players access to Azure Span

The current Alpha for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will be brief but impactful (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
The current Alpha for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will be brief but impactful (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is allowing a select number of players to check out the current state of the game. In this Alpha test, players will be able to explore one of the zones and create the new Dracthyr Evoker class. However, unlike previous Alpha tests, this one won’t be as long, according to a Blizzard developer.

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World of Warcraft: Dragonflight has started its first brief Alpha

The WoW: Dragonflight Alpha will be carried out in phases, and the first phase features the snowy peaks of Azure Span and introduces the concept of dragon-riding in the game. This new in-game feature is a skill-based method of travel, where players customize a drake and use it to travel around the in-game world.

In the new alpha, one area can be explored and that is Azure Span. It is going to feel very familiar to the older World of Warcraft players because it’s the home of the Tuskarr. The Walrus people seen in Northrend call this place home, and it’s also the home to the blue dragons.

Visually, it is familiar to the Grizzy Hills, and it is also reminiscent of California with its massive Redwood-style trees. Since it is an area filled with mountains, it will offer lots of peaks and valleys for players to explore, showing off just what this expansion has to offer.

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In the alpha, Dracthyr can be played, and right now, players only have access to Evoker, but that may change in the future. Players can also check out the various major changes that have been made. So far, Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, Priest, and Rogue classes have had big adjustments, and the developers are looking for feedback.

The revamped talent trees are available for players to experiment with, along with changes to Alchemy and Blacksmithing. There is plenty for players to see and do in the alpha, but the developers have been keen to change their approach to Alphas.

According to Blizzard’s production director Patrick Dawson, they wanted to make the development cycles short. This way, they can focus on specific parts of the game that they want to test and receive feedback on the same. Each week, they want to have a different aspect of the game tested, instead of letting players test a new area every couple of months.

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There is no confirmed release date for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, but the Alpha has begun, and eligible players can install the game, create a character, and start to explore the Azure Span and everything the area has to offer.