One in every of World of Warcraft’s strongest and well-known {couples} simply broke new floor for Blizzard’s flagship title, as a just lately added in-game cutscene depicts the primary on-screen kiss within the almost two-decade historical past of the MMORPG.
Blizzard is at present wrapping up the story of the sport’s present Dragonflight enlargement forward of The Battle Inside’s launch later this yr. Along with including main new options like NPC follower dungeons and dragonriding throughout all of Azeroth, the sport’s most up-to-date replace, Seeds of Renewal, additionally serves as an epilogue to Dragonflight’s story: wrapping up varied free ends, highlighting a number of key character moments, and teasing the story to come back within the months and years forward.
It’s the quick epilogue quest centered on the Night time Elves as a part of Seeds of Renewal that options the kiss 20 years within the making. The Night time Elves have been via rather a lot prior to now half decade, with Dragonflight lastly bringing the storyline of the the Night time Elves shedding their house to a becoming conclusion, as they construct a brand new settlement for his or her folks, Bel’ameth, among the many roots of the just lately sprouted World Tree, Amirdrassil. As Night time Elf chief Tyrande Whisperwind and her adopted daughter Shandris Feathermoon mirror on their new house and the way forward for their folks, a fan-favorite character makes his grand return.
That character is, in fact, none aside from Tyrande’s husband, the archdruid Malfurion Stormrage. He sacrificed himself as a way to take the place of the inexperienced dragon Ysera within the afterlife of the Shadowlands earlier in Dragonflight’s story, and makes a shock return now that Ysera is now not wanted in Azeroth following the defeat of the Primalists and their efforts to destroy Amirdrassil.
In a cutscene much more emotionally charged than is typical for in-game WoW cinematics, Tyrande sprints in the direction of her returned lover and is swept up in his arms, as they share a passionate kiss. They quickly open their arms to Shandris, and the three characters, who’ve endured tragedy after tragedy in recent times, tightly embrace.
Tyrande and Malfurion have lengthy been Azeroth’s definitive power-couple. He’s probably the most highly effective druid in all of Azeroth, whereas she’s the excessive priestess of the Night time Elf goddess Elune and longtime chief of the Night time Elf folks. In newer occasions they’ve led the Night time Elves collectively, however as proven as a part of Seeds of Renewal, they’ve now handed on the mantle of management to Shandris, in search of as an alternative to spend some well-earned alone time collectively in Bel’ameth in the meanwhile.
It’s becoming then that they’d be the 2 characters to share WoW’s first on-screen kiss, however upon nearer examination, there weren’t many different contenders. Sylvanas and her loyal follower Nathanos Blightcaller definitely appeared to have a deeper relationship in recent times, however Nathanos was killed by none aside from Tyrande following the Burning of Teldrassil in the course of the Battle for Azeroth enlargement. The longtime chief of the Horde, Thrall, has been married for a while now, however Aggra isn’t seen in recreation and would not play a serious position in world occasions. Two different distinguished Horde characters, the Blood Elf Lor’themar and the Nightborne Thalyssra, have been just lately married simply previous to the occasions of Dragonflight (as informed within the quick story The Vow Eternal launched in 2022), however their marriage ceremony occurred off-screen.
That actually solely leaves Malfurion and Tyrande on the subject of making WoW historical past. Even when the competitors for Azeroth’s best-couple was greater than slightly stacked of their favor, there is no denying Malfurion and Tyrande do not deserve the dignity. Followers have been invested of their love story ever since their first introduction in 2002’s Warcraft 3, and Dragonflight’s Seeds of Renewal replace lastly delivered on their romance in an enormous method.
As for what’s subsequent for WoW, Dragonflight will nonetheless obtain a number of updates within the months forward. Later this yr, The Battle Inside will introduce main new options like Warbands and Delves to the MMO, and mark the start of a trilogy of expansions Blizzard is looking The Worldsoul Saga.