If there's anything Mists of Pandaria needs more of, it's monkey knife fights. At least that's my rudimentary judgment of the World of Warcraft expansion that isn't even out yet. A slew of new information has been released regarding some of what you can expect from the expansion. Additionally, the newest video from Blizzard takes you through the Valley of the Four Winds, a tranquil plain that looks equal parts Hobbiton as it does feudal Japan.
For one, art depicting female Pandarians has finally been released, so there's that. The race will be faction-less until level 10 when players will decide between Horde and Alliance. Speaking of the two factions, instead of introducing another central villain, Mists will focus on the war between the two groups. Remember how Chris Metzen said the villain in this expansion would be "war itself"? Check out the video and remaining information after the jump.
For one, here's that concept art of a female Pandarian:
The Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines are two new 10v10 multiplayer arenas in the expansion. Additionally, there are seven new zones to explore in Pandaria. Aside from these areas, which I'll dive into in a second, there's a home for Pandarians who are between level 1 and 10 to occupy while they decide which faction to join. This area just so happens to be located atop a giant turtle. Let's get to those seven zones, shall we?
The Jade Forest houses the Temple of the Serpent and will only be accessible to players level 85 and above. You can either befriend the jinyu fish-people as Alliance or join the hozen, the knife-wielding monkeys from the trailer. Once this is done, you cause a war that awakens an ancient evil the Pandaren emperor had trapped there.
The Valley of the Four Winds, detailed in the embedded video below, hosts a farmer's market and lush, tranquil meadows you can explore at your leisure.
In the Townlong Steppes, an enormous wall blocks off a swarm of insidious insects hell-bent on consuming everything in its path.
The Krasarang Wilds host an ancient race called the Moghuu.While they were once lords of this land, they've since been overthrown and they're none too happy about it. Expect to clash with these folks often.
The Dread Wastes are exactly what the name implies: Places that once thrived with life until that horror awakened from the Temple of the Serpent and scorched the land and flooded its swamps. The mantid queen is the source of all this sorrow and it'll be up to you to hunt her down and do her in.
The Vale of Eternal Blossoms is where you can go to relax, hang out in your faction's temple and gawk at the enormous statues of revered Moghuu. This is also where Level 9o players get regular daily quests to feed that WoW hunger.