Midnight might be the cure to World of Warcraft's biggest narrative problem

The fictional rivalry (and on-again, off-again war) between the Horde and Alliance has been going on for decades now, starting in Blizzard’s real time strategy games and evolving through twenty years of World of Warcraft. We’re at a point in the story where both factions are standing side by side in the ongoing fight against the Void, but they don’t quite feel equal. I’m excited about many of the features Blizzard has announced for the upcoming expansion Midnight, but there’s a huge opportunity to address a major misbalance – and the expansion’s hub provides the perfect excuse.

The one-two punch of the recent Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands expansions were packed with so many unpopular story decisions that the fanbase was in a near-constant furor. The crises of those expansions were calmed by Dragonflight and the start of the Worldsoul Saga in The War Within. Now, we’re fighting Void Lord Dimensius in the Ghosts of K’aresh patch, and I can’t help but ask myself: what the heck is going on with the Horde?

Battle for Azeroth began in 2018, and put the Horde firmly in the role of antagonists. The expansion begins with Sylvanas Windrunner, the new Warchief of the Horde, waging war on the Alliance. The Horde attacked Teldrassil, burning the elven city to the ground. The Alliance, enraged, responded.  In Shadowlands, it was revealed that Sylvanas’ true loyalties laid with a mysterious figure from the realm of death known as The Jailer. Both factions pursued Sylvanas into the Shadowlands, put her on trial, and have since done their best to forge a lasting peace.

The biggest problem the game faces now is that Blizzard doesn’t seem to know what to do with the Horde. Over the last few expansions, the story structure has found a comfortable formula: a handful of heroes from the World of Warcraft cast show up to guide the player base through an exotic new land or plumb the depths of Azeroth. Those heroes, however, often have a strong allegiance to the Alliance.

Check out the loading art for The War Within, for instance. Anduin Wrynn is a very nice young man, and he’s made friends with his colleagues in the Horde, but he’s also the King of Stormwind. He is an Alliance character through and through. Alleria Windrunner is married to Turaylon, Anduin’s current stand-in, and has had only limited contact with the blood elves on the Horde since her return to Azeroth. She and Umbric lead the Void Elves, an Alliance allied race.