WoW finally lets you ride a huge tree and it looks amazing

World of Warcraft’s new Chains of Domination update for the Shadowlands expansion adds an all-new mount which is a giant ancient tree that you can climb and walk on. To finish. This is probably my most anticipated part of the update (just kidding a little).

At BlizzConline, I spoke with WoW lead game designer Jeremy Feasel about this mount, including how it came about, why it’s so unique, and how it connects to the larger lore.

Blizzard launched a player survey a while ago asking fans what they would like to see from a new mount, allowing them to vote on what it would be. The idea was to work closely with the community in a new way to help players feel a greater sense of connection with Azeroth and the Warcraft universe. Some of the other options for the investigation included a giant book you could ride, a jelly kitty cat, a caterpillar, and a spooky spider.

The old wanderer was the most popular choice from afar, Said Feasel. “From afar, everywhere, climbing a giant tree won,” he said.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings are probably familiar with the great trees that walk with the Ents, but the Ancients are also a central part of Warcraft lore and of the Night Elves in particular.

“There’s this mythology of riding on top of a giant tree,” Feasel said of the portrayal of giant trees walking in media like The Lord of the Rings. “But also, the Night Elves have this long and vast tradition of ancient protectors and … it goes back to Warcraft 3. I feel like there is a sect of the player base that still has wanted to ride one of those things. They finally did it. “

The Wandering Ancient is one of the greatest mounts ever made in WoW, and as such, Feasel said players can expect him to feel truly unique in this regard. “It’s the mount to trample the landscape,” he said.

The Wandering Ancient is also unique in that it will change color with the seasons – check out the animated GIF above to see it in action. In addition, its special ability shakes the tree, and leaves of different colors will fall depending on the season. Feasel has stated that the Wander Ancient mount will also feature “unique little extra things” which will be announced later.

One of these surprises may have already been revealed. If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that one of the mount ideas that didn’t get enough votes – the caterpillar – actually has a house on top of the wandering ancient mount. The bug is positioned in a spot that appears to control the mount, which is a good idea.

As part of BlizzConline, the studio released an in-depth video for The Wandering Ancient in which developers from all disciplines explain how they brought the mount into the game from the very beginning to the final model. It’s an awesome video and it really shows how special and unique the frame is. Watch the video below.

The Ancient Wanderer isn’t the only new mount coming to Shadowlands in the Chains of Domination update. There will also be a series of new flying mounts, and you can see them below.

Chains of Domination is the first major update to Shadowlands since the expansion launched last year. It will include a new 10-boss raid, an eight-boss mega-dungeon that will have a hard mode, additional PvP content, maw changes, and more. On the story side, players will finally be able to fight Sylvanas, a battle that has been brewing for years.

We chatted with Feasel, as well as technical designer Frank Kowalkowski, about a range of other topics related to Shadowlands, Chains of Domination, and the wider universe of World of Warcraft. Check back soon with GameSpot for our full interview.

For now, you can check out some of BlizzConline’s best stories below, along with our roundup of all the big BlizzConline news: