Datamining WoW: Forever: what the files can't tell you

What Blizzard said about the datamined mounts

In mid-October, dataminers pulled new mounts and cosmetic items out of the latest beta build. Gamefragger's list included a Spectral Wolf Pack mount, pets and an armour set. Many players read them as cash shop items on the way.

On 16 October, community manager Kaivax answered on the official forums: "A number of art assets were recently datamined in the latest Beta build of WoW Forever." The post goes on: "these assets are not intended for this version of World of Warcraft." Blizzard didn't say which assets it meant or where they will be used.

Why datamined files can mislead you

Associate Production Director Clay Stone came back to it on the official podcast on 22 October. The versions of World of Warcraft share a lot of art and code, so a datamine often turns up things meant for a different version, and players draw conclusions Blizzard never intended.

Stone said the team mostly watches at first. The community often corrects itself. Blizzard steps in with a quick statement when a conclusion starts to look settled, and Stone doesn't expect this to be the last time.

Treat a datamined asset as a file, not a feature. A model in the client tells you that art exists, not which game it's for, how you'll get it, or whether it costs money.

How Forever hides items until someone finds them

The opposite problem is newer. Forever is built to be unsolved, so much of its loot isn't readable in advance. Lead Encounter Designer Michael Nuthals described technology that keeps items hidden until a player actually finds them, and said even Nuthals doesn't know what Herod drops in Scarlet Monastery.

Lead Software Engineer Ana Resendez said the team studied what failed in past datamining leaks. Items are hidden differently from mounts and other assets, and the realmless design raised new questions, such as whether finding an item in one ruleset reveals it everywhere.

Recipes work the same way. On the 15 October episode, a designer said new recipes are hidden from the game client, and players will only learn where rare ones drop by finding them. Forever's first legendary was hidden in the same way, though dataminers still found clues.

Maps and secrets held back from the beta

Blizzard also kept places out of reach. Nuthals said the dungeon and raid team ran a preserving the surprise initiative: the map tab was held back, and players couldn't load into some dungeons or raids at all. Explorers on YouTube couldn't get into the hidden maps.

Some secrets were simply switched off. The Night Watchman's Torch was hidden for the beta's first week, and the developers say more things were never surfaced, some very well buried. Nuthals even teased homes and manors players have found, and instance portals tucked into inconspicuous spots, as groundwork for the future.

How to read a Forever datamine

A few rules keep you from planning around a leak:

Wowdee follows the same rules. A datamined fact stays in an article's Still to come list until Blizzard or the game confirms it, and Wowdee's Forever news covers patch, class and item changes that affect your characters.

1. Art isn't a feature. A model or icon can belong to another version of WoW.
2. Stats move between builds. Check the build number and date on any datamined item.
3. Absence proves nothing. Forever hides items and recipes until someone finds them.
4. Wait for Blizzard or the game. A forum post, patch note or in-game drop settles it.