The Forbidden Reach, a World of Warcraft Dragonflight zone previously only accessible to freshly created Dracthyr Evokers, will soon become available to max-level characters, Blizzard confirmed yesterday. Although players knew that they’d be returning to the Forbidden Reach as early as last December, the context of their return journey had not been known until now.
In an upcoming patch, WoW players will return to the Forbidden Reach to “seek out and find answers about the Dracthyr Evokers and their history,” according to a developer update from Blizzard. The Forbidden Reach will be home to new enemies, events, and loot, as is tradition for any new max-level zone in WoW.
Players will begin their adventures on the Forbidden Reach at Morquet Islet, a small island off the west coast of the Forbidden Reach that will serve as the zone’s main questing hub. It’s from there that players will receive quests and objectives ahead of their adventures in the zone.
One of the adventures that players will go on during their time on the Forbidden Reach will revolve around Raszageth’s prison on the island. She was released from that prison during the Dracthyr starting experience by Kurog Grimtotem, and since her release, the surrounding area has been home to Primal Storms that players will be able to quell to earn gear and more Elemental Overflow.
The Zskera Vault and the Onyx Annulet
The main attraction for most players on the Forbidden Reach is going to be the Zskera Vault, an instanced locale that will be randomized with different enemies and loot each week, and is custom-tailored to your character.
The Zskera Vault will also be where players earn the Onyx Annulet, an unusual ring that can be filled with special gems called “Primordial Stones,” each of which have their own unique stats and effects. “Primordial Stones can be found as you discover treasures in the vaults,” Blizzard explained in its update. “Every combination provides new and interesting synergies between them allowing you to create interesting outcomes to aid you through the Forbidden Reach and beyond.”
Seasoned WoW players who played during Patch 8.2 may see the Onyx Annulet and compare it to the Mechagon Punchard mechanic that used to be in the game during the Battle for Azeroth expansion. Primordial Stones that get socketed into the Annulet can scale up to (and possibly through) item level 425, making it a strong catch-up mechanism for players looking to increase the item level of their characters. Furthermore, gems that get socketed into the Annulet do not get destroyed when they are replaced, making them different from traditional gems in WoW.
The return to Forbidden Reach does not yet have a confirmed release date, although the update should be expected to go live alongside all of the other changes in WoW Patch 10.0.7.
