14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard has delivered the 3.3 patch for its World of Warcraft MMO and its biggest addition to the game has been the Icecrown Citadel, the place where the Lich King resides. A lot of players have been wondering what the developers are planning to do to keep the experience fresh until the next expansion, Cataclysm, arrives and the answer seems to be rather simple: Blizzard will keep players from getting access to much of the Icecrown areas for quite some time.
As long time fans quickly discovered when the 3.3 patch went live, at the moment, the parties are only allowed to fight their way to the entrance into the Icecrown Citadel, facing Deathbringer, one of the most capable Death Knight fighters that Arthas employs.
If they try to proceed further, a friendly non-player character will tell them that it will be another month until the next area is opened up. If the same pace is kept up after the first new area is offered, then the Lich King himself will only be opened up for players at some point in April 2010.
The various fan sites watching the developments in World of Warcraft are saying that Frostwing Halls will be the next area to be delivered, then the Plagueworks and then the Crimson Hall. Only after that will the Frozen Throne itself be accessible and only then Arthas the Lich King and his party will be defeated by eager players. Of course, Blizzard might actually choose to deliver content quicker, especially if players make their preferences known clearly in the official forums.
Blizzard is set to introduce huge changes in Cataclysm, which does not yet have a release date. The return of Deathwing will trigger massive changes in the very layout of the in-game world and two new races will be introduced.