Blizzard is committed to excellence

In a blog post that announced the delay director of production John Hight said it wasn't an easy choice to make but it was a necessity to allow for expansion as well as for WoTLK Classic Gold players. Hight added that the extra time for development will enable the team to bring additional quality to Shadowlands the game's final. A pre-patch generally is released about a month prior to when the release of a new expansion. This hadn't happened yet which led some players to believe that it was being moved further back, before it was officially announced.

"As things started to come together and we've been listening and building on your feedback It's now clear that we'll need some time to polish the game and also to refine and balance on interlocking pieces, particularly those that are related to the game's endgame," Hight said. "Shadowlands is among the most complex expansions we've ever created. While we've made significant advancements, the task of adjusting the game's endgame was made more difficult by the fact that our team is working at home.

"Blizzard is committed to excellence. We are convinced that Shadowlands will be a truly unique experience We've received feedback from many of you who believe the similar. We're taking this time to make sure that Shadowlands is able to live up to its potential to the fullest."

Despite the delay, the studio is still planning to release the Shadowlands pre-patch on the 13th of October. The update will lay the groundwork for the expansion with buy WoTLK Gold, complete with a new character leveling system, a new player experience in Exile's Reach and a plethora of other character customization options.