Summary
NetEase has officially revealed Lightforged Gorehowl, a massive newWorld of Warcraftstatue to commemorate the renewed partnership with Blizzard. Equipped with golden backlights and engraved with messages from returning ChineseWorld of Warcraftplayers, this new Gorehowl is a literal glow-up compared to its predecessor.
In late 2022 into early 2023,NetEase and Blizzard had a falling outafter their many years of partnership, culminating in the destruction of Blizzard’s Chinese offices, including the massive Gorehowl statue it had constructed to commemorateWorld of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor. Then, in April 2024, Blizzard and NetEase announced a renewal of their agreement, expected to go into effect before the end of the year.
However, rather than burying the hatchet, NetEase built a brand-new one. The Lightforged Gorehowl statue is a brilliant sculpture that renders the iconicWorld of Warcraftaxe in a never-before-seen way. Nearly 50 feet long, the radiant weapon features glowing lights, as well as heartfelt messages from ChineseWorld of Warcraftplayers. According to theofficial announcement byWoWChina on Weibo, the statue will be on display in Lujiazui Waterfront Park in Shanghai until July 7, after which it will be relocated to the NetEase office park, but Wowhead shared several images for fans unable to see the exhibit in person.
NetEase’s New Gorehowl World of Warcraft Statue
Chinese players lucky enough to have had their words engraved upon the axe will receive word on the exact placement of the message. Fans who make it to see the public exhibition each day can also complete a photography quest to receive an inflatable Lightforged Gorehowl replica, though the charming souvenir is limited to the first 5,000 visitors each day. Either way,NetEase hopes to bring Blizzard games back to its customersover the course of the next several months.
Fans were overjoyed to see this incredibleWorld of Warcraftstatue. Afterover a year of being unable to playWoW,Overwatch 2, andDiablo 4, the Chinese Blizzard community can’t wait to catch up on everything they missed – and their fellow players across the globe are glad they can finally get back to the games they love.
That said, the new Lightforged Gorehowl statue could actually have deeper implications for the lore ofWorld of Warcraft. During the Mag’har Allied Race recruitment scenario inBattle for Azeroth, Grom Hellscream, wielder of Gorehowl, was defeated by Yrel and her Lightbound army. With the Worldsoul Saga’s focus on the battle between the Light andthe Void inWorld of Warcraft, some players are wondering if the Lightforged version of the iconic weapon could return in the future, either in the hands of Yrel, or a Lightbound Grom or Garrosh. Fans will have to wait and see if this statue is a teaser for future content, or just an awesome piece of art.
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World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It’s one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.
