WoW Forever players have been raising concerns about the game’s 24-hour day/night cycle, with some saying they barely saw daylight throughout the beta. Blizzard has addressed the issue in the latest episode of the official WoW Forever podcast, asking Oceanic (OCE) players whether they’d be comfortable with a potential change.
The discussion comes as players debate how the game should handle its day/night cycle, particularly for those playing in regions where the in-game time doesn’t match their local hours. While Blizzard has confirmed that separate regional cycles are technically possible, the developers are still weighing up the potential drawbacks.
Players Say They’re Missing Out on Daylight
One of the biggest complaints comes from OCE players, who often play during their local evenings while the game follows North American time. This means that when OCE players log in after work, their game is already deep into the night.
In a recent Reddit thread, one player explained that they had seen the sun only a handful of times throughout the entire beta. They argued that this was disappointing given how beautiful the game’s updated lighting looks during the day. Others have echoed these concerns, pointing out that players with fixed schedules can easily end up seeing the same time of day every time they log in.
Blizzard Explains Why Changing the Cycle Isn’t Simple
During the latest episode of the official WoW Forever podcast, the developers discussed a potential solution, which was giving Australian players a day/night cycle that follows their local time.
According to lead software engineer Ana Resendez, Blizzard has Australian server hardware that could support a separate regional cycle. The challenging part comes when players group up with friends in North America. WoW Forever uses a shared world system with layering, which means that the game needs to decide which world a player joins when they group with someone. If an Australian player moves into a North American player’s world, their in-game surroundings could suddenly switch from night to day.
Blizzard could introduce separate regional cycles, but Aggrend admitted that the change might be “too jarring for people”, which is why the developers are looking for community feedback before making a decision.
Could a Shorter Day/Night Cycle Be the Answer?
While the podcast focused on the possibility of separate regional cycles, players have suggested several other solutions. There’s no shortage of opinions, and each approach comes with its own trade-offs.
One popular idea is to shorten the day/night cycle so that players experience different lighting conditions even if they log in at the same time each day. Suggestions range from 20-hour cycles to much shorter rotations, allowing players to see more of Azeroth in daylight without needing to change their schedules.
Others would prefer to keep the existing 24-hour cycle intact, arguing that having the in-game world follow real-world time adds to the immersion. Some players have also suggested a personal visual setting that would let them change the time of day on their own screen without affecting other players.
Blizzard Wants to Hear From You!
Blizzard hasn’t announced any changes to WoW Forever’s day/night cycle just yet. The podcast discussion confirms that a separate cycle for Australian players is technically possible, but the developers are looking for community feedback before making a final decision. OCE players, in particular, have the opportunity to make their preferences known as the developers consider their options!
If you’d like to hear more about Blizzard’s stance on the day/night cycles in WoW Forever, then I’d recommend checking out the podcast episode below.
