New WoW Character Creation Options Are Coming Earlier Than Expected

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands introduced numerous new character creation options for many of the game's playable races, but a few, specifically the Horde's Nightborne and the Alliance's Light Forged Draenei, were left out. Now, thanks to what Blizzard is calling "passionate feedback" about the issue, new customization options will be coming sooner for those races than expected.

Back in February during BlizzConline, Blizzard said no additional character customizations would be coming until the game's unannounced next expansion. That will no longer be the case, with new options instead coming as part of Shadowlands' 9.1.5 patch.

The new options will include new hair styles, colors, facial hair, skin colors, horns, accessories, tail length, tattoos, and more. Void elves will be receiving more ear-size options, and there are plans for additional Druid travel forms and Night Fae soulshapes as well.

"Our characters in game are a virtual representation of who we are in Azeroth and having more character customization options to design our characters helps us feel closer to them," Blizzard writes in an official forum post announcing the new options.

More character creation options has long been a request of the game's community, who believe WoW's character creation suite is lacking when compared to other modern MMOs. Shadowlands made big strides in bridging some of that gap.

Blizzard says the game's High Mountain Tauren race is next in line for additional customization options. As for when any of these new options will be added, that's currently unknown. Shadowlands' patch 9.1, which brought a new dungeon, raid, and zone, released June 29, and there is currently no date for patch 9.1.5. Blizzard says to stay tuned for additional information.

As Blizzard looks to add more ways for players to express themselves in-game, the WoW team has also been hard at work removing "not appropriate" elements from the game in response to a state of California lawsuit that alleges Activision Blizzard is a hotbed for harassment and discrimination against women. A Burning Crusade Classic test realm has removed the ability to use the /spit emote on other players, and the WoW team has also removed in-game references to former WoW game director Alex Afrasiabi, who was named directly in the California lawsuit.