Podcast
Lore Watch Podcast
Hosted by Blizzard Watch · EN
Every week the Lore Watch podcast explores the story and lore of Blizzard titles including World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, or any other games that interest us. Join us for an in-depth look at the evolving stories of the games we all love.
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14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The story of Diablo 4, through the end of Lord of Hatred
6d ago01:11:16Tap to summarizeDiablo 4 lore junkies are in for a treat this week as Matt and Joe run down a spoiler-filled recap and analysis of the story of the latest expansion, Lord of Hatred.Did I mention that it's spoiler filled? Because it's truly spoiler filled.From the shocking death in the opening cinematic Blizzard posted to the official YouTube channel, to the shocking death toward the end of the expansion, we discuss the implications of the events of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. We also run through some of the details, like the role of the prophecy from the start of the base game. Also, Zoltan Kulle? Sure, why not. Let's see what Zoltan Kulle has to say about it.If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Who is Astalor Bloodsworn, and what's the deal with Anguish?
2w ago01:02:13Tap to summarizeAstalor Bloodsworn is the character at the center of the Midnight expansion's Prey feature, but this isn't the first time we've seen him. Matt, Joe, and Eric discuss his history, which dates back to the release of The Burning Crusade 20 years ago. They're answering listener questions this week, and the next topics diverge from that pretty wildly, examining how the WoW timeline gets a little wobbly when we go revisit things from the past, like old zones. But certain things we revisit in the game, specifically Hemet Nesingwary's entourage, seem to be pointing toward something sinister. Then we come to Elune and the World Trees, and how we seem to keep finding the blood of either Old Gods or the planet itself.Put together, this week's episode seems a bit more into blood than a usual show, which isn't really a high bar.If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Millhouse Jerimus Manastorm and more, less important, World of Warcraft lore
3w ago01:04:42Tap to summarizeWe lead off the week with the history of the most important lore figure of all time to World of Warcraft: Millhouse Manastorm. From his incredibly auspicious beginnings to his even more auspicious middle, and the implausibly auspiciouser current machinations, Matt and Joe showcase this crucial figure in lore.What's after that is clearly less important, but eh, our listeners had some questions, so we might as well discuss them. There's a thing about the interplay between Xal'atath and Sylvanas, a little thing about the origins of the San'layn (those Blood Elf vampires near Arthas), and how portals affect narrative immersion, but all that is kind of whatever next to the magnificence of Millhouse Manastorm!If you want even more background story, we also have a guide to every Warcraft book in chronological order (for those of you who prefer reading that way).If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Connecting WoW's lore from the past to the future
4w ago01:06:13Tap to summarizeA lot of our travels as Lorewalkers seem to revolve around what events are happening in World of Warcraft, and Childrens' Week is no exception. As we cart these vulnerable children around to various areas of incredible peril, it re-showed us several spots around Azeroth that made us say, "oh yeah, what was up with that?" Our frequent listener and question-asked scribbleigh asked us several questions in this vein, ranging from the depths of Ironforge to the depths of escorting Marshall Windsor around Blackrock Depths. Really, nostalgia in WoW has a lot of depths to it. Plus, what do you think our former best buds are up to now? I should clarify that in this case I mean the Pandaren, because there are a lot of people we've kinda pulled that number on over the years.Then, we get a full tinfoil hat conjecture on the connection between Alndust and Kajamite and Azerite. It ends up with the moon, somehow. You'll just have to listen to connect those dots.If you want even more background story, we also have a guide to every Warcraft book in chronological order (for those of you who prefer reading that way).If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The destinies of Warcraft, from the Alliance High King to the Sunwell
Apr 2901:01:16Tap to summarizeIf you could choose a high king for the Alliance, who would you choose? Because who... is the high king of the Alliance right now, anyway? That's the first question on the docket this week. Joe, Matt, and Eric also discussed the races they'd like to see again, or more in-depth. 'Member Yrel, you guys? Then, to close it out: as a massive, glowing font of power, was The Sunwell just always destined to be a portal, eventually?We adore answering any and all questions you send in for us to tackle, and this week is no exception.If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Diablo buddy comedy of the new The Lost Horadrim novel
Apr 2201:14:39Tap to summarizeThis week, Joe, Matt, and special guest Liz Harper read the newly released Diablo novel The Lost Horadrim by Matthew Kirby, and are here to share their thoughts. This is where I'd make a joke about that new book smell, but it's Diablo so I don't want to think about smelling anything. In terms of time, the book is set between the events of Diablo 3 and Diablo 4, though this spans several decades worth of time. The three core characters in the novel are familiar to Diablo fans: Tyrael, Lorath, and Donan. And oh, the hijinks these three wacky guys get up to on the way to Skovos!The book serves to bridge the gaps, and flesh out characters we already know from Diablo while set against the setting for the next Diablo 4 expansion, Lord of Hatred. It explores how some of these characters might know each other and the places they're about to visit while on the hunt for Mephisto. Plus, any extra time with Tyrael is always a fun little romp. Ah, angels. What scheme will they come up with next time? Well, that's kind of what Lord of Hatred is going to explore. So if you want more Diablo lore, come stay awhile and listen.If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Midnight Elf-O-Rama
Apr 1501:09:49Tap to summarizeIs Midnight the Elf-centric team-up expansion of our dreams, or what? That's the listener question which serves as our jumping off point this week. And our cohosts conclude: Yes, mostly! Indeed, Midnight is the elf-o-rama we've always wanted -- nay, deserved. Matt, Joe, and Eric point out some of their shared elf-y foibles (must we always have a singular, vulnerable font of power that serves as both anchor and crutch?). Speaking of, is Silvermoon City just where all the elves are going to live now? And if so, how will that shake out if (when) the tensions between the Horde and Alliance inevitably boil over?Plus, where's Azshara at? Naga are basically wet elves, and if anyone has a score to settle with some jumped-up cutlery, it's her.If you want even more background story, we also have a guide to every Warcraft book in chronological order (for those of you who prefer reading that way).If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Narrative arcs from Classic WoW to Class Halls
Apr 801:02:29Tap to summarizeThis week's Lore Watch Podcast takes us back in the day, with a couple questions that ask about lore from the vanilla days.We start off talking arcs. The Alliance has a great arc involving the Defias in their initial starting zone, which evolves to involve Lady Prestor in the middle levels, all the way up to Onyxia at cap. The Lore Watch crew discuss the various threads of the Horde narrative that branch in similar ways throughout their leveling experience all the way on up.Then, we pivot to class quests of that same era, up through the Legion Order Hall quests. Some of them felt like a great, cohesive way to celebrate your class and give you a lot of lore about it, and others... less so. Joe, Matt, and Eric reminisce about their time playing their respective classes, and whether they prefer unique class touches -- even if they might be a little half-baked for certain classes.If you want even more background story, we also have a guide to every Warcraft book in chronological order (for those of you who prefer reading that way).If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Sam Kieth's impact and legacy in comics
Apr 101:04:38Tap to summarizeComic book artist Sam Kieth passed away earlier this month as a result of Lewy Body dementia, so our Lore Watch Podcast team wanted to take an episode to talk about his impact on the genre and pop culture as a whole. Both Sam Kieth's art style and plotlines shaped comics as we moved into a more grimdark take on the old heroes. Sam's comic The Maxx put him on the map, and his collaboration with now-notorious Neil Gaiman on The Sandman clinched his place in the pantheon of early 90s comics creators. And that was just the start of his career, which included a turn writing Batman, and later included a crossover with The Maxx as one of his final projects.Because Sam Kieth's comics deal with some heavy topics, this episode comes with a content warning for topics ranging from murder and gore to dissociative identity disorder and sexual assault. While we don't linger on these topics in-depth, they are present as a part of the discussion.If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The story of dragons in World of Warcraft
Mar 2501:01:49Tap to summarizeJoe, Matt, and Eric sat down this week to discuss the dragons of World of Warcraft, starting with their origins as proto-dragons, and all the way up through more modern politics. With many thanks for the great questions, we start off with proto-dragons: why do they call themselves that? Seems like they might call themselves "dragons" and come up with something new for those long-armed fellows. But then, this leads into the next question, because the past of the proto-dragons was described largely with Malygos as the narrator. This was written by Richard Knaak, so there's a lengthy bit of discussion on his turn at the writer's desk. But then, Alexstrasza winds up being the leader of the Dragonflights. So, what happened there?Then, speaking of diplomacy and jockeying for power, how are Lordaeron and Gilneas doing now? Calia is on the new Forsaken council, and Genn has sort of retired and let Tess lead the way, so how are the relations there going to shake out as we move forward into the future?If you want even more background story, we also have a guide to every Warcraft book in chronological order (for those of you who prefer reading that way).If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you can get these episodes early and ad-free! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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