NetEase reveals new 49-foot Gorehowl statue in China
In honor of the renewed partnership with Blizzard China, NetEase has shared photos of the restoration of the iconic Gorehowl statue in China.
According to Warcraft China’s Weibo post, this 49-foot (15-meter length) Lightforged Gorehowl statue is available on display from July 4 to July 7, 2024, at Lujiazui Waterfront Park in Shanghai. From 10 AM to 10 PM, according to local time, every fan, including you, can visit this place and enjoy the sight of this masterpiece.
WoW China has also announced that players can closely examine the Lightforged Gorehowl and read the personalized messages engraved on the axe. Apparently, out of the 1.74 million messages submitted by returning players, Blizzard has not revealed how many engravings will be there.
Yet, the lucky players whose messages were chosen will be notified about where exactly their engraving is. Besides, there is a photo-taking challenge at the event site. If you complete it, you can snag an exclusive inflatable Gorehowl as a reward, limited to 5,000 per day.
Following the original axe’s footsteps, the Lightforged Gorehowl will be moved to the NetEase park after its public exhibition in honor of the renewed partnership. Initially, the company introduced the Gorehowl weapon with the release of the Warlords of Draenor expansion in 2014. However, WoW was shut down in China last year after the fallout of Blizzard and NetEase, which resulted in the public destruction of Blizzard’s office and said legendary Gorehowl.
In the WoW universe, the Gorehowl axe was once wielded by Grommash Hellscream, a legendary warrior and former Warsong Clan leader. Upon Grom’s demise, Thrall passed the axe to his son, Garrosh Hellscream, who used it before his mind got corrupted. Then, the orc abandoned the weapon he had inherited from his father and favored Xal’atoh, Desecrated Image of Gorehowl instead, a tainted copy created by the Ancient Gods.
Based on the foregoing events of Warcraft’s lore, what could the Lightforged prefix mean? Could Garrosh have had a different destiny in an alternate universe and started, for example, to serve the light without having his mind captured by the Ancient Gods? Could the new name and weapon design indicate that Blizzard may introduce a similar transmog in the future? Share your opinions in the comments!
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