We know that you are probably as tired of hearing about new encrypted builds for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands as we are of having nothing else to preview. (It’s a notable title, after all.) But there’s a sign that this is changing, as the game’s beta client is no longer deprecated in the Battle.net launcher. This is significant, as it’s a sign that all of the encrypted alphas are starting to move toward an actual beta of some kind, albeit with limited access.
For those of you who have never taken part in a beta test for a WoW expansion, some explanation is in order. Installing the beta requires installing a new version of the client on your computer, much like how WoW Classic is a separate installation from the retail game. So long as that particular “product” is deprecated, no one can install it whether flagged or not; however, making it active again is an indicator that the designers expect players to be able to install and use the option when appropriately flagged in the near future. It may be this week or next when people can finally start exploring the next expansion in a more comprehensive format.
