World of Warcraft Shadowlands patch 9.0 has appeared on Blizzard’s vendor content delivery network.

　　As covered last month, Blizzard rolled recently out a new encrypted World of Warcraft Shadowlands Build, and yesterday, another encrypted version of Shadowlands, build 9.0.1.33556, was shipped. In addition to shipping these encrypted builds, the World of Warcraft Vendor CDN has now also been updated. As spotted by website Wowhead, the Vendor CDN has now been updated from Battle for Azeroth patch 8.3 to World of Warcraft Shadowlands patch 9.0, hinting at a possible release of the Shadowlands Alpha on the Public Test Realm (PTR).

　　Looking at previous Blizzard’s previous vendor updates, it’s likely that Shadowlands patch 9.0 will go live on the PTR in the coming weeks.

　　Blizzard officially announced the next World of Warcraft expansion, Shadowlands, during BlizzCon 2019. The expansion will focus on the “beyond” and will introduce players to 5 new zones, the new Covenants feature, the infinite dungeon and more.

　　“Shadowlands is taking us somewhere we’ve never dreamed of going in the Warcraft universe, and that’s incredibly exciting,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment, during BlizzCon 2019. “We can’t wait to explore the great beyond, catch up with old departed friends, and forge an epic new chapter in the Warcraft saga together with our players.”

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Features

　　Explore the Realm of the Dead: For the first time ever in World of Warcraft, players will cross into the Shadowlands and experience the wonders and horrors of the afterlife across five new zones—the gleaming fields of Bastion, the scarred battlefields of Maldraxxus, the eternal twilight of Ardenweald, the opulent keeps of Revendreth, and the horrific Maw.Claim a Covenant’s Power: Players will be called upon to forge a bond with one of four Covenants that rule Shadowlands’ new zones, setting the tone for their journey through the expansion with a full Covenant Campaign. As they level up, they’ll get new abilities based on their choice, including class-specific abilities for each Covenant—as well as developing Soulbinds with specific Covenant members, which grant them access to that character’s specific traits and bonuses.Ascend the Tower of the Damned: At the heart of the Maw lies Torghast, Tower of the Damned, a cursed otherworldly prison where the wickedest souls in the universe are locked away. Highly replayable and inspired by roguelike games, heroes are invited to explore its ever-changing halls and chambers and do battle with the minions of the Jailer, Torghast’s vile ruler. Those who brave its trials can claim legendary treasures and help free the heroic spirits wrongfully trapped within.Every Level Is Meaningful: Shadowlands will introduce a new leveling system, meant to provide a meaningful sense of advancement with every level achieved. Current max-level characters will begin Shadowlands at level 50 and work toward the new level cap of 60.A New Army of the Dead Rises: To combat Sylvanas’ assault on Icecrown, Bolvar Fordragon— the revered former paladin who took on the mantle of Lich King to keep the Scourge at bay—has raised heroes from among all the peoples of Azeroth to bolster the Death Knights of Acherus. With Shadowlands, pandaren and all allied races will now be able to become Death Knights.Improved Character Customization Options: A host of new appearance options for all races will be made available to players when they create new World of Warcraft characters (or alter existing ones at the in-game barber shop).The World of Warcraft Shadowlands expansion is releasing later this year.