Blizzard Introduces Functional Torch in WoW: Forever, and I Journeyed Across Azeroth to Experience It

I embarked on an epic quest today.

It was a lengthy and perilous journey, plunging deep into enemy territory. I encountered fearsome monsters and faced daunting challenges, all for one coveted prize:

A torch.

Players have recently unearthed a highly sought-after item in World of Warcraft: Forever: the Night Watchman’s Torch. This “toy” item allows your character to wield a light-emitting torch while still keeping a weapon equipped.

And players are loving it:

So, why is this such a game-changer? For starters, World of Warcraft has never featured a toy like this before, nor has there been a functional torch in any version of the game. While there are weapons that resemble torches or emit light, none actually illuminate the surroundings like this one does, effectively brightening dark areas. Although it hasn’t been essential in World of Warcraft—since the game isn’t typically dark enough to require such light sources—WoW: Forever changes that. The enhanced lighting effects create a mix of bright and shadowy areas, adding a sense of mystery and adventure. Holding a torch, as demonstrated in the video, significantly enhances the atmosphere, aligning perfectly with the creative vision of the team behind WoW: Forever.

Naturally, I wanted one for myself.

I set out to snag a torch today, hoping to capture some great screenshots along the way. After checking its location, I found out it’s on a corpse in Duskwood, which, for those unfamiliar, is located at the southern end of the Eastern Kingdoms, just south of Stormwind. Yikes.

I primarily play Horde, so it would have been simpler to create a throwaway Alliance character and corpse-run my way to Duskwood for the torch. But for some inexplicable reason, I decided that today—on the day of a massive maintenance patch that would take hours—I wanted to obtain this torch using one of my main Horde characters in the beta.

Duskwood is a zone meant for characters around level 20, and I didn’t have one. No one did. The beta capped everyone at level 20 until the big update raised it to 30, but at the time, Duskwood was a risky area for anyone. My highest-level character was my Skyborne Elf at level 14, inconveniently located in Mulgore, which wasn’t the farthest zone from Duskwood, but definitely not ideal.

As a shaman, I wasn’t high enough to have Ghost Wolf yet, and no one had mounts. I hadn’t even ventured to the Eastern Kingdoms, so I had no flight paths. This meant I’d be walking across multiple zones in Kalimdor, taking a Zeppelin to the Eastern Kingdoms, and then trekking across the continent while dodging high-level enemies and Alliance guards.

What better adventure to undertake in an old-school beta?

So here I am in Mulgore! I’m not entirely sure where I am in Mulgore, but I seem to be in a newly designated area for the Skyborne Elves. This must be where the zeppelin dropped me off after completing the Skyborne questline in Valanaar. Alright then.

I need to catch a zeppelin from Orgrimmar to Undercity to kick off my journey across the Eastern Kingdoms. Luckily, Mulgore and Durotar are adjacent, so this shouldn’t take long. I’ll just head east down this road, and I’ll surely—

Wait. This is the Barrens, not Durotar. I had to cut through a small section of Stonetalon Mountains, and now I’m here. Still, it’s fine. The Barrens is a straightforward zone in the old world and not far from Durotar. If I stick to the main road and head north, I’ll get there in no time.

I’ve made it to The Crossroads, the go-to stop for questing in Kalimdor! I swung by to grab the flight path for an easy return later and discovered I already had the path to Orgrimmar unlocked! No need to walk the rest of the way to the capital! I hopped on and zipped over the Barrens into Durotar.

I landed in Orgrimmar. The zeppelin is outside the city walls, so I made my way through the main square and gate, taking a moment to soak in the atmosphere:

The zeppelin is packed, and everyone is chatting excitedly. This is a blast! I can’t remember the last time I was in such a big crowd in WoW—maybe during an expansion launch.

As we approach Tirisfal Glades, everyone starts daring each other to jump off. We Skyborne Elves, with our floaty ability, leap first, followed by the rest. Soon, a massive crowd is rushing toward the Lordaeron gates. I don’t join them; I have places to be.

I’ve got a long way to go, but I take a moment to appreciate the stunning atmosphere of Tirisfal Glades. The lighting enhancements truly elevate the ambiance. It’s eerie here!

I’m the little arrow on the map. You see the green highlighted area, second from the bottom? That’s our destination.

You’d think the most direct route would be around the lake to the east, but I’ve quested here before and know better. East leads to the Plaguelands, and I wouldn’t last a second there. Instead, we’ll go around the lake to the west through Silverpine Forest:

I make a quick stop at The Sepulcher to grab the flight path, then continue south until I start seeing autumn leaves and enter the Hillsbrad Foothills. This is where things get tricky.

Hillsbrad is a higher-level zone, and there are monsters here that can take me down. If I stick to the road, they usually won’t bother me, but a few might stray close enough to aggro me if I’m not careful. I do get hit by a couple of spiders when I stop in Tarren Mill for the flight path, but I manage to outrun them before they can finish me off.

After narrowly escaping a bear, I see the wall ahead and cross into Arathi Highlands.

Now we’re entering truly dangerous territory. There are fewer players on the road here, and most are heading the opposite way. I’m also starting to spot more Alliance players. Since I’m on a PvE server, that’s not an immediate concern, but there are other threats…

Damn spiders. Thankfully, the graveyard isn’t too far away. I reach my corpse and am back on the road in no time.

Next up is the Wetlands, which is mostly uneventful. However, I’m nearing the edge of familiar territory. As I mentioned, I primarily play Horde. I think I leveled a Gnome once, so I have a vague memory of some zones ahead, but I’ve never been to the Wetlands or its neighboring areas. I see a signpost with five different locations listed, and I’m unsure whether to head east or west to keep moving south. I end up choosing the eastern path into Loch Modan, which turns out to be a poor choice:

I take a quick break in the tunnel to grab a snack away from my desk, and as I return, something catches my eye. A light! A moving light! Hey! What’s that guy running by me carrying? Is that the torch?!

Indeed, it is! How awesome! The light dances off the walls as he runs past, casting a beautiful glow that slowly fades as he disappears into the distance. I finish my sandwich and follow him after a moment. Soon, that will be me!

Right?

Okay, so a couple of unfortunate things are happening simultaneously. First, Loch Modan is primarily Alliance territory, filled with high-level guards that can take me out in one hit. And now, I’m dead. Second, since I was attacked by a guard, I’m flagged for PvP, which I’d rather avoid, as it means other players flagged for PvP can attack me until the flag wears off.

Third, as you can see in the chat box, the server is set to shut down in 15…14 minutes. I ask in chat if they think I can make it to Duskwood, and “Banick Truthseeker” responds, “how fast can you run?”

Probably not fast enough. But we’re going to give it a shot.

The one silver lining is that the Spirit Healer I’ve respawned at is right in the center of Loch Modan. If I’m willing to take Resurrection Sickness—a debilitating debuff that makes me completely useless in combat for ten minutes—I can spawn here and skip all those guards I was struggling with, saving a few minutes of running time. Great. Let’s do this:

Oh no.

Crap.

It takes me about six or seven corpse runs and a lot of wasted time, but I finally make it into the tunnel leading to…Searing Gorge. Fantastic. There really weren’t any good options here. I initially planned to reach Duskwood via Dun Morogh and Elwynn Forest, but those are both Alliance starting zones likely swarming with high-level guards. Searing Gorge is a different nightmare of high-level foes, but at least it won’t flag me for PvP and will mostly keep me off the roads.

(Some hunter has put a Hunter’s Mark on me for a laugh, I guess.)

I find myself stuck at the gate to Searing Gorge. It’s locked and requires a key. I nearly lose it. I turn around and head back, frantically trying to devise a better plan that doesn’t involve running back through all those Alliance players. I don’t have one.

Which is fine because this side is now locked too, and I’m…trapped in the tunnel?!

I rush back to the other side, trying to remember how I got in here in the first place, and a friendly Night Elf on the other side tells me in Darnassian—something I can understand as a Skyborne—that the beta has a convenient lever right next to the door that I can pull to get in without a key. Brilliant.

Searing Gorge!

But it’s not meant to be.

Here’s where I was when the server shut down yesterday.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to play again yesterday. But I will continue this journey and hopefully get my torch. I just wanted to share this ridiculous trek with you because of how much fun I inadvertently had today just trying to obtain a silly toy. Travel in modern WoW is a very different experience. You can fly everywhere, everything has portals to other locations, mount speeds are incredibly fast, and there’s virtually no friction unless you’re trying to reach a specific spot in the old world with limited travel options. Even then, it only takes a few minutes. This kind of long, treacherous run across the world, fending off high-level monsters and enemy players, is something that has faded from the game over time, and it’s exactly what I want from World of Warcraft: Forever.

I will get my torch. And when the game launches, I’ll likely make this ridiculous run to get a torch on my main character, who I can assure you will not be starting the game anywhere near Duskwood.

I’ll probably aim to be at a higher level first.