A hidden Wrath of the Lich King page

In the latest Blizzard newsletter there was a hidden link to a Wrath of the Lich King page that isn’t linked to anywhere on the main WotLK website. On this page there is a bunch of new art and screenshots as well as an in depth interview with the designers about what went into creating the first dungeon Utgarde Keep.

We expect most players to battle through this dungeon at a brisk pace. You will find that you will probably be able to play through Utgarde Keep much more quickly than its high-level counterparts, similar to Burning Crusade equivalents such as Hellfire Ramparts and Blood Furnace. Accessibility is a high priority, especially with the early dungeons, both in terms of location — the entrance portal is extremely close to the outskirts of the town — and in terms of how much time players need to invest in the dungeon. Along these lines, the overall difficulty of the dungeon is comparable to a first attempt at Ramparts in
Outland.

A bit on what they learned from The burning Crusade:

We learned some important lessons from The Burning Crusade’s starting area and dungeons, in terms of both what worked and what didn’t, and these lessons are reflected in Northrend. For example, there are two starting areas, each with its own dungeon, as opposed to The Burning Crusade’s single Hellfire Peninsula / Hellfire Citadel combo. The reasoning behind this is to provide a choice to the player — the area you decide to start in is where you will spend your early levels in Northrend. You can also decide to travel to the other starting area at any time, thanks to a free travel system between the zones of Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord, but most players will likely gravitate toward one area in order to complete the various quests there. Having two starting areas also adds to Wrath of the Lich King’s replayability — when it’s time to pick a starting area for an alt, you can pick the one that you didn’t play through the first time around.

It’s a very interesting preview of the dungeon and some of the new art looks amazing.