World of Warcraft's new Blood Elf look revealed

Blizzard has showcased the new look of the soon-to-be-upgraded Blood Elf. Which is a little awkward, really, given that many of the other character models are already in the game as part of the now-released Warlords of Draenor.

"We’re aware that it’s not ideal to see a mix of older player character models next to newer player character models," admits the Blizzard blog post, "especially when you happen to be a player of the Blood Elf variety."

"The Horde has classically been about brutes, blood, and thunder," writes senior artist Dusty Nolting. "The Blood Elves bring a bit of subtlety to the Horde, and I think that was one of the most important aspects of the Blood Elves to maintain. For the female specifically, something we did often was move things around in small but deliberate increments, to make sure everything was just right. It’s the delicate details like her nose shape or fingertips that represent the most challenging parts of upgrading the female."

"The male Blood Elf already has a lot of character with his easily recognizable pose and stylish hair," writes senior artist Joe Keller. "Our update just gives us a chance to define and focus on that. His anatomy, facial features, and hair will all get an update while still maintaining his iconic look, bringing him to the level of the other new character models."

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.