Bind on Forever

Dungeon · new in Forever · Gillijim's Isle, Stranglethorn Vale

Drowned City

  • 35-40 Blizzard's range
  • 1 Legacy point

The map of Stranglethorn Vale stands in, since the game files don't carry this dungeon's loading screen yet

New in Forever, in Gillijim's Isle, Stranglethorn Vale. Blizzard puts it at levels 35-40. Its maps and bosses are still encrypted in the game files, so only what Blizzard has posted and the kill counts the game keeps can be read so far.

Levels

Levels 35-40 in Blizzard's dungeon level table (2026-09-15).

What the developers said

Blizzard's developers on its podcast, panels and streams, newest first. Each line sums up what they said at that moment, and the badge says how it holds up against the game files.

  • Matches the files The Drowned City is a level 35-40 leveling dungeon. Demo characters are level 38. The streamers played at level 40.

    The files Blizzard's official nine-dungeon table (post 30052350): The Drowned City 35-40. Client: listed in 'Experienced Spelunker' (ach 62032), which the Legacy post describes as 'the final boss in all level 26 to 45 dungeons'; final-boss creature 260274. Its map row is encrypted (by elimination it is map 2970: MapDifficulty 5935/6342, lockout 43, no ContentTuning). Demo/streamer character levels are unverifiable.

    World of Warcraft, Sep 13 at 1:17:55

  • Partly New dungeon: the Drowned City, troll ruins risen from the sea off the Stranglethorn Vale coast (trolls, naga, crashed pirate ship); levels 35-40; playable in the BlizzCon demo.

    The files Official table: 35-40. Item text: 'the lost troll city of I'lalai the Drowned City' (270312); 'Voodoo-Infused Artifact... conflicting magics within the Drowned City' (270333). WMO area 'The Unsinkable' (142347) may be the crashed ship. The naga and the Stranglethorn location are not in client data.

    World of Warcraft, Sep 13 at 23:14

  • Partly The Drowned City is a brand-new location in WoW Forever and is playable in the BlizzCon demo.

    The files The Drowned City exists: achievement criteria 230770, WMO area 144590 'The Drowned City', items 270312/272124 'Translated Tale of I'lalai'. The BlizzCon demo detail is unverifiable.

    World of Warcraft, Sep 13 at 1:17:55

  • Partly The Drowned City is a troll city risen from the ocean floor, off Stranglethorn Vale's western coast.

    The files The Drowned City is a troll city: 'the lost troll city of I'lalai the Drowned City' (item 270312). Its position off Stranglethorn's west coast is not in client data.

    World of Warcraft, Sep 13 at 1:17:55

  • Partly The Drowned City comes from the Stranglethorn troll-tablet legends. The city (caption 'Ili') was ruled by a troll witch doctor (caption 'Minloth') who warred with the Elemental Plane of Water, lost, and the city sank. Both names are uncertain transcriptions.

    The files The city name resolves. Items 270312/270313/272124 'Translated Tale of I'lalai' describe 'the lost troll city of I'lalai the Drowned City', translated from tablets by Loremaster Dibbs (the Stranglethorn tablets NPC) and transcribed into Zandali by Kin'weelay, which confirms the Stranglethorn troll-tablet origin. The witch doctor ('Minloth') and the war with the Elemental Plane of Water are not in client data. Candidates (unconfirmed): a loa 'By'zaali' (pet 'Child of By'zaali', spell 'By'zaali's Favor') and WMO area 'Atal'Byzal' (142354).

    World of Warcraft, Sep 13 at 1:19:33

  • Not in the files The Drowned City extends the Vile Reef, the small murloc-filled underwater ruin off Stranglethorn.

    The files The Vile Reef (area 104, Stranglethorn) exists, but the Drowned City's AreaTable row (17037, referenced by WMO area 144590) is hidden, so the link can't be checked.

    World of Warcraft, Sep 13 at 1:19:33

What creators found, checked

From beta videos by bigger WoW creators. Each line sums up what the creator said at that moment of the video, and the badge says how it holds up against the game files.

  • Matches the files The Drowned City is a level 35-40 leveling dungeon. Demo characters are level 38. The streamers played at level 40.

    The files Blizzard's official nine-dungeon table (post 30052350): The Drowned City 35-40. Client: listed in 'Experienced Spelunker' (ach 62032), which the Legacy post describes as 'the final boss in all level 26 to 45 dungeons'; final-boss creature 260274. Its map row is encrypted (by elimination it is map 2970: MapDifficulty 5935/6342, lockout 43, no ContentTuning). Demo/streamer character levels are unverifiable.

    Esfand, Sep 13 at 12:07

  • Partly Drowned City loot seen in the demo included a weapon called 'Strike of the Hydra' and two-handers called 'Morbid Dawn' and 'Corpsemaker'. Boss loot was rare quality.

    The files These are vanilla items: Strike of the Hydra 6909 (blue, ilvl 31, req 26, hotfix cache), Corpsemaker 6687 (blue, req 29), Morbid Dawn 7689 (encrypted in Forever). Whether they drop in the Drowned City isn't in client data.

    Esfand, Sep 13 at 10:46

  • Partly Drowned City drops mail tank shoulders (+70 armor, 10 Sta, 9 Str) and a shield-like item with 'when struck in melee, 10% chance to steal 40 life from the attacker' (2993s).

    The files Shield proc confirmed: Maw of Min'loth 1295064 'When struck in melee combat, has a 10% chance of stealing 40 life from the target enemy', on shield item 274608 (encrypted). The mail tank shoulders (+70 armor, 10 Sta, 9 Str) weren't found.

    Sodapoppin, Sep 13 at 47:01

  • Partly Drowned City loot includes a Deep Fathom Ring with spell penetration (ignores some magical resistance), 'Leech Pants', and a necklace with up to +16 magic damage against undead. Some Drowned City mobs are undead.

    The files Deep Fathom Ring 6463: +1 Spell Penetration (shown as 'Spell Piercing' in Forever) +5 Spi +3 Sta. Leech Pants 6910: +5 Sta, +5 mp5, +5 SP, +5 hp5. The '+16 vs undead' effect exists as spell 1293190 'Increase Spell Dam Undead 16', but its item isn't readable. Drowned City sources and undead mobs can't be checked.

    Sodapoppin, Sep 13 at 24:48

  • Not in the files Drowned City has an underwater section where a mob casts fear. Soda was feared while his breath ran out, and the group wiped by drowning. There are air pockets elsewhere where you can breathe. Forever has a new breath bar UI.

    The files Drowned City is encrypted. No air-bubble or 'Oxygen' spell was found among new spells.

    Esfand, Sep 13 at 24:19 · Sodapoppin, Sep 13 at 1:13:33

  • Not in the files Drowned City: the shark is level 45 and swims in a sunken pool with elite fish around it. Players dropped down from a ledge to engage it.

    The files Creature levels are server-side. No shark is in the client Creature table and combat logs are empty.

    Xaryu, Sep 13 at 12:38

  • Not in the files Drowned City shark (level 45) one-shot the level 40 warrior tank on the pull, possibly with a tail swipe. Later attempts with Shield Wall also failed. The group wiped and ran out of the pool.

    The files Drowned City creatures are encrypted.

    Xaryu, Sep 13 at 16:45

  • Not in the files Drowned City: one boss hit a level 38 Ret Paladin for 757 and then 994. The group thought the fight needed a mechanic they did not know. The boss seemed bugged and kept retargeting everyone, so they skipped it.

    The files Drowned City (map 2970) is encrypted: no encounters, creatures or spells are readable. Damage numbers are combat events.

    Esfand, Sep 13 at 17:52

  • Not in the files Drowned City (BlizzCon demo, about level 38): an Arcane Mage pulled threat off a new tank right away and again and again. Trash 'hits hard', and Xaryu needed Polymorph and rank-1 Cone of Cold to survive pulls.

    The files Drowned City is encrypted; combat anecdote.

    Xaryu, Sep 12 at 7:24

  • Not in the files Drowned City (BlizzCon demo, level 38) trash packs cast fear that scatters the group into more packs. Savix's group nearly wiped repeatedly without Tremor Totem down.

    The files Drowned City is encrypted (only a CriteriaTree name in the client); trash mechanics can't be checked.

    Xaryu, Sep 12 at 20:48

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