First introduced in the Cataclysm expansion of World of Wacraft, archaeology is a profession that hasn’t seen much activity from Blizzard in the past few years. Players have been curious if there will be any update to the skill in Shadowlands, especially after it stayed untouched in Battle for Azeroth. Right now, the future is uncertain.
When questioned about the fate of archaeology, Shadowlands production director Patrick Dawson told French publication JudgeHype that no updates should be expected to the profession for new content introduced in Shadowlands. While this doesn’t sound promising for the future of archaeology, it makes logical sense when you consider the origins of the profession.
Archaeology studies the ancient races in Azeroth, like the Draenei. There wouldn’t be a lot to excavate in an entirely different realm like those in the Shadowlands, so it’s understandable why we might not see anything new when it comes to fossils and ancient relics.
However, don’t lose hope. Although archaeology will not be receiving any updates, there are no plans to abandon the profession either. Archaeology, right now, will not be sharing the fate of First Aid, and it’s here to stay, along with Inscription and Jewelcrafting. Depending on player feedback, there could still be plans for archaeology in future expansions after Shadowlands has aged a bit.
