World of Warcraft just launched its weirdest collab in 20 years

It’s been 40 minutes and you’ve only moved a few inches. The person behind you is ramming their fist into their horn and you’ve heard the same jingle on the radio a dozen times. Getting stuck in traffic is no fun, but with this new Waze option it might get a little easier to bear as you can drive with the dulcet tones of Thrall guiding your way. Yes, everyone’s favorite World of Warcraft shaman is coming to your car.

That’s not a sentence I expected to write but it’s 2024 and apparently anything can happen. Crowdsourced map app Waze and World of Warcraft have teamed up to give you the option to get your directions spoken to you by Thrall, voiced by legendary Blizzard designer Chris Metzen. I have to admit a serving of MMORPG when I’m driving is not first on my list of requests, but now I know about it I am tempted to give it a shot.

If you haven’t heard of Waze before then let us give you the wisdom of the ancestor spirits. This Google Maps alternative focuses on crowdsourcing information, with the ability to report roadworks, traffic, and even police to other users. In addition, you’ll see other Waze users driving jauntily around the map, albeit not in real-time for obvious security reasons. It comes complete with fully-voiced driving directions, which include options for Morgan Freeman, DJ Khaled, Colonel Sanders, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more.

Now that number includes Thrall, who’s apparently got over his immense sadness and is now ready to get back to doing what he does best – telling you how to get to McDonald’s. He will comment if you run into traffic, saying things like “breathe — this is not the end of the world,” and notice if you pull a U-turn by telling you that you performed “a clever strategy to fool any pursuers on our tail.”

Whether or not that will prove a distraction when you’re behind the wheel is up to you, but if you ever wanted to have Thrall whisper sweet directions in your ear, you can select him as an option right now. You can even change the “mood” of Waze to be either red or blue for horde and alliance, and update your vehicle so it displays as a red drake when on the map. You can read more about how to activate all this on the official Waze blog.

Of course, while Thrall is a novel addition to the concept of driving, all of us here at PCGamesN are really waiting for Sylvanas to lend her voice to our journeys. Waze, if you’re reading this – please get on it.

Should this all spur you to dive back into the game, our guide to the best WoW addons will ensure it’s set up just the way you like it, and our picks for the best single-player MMOs will keep you adventuring for a long time to come.

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