The Drowned City: a dungeon you reach by diving, and a storm that tells the time

Most dungeons start at a door. The Drowned City starts underwater. Blizzard’s dungeon preview of 20 October lists it for levels 35 to 40, off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale, west of Grom’gol.

A city that came back up

Ancient troll ruins, long lost beneath the waves, have risen out of the ocean, and their newly exposed streets are open to explore. Trolls and naga roam them now. Nearby, a pirate ship appears to have met a very unfortunate end.

The preview names no bosses and does not explain what raised the city, or what sank the ship.

The approach is part of the dungeon

The preview gives one clear instruction: dive below the water to find the entrance. It does not say how deep the entrance is, how long the swim takes or what waits in the water. Do not assume a short swim.

A few practical questions follow, and they are worth asking before you set off rather than at the waterline:

• Does everyone in the group know where to dive in? The preview gives no coordinates, so agree on a meeting point first.
• What can your group do underwater? Check your classes’ abilities and consumables before you dive, rather than relying on memories of the original game.
• If someone dies, how do they get back? A corpse run through deep water is a different thing from one through a corridor.

Weather as a countdown

Once inside, the Drowned City is an open-air dungeon, and its weather changes around you. Mist and rain build into a full storm before the final confrontation.

The preview does not say whether the storm affects combat or is only atmosphere. Either way, the sky works as a progress marker: when the rain becomes a full storm, the final confrontation is close.