What we know about the Gilneas Reclamation questline in WoW patch 10.2.5

Dragonflight patch 10.2.5 is now live and part of this patch’s content is a set of epilogue quests to close out the Dragonflight story while beginning to set the stage for the next World of Warcraft expansion, The War Within, coming later this year. One of the questlines in patch 10.2.5 focuses on the future of the Gilneans, one of the core Alliance factions, and their return to their homeland. 

Want to know more about patch 10.2.5? Check out our guide to all of the major features in Dragonflight patch 10.2.5: Seeds of Renewal!

We’re entering spoiler territory so for those of you who want to experience this questline fresh, turn back now.

Otherwise, let’s look at what to expect from the Gilneas Reclamation questline in patch 10.2.5!

Gilneas lore leading up to patch 10.2.5

The kingdom of Gilneas — specifically the Greymane Wall — has been in WoW since the very beginning, but you couldn’t get through the wall unless you glitched your way through. Gilneas and Worgens became accessible to players during the Cataclysm expansion. The starting zone quests for Worgen characters introduces the player to Genn Greymane, the king of Gilneas, and deals with the simultaneous spread of the Worgen curse throughout the Gilnean population, the seismic destruction of Gilneas caused by Deathwing’s awakening, and the assault of the Forsaken on Gilneas. The Forsaken succeed in expelling the Gilneans from their home and occupied Gilneas while the Gilneans seek refuge with the Night Elves, making their temporary home in Darnassus and rejoining the Alliance.

The Gilneans were rendered homeless once again during the War of Thorns when Sylvanas Windrunner and her forces burned Teldrassil before the start of Battle for Azeroth. When the Alliance launched an attack on Lordaeron at the beginning of BfA, they succeeded in driving the Horde from the city but the surrounding lands, including Gilneas, remained largely unoccupied due to the lingering effects of the Forsaken Blight. It remained this way until Shadowlands patch 9.2.5 where players assist in the removal of the blight during the Return to Lordaeron questline. Since Alliance players are sent on this quest by Genn, Calia sends a letter informing the Gilnean king that the newly formed Desolate Council will remove Forsaken forces from Gilneas as a gesture of thanks and goodwill, paving the way for the Gilneans to return to their homeland.

What we know so far about the Gilneas Reclamation questline

Originally, the patch 10.2.5 description teased that Gilneas “isn’t as empty as expected” but to get started with the questline, players will report to Genn Greymane in Stormwind or Calia Menethil in Silverpine Forest for the opening quest, To Gilneas. Thanks to WoW achievement data, we can see tall the details of Gilneas Reclamation questline which points to the Scarlet Crusade — a faction of religious zealots focused on destroying all undead including the Forsaken — taking up residence in Gilneas. We’ll leave the major details out so you can experience this quest for yourself but the quests will have you pushing back and destroying everything the Scarlet Crusade have tried to build in Gilneas and then witnessing conversation between different the Greymanes, Lillian Voss, and Calia. After it’s all said and done, you’ll receive a neat transmog set and a new mount as rewards for helping the Gilneans.

This isn’t the Scarlet Crusade’s first time in the area. In patch 10.1.7, they were attempting to increase their presence in Tirisfal Glades during the Forsaken heritage armor questline. Prior to appearing patch 10.1.7, we know that the Crusade started circulating propaganda during BfA patch 8.1.5 in an effort to smear Anduin Wrynn as a traitor and the reason for Calia’s death and un-death. The Crusade further promises to kill both and return Lordaeron to glory under the banner of Calia’s alleged child, a descendant of both Menethil and Arathi lines.

Whether this is true or not, given the Arathi’s importance in The War Within, this could be the first breadcrumb of story set up for the next expansion. Experience the Gilneas Reclamation story for yourself now and everything else patch 10.2.5 has to offer!

Originally published on January 8, 2024. Updated on January 16, 2024.