World of Warcraft Adding Recolors of Rare Mounts, But There\'s a Catch

Summary

• The Blazing Royal Fire Hawk and Golden Ashes of Al’ar are exclusive Chinese WoW mounts, reimagined from the rare drops Pureblood Fire Hawk and Ashes of Al’ar.
• These new mounts will be available through specific promotions in WoW China starting January 15.
• The Blazing Royal Fire Hawk features auspicious clouds, while the Golden Ashes of Al’ar pays homage to Kael’thas Sunstrider.

World of Warcraft is introducing the Blazing Royal Fire Hawk and the Golden Ashes of Al’ar as rewards for two promotions exclusive to China. Although these mounts are not yet available in other regions, they are reimaginings of the Pureblood Fire Hawk and Ashes of Al’ar, two of the rarest raid boss drops in the game.

After a year-long hiatus, NetEase and Blizzard reestablished their partnership, allowing games like World of Warcraft, Diablo 4, and Overwatch 2 to return to China. To celebrate, World of Warcraft introduced several new features, including a Lightforged Gorehowl statue and the Xiao Liu pet with a teleportation function.

Now, WoW China is gearing up for another exciting promotion, featuring new versions of these rare mounts. The Blazing Royal Fire Hawk and Golden Ashes of Al’ar are recolored and reimagined versions of the Pureblood Fire Hawk and Ashes of Al’ar, respectively. These fiery avian mounts will be available through two parallel promotions in China starting January 15 and can be used in both modern and Classic WoW.

New Chinese World of Warcraft Promotion Mounts

• Blazing Royal Fire Hawk
• Golden Ashes of Al'ar

The Blazing Royal Fire Hawk, at first glance, resembles the Pureblood Fire Hawk, which is a rare drop from Ragnaros in the Firelands raid of WoW: Cataclysm. However, it distinguishes itself with xiangyun, or “auspicious clouds,” within its wings. These clouds symbolize peace, immortality, and good fortune and have been significant in Chinese culture for over 3000 years. The Golden Ashes of Al’ar, a gilded version of the Ashes of Al’ar, features a stylish black saddle and flavor text that echoes Kael’thas Sunstrider's iconic line: "The golden Al'ar, beloved pet of Kael'thas Sunstrider, proves that death is merely a setback."

The Blazing Royal Fire Hawk can be obtained through an event called the Treasure Workshop, though details about the event are currently limited. On the other hand, the Golden Ashes of Al’ar is available from Landro’s Loot Box, which costs ¥200, or approximately $27. Each box contains one of eight items, including other prestigious rewards like the X-51 Nether Rocket X-TREME and the Swift Spectral Tiger, a rare mount from the discontinued WoW Trading Card Game. Players can form teams when purchasing these loot boxes and earn additional crates upon reaching certain spending milestones.

Unlike the new Xiao Liu pet, there is no current indication that the Blazing Royal Fire Hawk or Golden Ashes of Al’ar will be released internationally, though it's not out of the question. For now, players outside China will have to appreciate these stunning mounts from a distance.