Many people are shocked that we're going to Shadowlands because they're used to WoW being a "bright and cheerful" game. However, the game has always had a dark side, and the developers have said that they want to explore that more in Shadowlands. They've also said that they want to make the game more mature, and that includes making it darker. So, while it may be surprising to some people, it shouldn't be too much of a shock that we're heading to Shadowlands.
