The Queue: What is even happening I don't even know

Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Matthew Rossi will be your host today.

Seriously.

I have no idea. I don't... I can't... what is happening? It's a corgi made of lava. They're actually calling it a Molten Corgi I can't even. Look at that. Am I to believe that this is Ragnaros' pet corgi? That after I killed him, his sweet little pet corgi was left an orphan? What is going on?

Let's just do some questions because I just don't know. This throws my entire concept of reality into question. Is the volcano dog somehow related to July 4th?

electresserin asks:
I haven't gotten into the beta yet, but it looks like the opening quests function as a "MEET THE CAST!" type experience. Do they bring in all of the major Draenor players?

All of them, no. You meet Vindicator Maraad (he steps through from our universe and is there from the start), Yrel and Exarch Maladaar. Once you get to Shadowmoon Valley you start meeting the rest of them, introduced by the three you met in Tanaan. Similarly, the Horde sees some significant classic orc figures (Drek'Thar, for example) and a lot of the Iron Horde make an appearance.

Just felt like listening to something that reminded me of home on home's birthday. Yes, I know it's a song by a Russian composed based on a French war and has nothing to do with the United States. I don't care. I was four when I saw this and I've never forgotten it. Back to the questions.

lackinganame asks:
Ok so first week of beta is coming up. What are you thoughts? How dose the game hold up to other expansions so far. (things will change of course I'm just asking about first week impressions.)

It's still very beta. Things don't work, random crashes, servers up and down. That said, I'm still crazy enamored of the Shadowmoon Valley experience. Frostfire's gotten some revamps recently, I'm planning on taking my tauren through soon and checking it out. Some of the random world objectives are really cool and interesting, others are just "Oh, hey, since you're here, kill some crap would'ja" and we could use less of that. But overall I really dig it so far. I'm really wanting to get out and explore the other zones.

Thawed asks:
I wonder what the future holds concerning portals to other worlds? I am almost certain we will see another world in the next expansion or two on our timeline and by the end of this expansion, we will see the Legion. Do we escape to another world? Does Bolvar come through to save us with his Scourge against Ner'zhul and his minions?

Let me put it to you this way - Gul'dan doesn't waste a lot of time making his presence known in the beta. You're not going to have to wait until the end of the expansion to run into the Burning Legion.

I'm not expecting Bolvar to show up, nor am I expecting us to run to another world at the end of Warlords, but the Legion's presence is felt early and often in Warlords, and they're not taking what happened lying down.

dimmak42 asks:
Q4TQ: I am currently working on the junkbox portion of the Insane title. With them "revamping" UBRS and LBRS do I need to scramble to complete this? There currently isn't a really good alternative since they revamped Hearthglen.

PS I really hope they leave the old instance in and just make the heroic version different.

As of right now, UBRS requires level 100 to zone into it, even on normal. LBRS, I have no idea - it doesn't give any message to a level 92 trying to zone in, it just plain doesn't do anything. I'd suggest that you kick it into gear if LBRS/UBRS are your primary means of gathering junkboxes.

Michael Blaker asks:
What's your favorite new model for existing lore figures? I'm not sure how I feel about Khadagar's new look personally.

Tossup between Maraad and Velen. I like Maraad in paladin Tier 9, but Velen just looks super awesome old-time mega bearded dude. I'm very fond of him.

That's the Queue for America's Birthday. Happy birthday, America.

Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer 'em!