Before you pick up your keyboard to comment, "Whoa there, Nelly," we'd just like to say: yep, the next expansion to the World of Warcraft just might be The Freezing Blockade. Jokes aside though, the new MPQ file you downloaded when you updated to the latest client build for the Public Test Realms includes some new content and they all point to the freezing region of Northrend.

Straight from the MMO Champion forums, there seems to be two things confirmed from the additional content sneaked in by the 2.1.0 patch: Howling Fjord and shields with the Northrend emblems. Howling Fjord is a region in south-eastern Northrend, the same place where Daggercap Bay is. If you remember your Warcraft lore well, you'd know that this bay served as the beach head for Arthas' 5,000 man expedition to seek out Mal'Ganis.

In the Fjord, the remnants of Arthas' expedition force had set up a frontier outpost known as Valgarde. It remains a stronghold for the Alliance in the freezing north. The second proof requires a model viewer to see not just one but several shields and swords in various colors that are consistent with one thing: the Northrend emblem encrested on the body of the shields.

We have yet to hear about any changes to the section reserved to Emerald Dream which is also speculated to appear as an expansion. If it remains that this content is far more improved, it looks like players will get to move up to sub-zero temperatures and traverse regions of snow to do battle against indigenous monsters. What's cookin' in Blizzard's kitchen? Methinks Frostwyrm, folks!