Ezra Wheathoof is Thunder Bluff's newest Elder
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Jan 24th 2009 at 2:15PM
If you've already started in on your Elder visits, you may have noticed this, but it's worth pointing out for everyone. In a very touching tribute by Blizzard, the Tauren capital of Thunder Bluff has a new elder this year in the form of Ezra Wheathoof. The Wheathoof clan, as you may remember, is the creation of Ezra Chatterton, a young brain cancer sufferer who became a game designer for a day via Make A Wish.
The young fan, who captured the hearts of many a WoW player, and obviously the dev team itself, passed away late last year. In another nice touch, Elder Wheathoof also has a phoenix pet, a tribute to Ezra's character name, Ephoenix.
Putting in his character as a lasting part of Azeroth's history in the form of an Azerothian elder is certainly a fitting and sweet tribute for a boy who used WoW to connect and touch the lives of others even as his own life was fading away. It's also a nice reminder of the human side of playing World of Warcraft, and the connections we make that will never fade, no matter what.
[Thanks for the tip, Suite!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Cleddryk Jan 24th 2009 2:19PM
They might get patches wrong from time to time, but Blizzard gets things like this so right.
kozom Jan 24th 2009 2:47PM
you couldn't be more right^^. I would also like to point out his last name is wheathoof, after the quest he designed where you help ahab wheathoof find his dog.
Nathanyel Jan 24th 2009 6:54PM
Not that I was crying before (to hell with pvp) but if that's the reason the patch was pushed out a week early, I'm totally fine with it.
Zeldaguard Jan 24th 2009 2:20PM
gj @ blizzard, thanks!
Clevins Jan 24th 2009 2:21PM
Very nice. Cleddryk's right... we get caught up in patch issues etc that don't really matter in the real world... but things like this show real class from Blizzard. Nice job Blizz.
rilandune Jan 24th 2009 2:23PM
This is yet another touching tribute by Blizzard to this amazing young man! It's wonderful to see their continued effort to keep Ezra's legacy alive. His story was so emotional and moving, and this is wonderful, even so small, act to keep his memory alive!
Nindle Jan 24th 2009 2:24PM
I noticed this earlier and as an alliance after quickly getting the phoenix i was about to jump from the bluffs, that is untill i noticed the pet phoenix, i examined the name closer and remember the story of Ezra. That moment, all of the annoyances of 3.0.8 were nothing anymore, Blizzar did a great job and this new NPC sparked a lovely discussion in my guild.
Nindle Jan 24th 2009 2:31PM
After quickly getting the coin*
Michael Jan 24th 2009 2:47PM
Good on ya, Blizz.
Juan C. Flores Jan 24th 2009 2:37PM
Great job Blizz!! R.I.P. Ezra.
Eberron Jan 24th 2009 2:48PM
I wasn't going to bother with the quests for the Lunar Festival, but this one I will make an exception.
Kudos, Blizzard.
Soul Jan 24th 2009 2:39PM
A truly classy acknowledgement of Ezra's short life and the fun he had playing World Of Warcraft.Well done Blizzard and it's also nice to see that WoW players can take the time to appreciate more than just the epic loot they can get in-game...after all the game also has a huge social aspect to it as well.
Makes me proud to be a member of the WoW community :)
AfterbirthApple Jan 24th 2009 2:39PM
Awesome. This is why i love Blizzard. They hide jokes, make refrences to various movies and other video games, and now this. Blizzard rocks.
Rinnova Jan 24th 2009 2:52PM
RIP Ezra.
Props to Blizzard for doing this. Takes a lot to make me tear up but this did it.
Kadamon Jan 24th 2009 3:01PM
This has made my day infintly(sp) better.
I'd've never known about it if it wasn't for this post.
Shadowhaxor Jan 24th 2009 3:03PM
Good stuff Blizz, Good Stuff!
Elaka Jan 24th 2009 3:04PM
I had never heard about this story before, but I looked into it now and it's a very touching story. Good job blizzard, no doubt.
Nintai Jan 24th 2009 3:13PM
I personally think the run was the best tribute to him, but blizz doing this is great idea as well.
Vhalkirian Jan 24th 2009 3:18PM
That is an awesome thing to do!
Kajira Jan 24th 2009 3:35PM
Do you know that they don't donate charitably?