Just give them every skin tone option known to man!
And all colours too. I’ve always wanted to play as a rainbow coloured draenei.
Already looking forward to role-playing as a parody of Hikaru Sulu from Star Trek.
10/10 Blizz
Adding darker skin tones to a race that previously didn’t have it, without any lore explanation carries the implication that they always existed.
Now, if they always existed, we either just never saw them before (why?) or we did see them, they just used different “placeholder” models (current skin tones).
The latter explanation makes the most sense, and the implication would extend to major NPCs - that they were using “placeholder” skintones.
Otherwise, we’re left with a society of elves, where elves with darker skin tones always existed, but no one with a darker skin tone ever managed to rise to prominence, and honestly, the implications of that are far worse, than tuning the skin tone of a few NPCs…
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On the one hand, I get where you’re coming from, on the other hand this could really be used to develop new characters/heroes for the various factions.
Heck, they could just say that the new character was, up until this point, working behind the scenes or still training before being thrust into their current role, especially with gnomes and elves that could make sense since like 80-90% of their race died.
But I guess this kinda like the earlier discussion and we’ll have to agree to disagree?
Please for the love of all gods no.
Racebending in fiction is already something that can easily create rifts and as we see the simple addition of the skins as a customization option is making people lose their marbles. If a titular character, for example Lor’themar, would suddenly have their skin be turned dark, of course people who for years have grown used to the portrayal of that specific character and his design would grow angry over it, however that is the character as a individual character.
Darker skinned textures as an option for the race as a whole take absolutely nothing away from anyone.
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Yeah but it’d be really fun to see how mad those people get
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Wouldn’t that in itself just be weaponizing this whole thing against a group someone dislikes?
At that point both sides of the argument are completely off the rails and going down the hole of sillyness.
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They could change random NPCs who aren’t particularly important but changing bigger characters would be a misstep imo.
Now I’m white so I can’t really speak to what other people might feel on this but I would imagine just randomly changing it so a lore character was black all along would seem a bit careless.
It’s a bit different when it’s an adaptation like with that Harry Potter play (and yes, I know there’s that quote from one of the books about Hermione’s white face but it’s really not a big deal since her ethnicity doesn’t play a part in her character), but when you change something in the same medium it seems a bit forced and jarring.
Should totally create new characters with these different skin tones, though.
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They already are, if you see how many anti-high elf people are gloating on mmo-champ and wowhead, it’s absolutely ridiculous.
Oke, you won an argument, no need to gloat and rub it on high elven fans faces, they’re being just as immature as some of the high elf fans.
No one is mature enough to just say sorry for the high elven fans who lost, but you can’t win everything?
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As i have said before;
People are stupid.
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Yes it does. Adding darker skinned textures, without properly integrating them in the story, takes away the opportunity to have proper diversity represented in the setting (gameplay + story).
If the devs are only willing to add representation for people of color, in-so-far it doesn’t affect the story, then that is a very poor attempt at representation, and quite frankly insulting.
Being able to play a character that looks more akin to my RL ethnicity is nice I guess (though, not at all something I’ve particularly craved or wanted from WoW), but if in doing so, my character stands in stark contrast to every major NPC and story character I encounter, then that’s jarring and off-putting. Not to mention, it highlights the fact that the darker skinned textures were added as an after-thought.
One way of fixing this would be, like Shadowtwili suggested, to add new characters and major NPCs utilizing the darker skin tone, but then they’d suffer the same problem (of being a tagged on after-thought).
If Blizzard are intent to retcon Blood Elves to have more diverse skin tones, then all I ask is, that they follow that sentiment through to the end, by retconning well-established Blood Elf story characters to have more diverse skin tones.
No offense, but at this point it seems like you’ve been looking waaaay too deeply into this and it comes off as no matter what Blizzard does, there will be something to complain about.
Is this tagged on? Yes. Does it hurt anyone? No. Do already existing lore characters need to be changed? No and we should strive to keep iconic characters the way they are.
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I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the “I like black blood elves” vs. “I don’t like black blood elves” dumpster fire now that I’ve jumped the elven ship
Bless up to my Highblood OG’s …
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there is no escape from The Discourse
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Adding new diverse skin textures to an iconic race out of nowhere without properly integrating them in the setting is as disruptive as adding new diverse skin textures to a gallery of iconic characters.
Were it up to me, I wouldn’t have added them 15 years down the line. It’s just disruptive no matter how you pull it off at this point.
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I think all Blood Elves should have black and brown skin-tones and we should remove the white ones as it suits the Horde’s aesthetic more. 
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Honestly, I wouldn’t find it disruptive either way. I’d be happy if existing NPCs were updated to reflect the new customisation options, but I’ll still be happy without that happening (and I doubt it will).
For me, it’s easy to suspend my disbelief whatever happens and just enjoy what I’m given – it’s looking real good.
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Guards and other generic NPCs will probably be touched up and added. Or at least I hope so.
Lore figures seem unlikely to change, unless they do a full over haul for ones without unique appearances.
I see. Of course we can’t have Blizzard Inflict grievous first world problems onto you by rudely disrupting your smooth brain 
with the addition of elves and dwarfs with un-caucasian like features 
. May Elune protect you, child. 
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don’t make me tap the sign again
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Are you going to be just as reverently against the new night elf female drow skin? Or the dark, almost blue orc skin? Or is this only an issue when it comes to the historically caucasian (anyone claiming they’re anything but just has to see that ONLY gnomes/dwarves/elves got new black skin options) races?