" I mean even Teldrassil was one the emptiest cities in the game before the burning and extinction happened." This is because of gameplay, not lore. There’s a difference between the two which requires some differentation. We’re talking about the lore now.
“Especially when you think about the fact that night elves aren’t considered mature before reaching 300 years of age.” You don’t know how many of the remaining elves are under 300 or above 300 years of age. It could very well be that the elves which are left are all mature and is perfectly fertile. This is pure speculation. Neither what you said nor what I am saying can be verified.
In the Illidan novel, it is stated Night elves reach maturity at an age of 20, not 60-110. However, it is usually around the age of 110 that the female Kaldorei undergo a rite of passage, to signify their ascent into adulthood and purpose in life.
And as far I am aware, the Illidan novel is canon.
The males of their society going away for prolonged periods of time was a thing during the long vigil. The long vigil is over. It ended with WC3. After that, the druids didn’t go back into their burrows to protect the Emerald Dream. They’ve been active in their purpose to protect the world ever since the Legion invaded the second time.
Also, in the Warcraft III campaign it is suggested that druids were slumbering in the Emerald Dream in various periods of time, some of them were sleeping for ~10000 years (Malfurion), some of them ~3000 years (Druids of the Claw), depending on need, they probably were “sleeping” in intervals. They defended the Dream, then they awoke to spend time with their people, do stuff in Azeroth, and went back to slumber.
There is also no reason to believe that there are more female Kaldorei born than there are male Kaldorei born. And not all male Kaldorei became druids. Many are warriors and hunters also.
It’s also spelled Kaldorei, not Kal’dorei. There is no apostrophe in their name like with the Shal’dorei or Quel’dorei. Just pointing that out because people seem to be making that mistake all the time, for some reason. It is also kind of revealing. If you presume to speak on behalf of a race whose name you can’t spell properly, I am not entirely convinced you know that much about the race you’re speaking of.
Anyways. As can be seen from the Battle of Darkshore Warfront, most of the night elves’ army and navy, including Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage, Shandris Feathermoon, Maiev Shadowsong, Jarod Shadowsong, Thisalee Crow and Mordent Evenshade, seem to have survived, although many of their family members were likely killed in the fire.
So while I am totally on board with you that the Night Elves are almost extinct (and that is not the first time it’s happened. Just look at the Quel’dorei. They are now practically a playable race, only they go by the name of Ren’dorei. It’s been years since WC3, so the Quel’dorei’s had ample time to reproduce and grow children).
The Night Elves lives on. That’s just a fact. Their numbers are going to increase unless another war decimates them, but there is now peace between the Horde and Alliance. It’s not like Blizz is going to make a playable race go extinct. They will grow their numbers again and there will be a good reason to give them a city eventually. Might as well just give them a new city sooner rather than later. They can use any lands on Kalimdor in the north, like Ashenvale, Hyjal, Winterspring, Feralas, etc.
