World of Warcraft Has Three Expansions Announced at Blizzcon

BlizzCon 2023 was held over the weekend and out of it came some huge news for MMORPG World of Warcraft. The latest expansion, Dragonflight, released last year and I was expecting something huge to be announced to celebrate the game’s 20th year, however we got more than that. Blizzard Entertainment went big indeed and announced The Worldsoul Saga, a set of three upcoming expansions. That’s right, three expansions! The first expansion announced is called World of Warcraft: The War Within and is set for release in 2024. Following War Within will be World of Warcraft: Midnight and World of Warcraft: The Last Titan. No release information has been stated for the latter two expansions, though historically there’s usually two years between expansion releases. The expansion’s cinematic trailer is amazingly detailed as usual from Blizzard and conveys some heavy emotion from main character Anduin.

Dragonflight was a great launch experience and it got me back playing World of Warcraft again after a long hiatus. However even with all the dragon bells and whistles, I found myself getting less enthused to login each day and ultimately parked it. When I read the new additions from The War Within including hero talents, a new race, new delves for small groups and warband equipment, my interest was certainly piqued, and I am intrigued to read more about all of the new additions that will be released in the coming months.

“Beginning with The War Within, The Worldsoul Saga is grown from the seeds of what captured the hearts of players around the world when they first set foot in Azeroth,” said World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale. “For veteran players, the last 20 years have led to this, and for those who have never set foot in Azeroth, this is a whole new adventure.”

“The War Within, Midnight, and The Last Titan encompass one of the most ambitious creative endeavors ever attempted for World of Warcraft, designed as standalone narratives that feed into an overall story arc,” said Warcraft general manager John Hight. “Alongside these epic adventures, the ongoing quality-of-life feature updates players have come to expect from us since Dragonflight will continue in The War Within, further setting us up for the next 20 years and beyond.”

“As we begin a new era at Blizzard Entertainment, I am inspired by the World of Warcraft teams’ passion for players and their expansive vision for the future of their storytelling,” said president of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Ybarra. “The legacy of World of Warcraft spans generations, and the beginning of The Worldsoul Saga is the perfect time for anyone who has memories of this legendary universe to celebrate, rediscover, and come home to Azeroth.”

The War Within begins with an ancient civilisation rising to power deep beneath the surface of the planet, as heroes of both the Alliance and Horde alike are bombarded with visions—some are of the Light, while others see an alternate, darker fate.

World of Warcraft: The War Within Features

While players embark on the first chapter of The Worldsoul Saga and journey to a new level cap of 80, they will encounter new zones, dungeons, and raids, and more:

• Explore the new continent of Khaz Algar: Off the western shores of Kalimdor lies The Isle of Dorn, a new hub for both the Horde and Alliance. Begin to explore what dwells beneath the surface in the lava-fuelled forge of The Ringing Deeps, the lush Hallowfall, and the pinnacle of Nerubian society, Azj-Kahet.
• New Playable Allied Race – the Earthen: Players will meet and unlock this Titan-forged race who have made Khaz Algar their home, with their own unique civilization and culture.
• Expand your Warcraft fantasy with Hero Talents: A new level of class specialization customization, Hero Talents are modelled after well-known archetypes from the Warcraft universe, including Dark Ranger, Farseer, and more.
• Delves: New bite-size adventures seamlessly integrated into the world, which flexibly scale to support 1-5 players, and offer meaningful progression.
• Warbands: A quality-of-life feature for players with multiple characters, Warbands allow banks, reputations, transmogs, and more to be shared across all player characters.

Pre-purchase Options

World of Warcraft: The War Within is available for digital pre-purchase today on the Battle.net shop:

• The War Within: Base Edition – AU$74.95
  • Pre-purchase of World of Warcraft: The War Within
  • Access to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
  • Enhanced Level 70 character boost, allowing players to jump immediately into the upcoming content update for Dragonflight, Guardians of the Dream.
  • 500 Trader’s Tender
• The War Within: Heroic Edition – AU$104.95
  • All Base Edition features
  • Algarian Stormrider mount and access to special dynamic-flying racecourses
  • Upgradable Stormrider’s Attire transmog set
  • An additional 250 Trader’s Tender, for a total of 750
• The War Within: Epic Edition – AU$134.95
  • All Base and Heroic Edition features
  • Beta access to World of Warcraft: The War Within
  • Early access, minimum of three days before the expansion’s launch
  • Squally the Storm Hatchling pet
  • Sandbox Storm Gryphon toy
  • An additional 250 Trader’s Tender, for a total of 1,000
  • 30-day subscription time

The first expansion of the Worldsoul Saga, called World of Warcraft: The War Within, is set for release in 2024. The more I read, the more I can feel that familiar pull of the World of Warcraft login screen. For more information on World of Warcraft: The War Within, head over to the official site.

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