World of Warcraft has a legacy going again to November 2004, it is one of many oldest-running, and most beloved MMOs in the marketplace and we have had some iconic World of Warcraft Expansions in that point.
Since 2004 quite a bit has occurred, 9 expansions have graced the sport, and we have even gone again and revisited two of them (and the bottom sport). In 2022 we noticed Dragonflight drop, the most recent enlargement within the sequence. With it got here a return to each crucial and, crucially, fan reward. Whereas WoW has gone a few years, even a long time, because the undisputed prime MMO, latest years have seen the shine beginning to fade from Blizzard’s beloved MMO. Essentially the most notable claimant to the crown is FFXIV, which has slowly begun to gather gamers who’ve fallen out of affection with WoW.
As WoW enters its twentieth Birthday, let’s have a look again on the historical past of the sport, the place it has come from, and when every enlargement got here out. We have additionally added Traditional to the tip of the checklist, as these are nonetheless vital releases within the historical past of WoW. So let’s take a look at When every World of Warcraft Expansions got here out and a few key particulars for every.
When did World of Warcraft Come out
Launched in 2004, World of Warcraft is now celebrating its twentieth yr in type. Developed by Blizzard Leisure, WoW has turn out to be not solely some of the vital video games within the trade however one of many few that transcends into widespread tradition. Whereas that is extra frequent now, WoW was one of many early video video games to actually break by way of into the general public consciousness. One of the notable of those was the “Make Love, Not Warcraft” episode of South Park, which stays one of many highest-rated episodes in that present’s lifetime. WoW additionally had a film, Warcraft, although meant to be a sequence of movies it by no means achieved the success that was deliberate so any growth on a second film was dropped.
Inside gaming, nonetheless, WoW is successful story. Performed nonetheless by tens of hundreds of thousands of gamers, with latest rumours post-China launch speculating the sport may properly be having its finest interval of subscription success ever.
World of Warcraft Expansions
The Burning Campaign January 2007
Key options: Blood Elves & Draenei have been added to the sport, including the primary new races. We additionally received our first new occupation in Jewelcrafting, flying mounts alongside Paladin and Shaman lessons crossing faction traces.
Launch: January 2007
Burning Campaign marks lots of WoW’s oldest gamers’ first actual “second” with WoW. I’ve performed since Vanilla, however I used to be an adolescent, so I’ve very few recollections of my time. Burning Campaign, nonetheless, was when my buddies all joined me and we began to make these core WoW recollections.
So for a lot of, BC is when WoW was at its most pure kind, which is why when WoW Traditional moved into the enlargement there was a lot hype. It was most likely the height of what “Traditional” WoW was in the usual format.
Wrath of the Lich King
Key options: Dying Knight, WoW’s first new class added. A brand new inscription occupation was added, alongside Achievements and a Barbershop.
Launch: November 2008
If BC was not the place you began as an “OG” then it might properly have been Wrath. Wrath was a particular enlargement, and whereas we didn’t understand it on the time, the inclusion of Arthas as the tip boss would have knock-on results on WoW for a lot of expansions to return.
Wrath actually ended the Warcraft 3 period of WoW and firmly set WoW on its personal path, and whereas it might need had some journeys on the best way, Wrath set a tone for what a WoW enlargement might be.
Cataclysm
Key options: Goblin & Worgen races added. Transmog system added alongside Archeology.
Launch: December 2010
Cataclysm was an attention-grabbing enlargement for WoW, solely as a result of it modified a lot. And if we thought Wrath was the tip of the Warcraft 3 arch, Cataclysm actually made certain of it. By destroying the World we beloved, Cataclysm modified the World of Azeroth ceaselessly, and it marked one of many first main drops within the participant base.
Cata wasn’t all unhealthy, but it surely was the primary enlargement that I myself dropped off and even unsubed. In consequence, Cata has at all times been the least exceptional of the WoW expansions, and with Traditional WoW now on this interval, I am curious how that finally ends up going.
Mists of Pandaria
Key options: The Pandaren was added as the primary impartial WoW faction. Monk turns into the most recent new Class. Battle Pet system added alongside large Expertise revamp
Launch: September 2012
Mists of Pandaria got here at a bizarre time for WoW. Whereas many followers appreciated the announcement, the fact of the Pandaren, a meme from Warcraft changing into part of WoW turned heads.
Total MoP was widespread, and positively is among the expansions individuals look again on most fondly, largely as a result of class stability being thought of the place WoW peaked.
Warlords of Draenor
Key options: First enlargement to not add a brand new race or class. Would add Garrisons and revamp all races within the sport to make them extra “HD”
Launch: November 2014
It is uncommon that you simply get to look again on a second in a sport as a close to miss, however for WoW, Warlords of Draenor was so practically that second. The sport noticed an enormous drop in gamers, with the participant base seemingly not within the imaginative and prescient Blizzard had for the sport.
This brought about Blizzard to take a drastic choice, to let WoD die with none content material for over a yr whereas they ready a rescue plan within the type of Legion. Fortunately for Blizzard, it labored out, WoD at all times appears like a “what might have been” second for WoW, perhaps in the future we see it get the Remix or SOD therapy.
Legion
Key options: Demon Hunter added, alongside Class Halls, Mythic +, zone mob scaling and the Artifact system
Launch: August 2016
If WoD was the loss of life of WoW, then Legion was the shot of adrenaline to the arm. It is arduous to not overstate it, however Legion saved what WoW was and put it on the trail to restoration. In truth, had Legion not been so good, the sport’s subsequent two Expansions might need finished extra injury.
In Legion we received the long-lasting Mythic+ system, which added a wholly new option to play end-game content material in WoW, bringing the Mythic Raid stage of problem into the repeatable 5-man dungeon atmosphere. Mythic+ has remained a cornerstone of WoW ever since
Battle for Azeroth
Key options: Coronary heart of Azeroth, Island Expeditions and Warfronts.
Launch: August 2018
Battle for Azeroth is among the extra divisive WoW expansions, with some individuals loving it, whereas others appear to hate it. BFA was definitely the signal of issues to return for WoW, for higher or worse.
BFA appears like a what-if second for WoW. Island Expeditions and Warfronts have been Blizzard’s makes an attempt to strike lighting once more as they’d with Mythic+. However this time, they felt too required, which damage how the neighborhood would understand them. Island Expeditions particularly grew to become the defacto option to farm Coronary heart of Azeroth energy, thus turning a enjoyable facet exercise into required content material.
Shadowlands
Key options: Covenants and Torghast added alongside TImewalking of previous leveling campaigns and 10 allied races
Launch: November 2020
Blizzard tried once more with repeatable content material in Shadowlands, bringing Island Expeditions again within the type of Torghast however as soon as once more the content material felt required. Blizzard would clearly shift their focus in a while, however having a lot content material simply deserted on the finish of the enlargement was having an impression on the dev cycle.
Shadowlands, nonetheless, had an even bigger challenge, and that was that all of it felt so pointless. It was presupposed to be WoW’s try at displaying off the realm of loss of life, but it surely as an alternative pressured in a rushed finish boss and retconned well-established lore to have a second of “he deliberate all of it alongside” which simply felt flat and compelled.
Shadowlands was all however forgotten by Blizzard as soon as Dragonflight got here out, with Blizzard not even directing new gamers to the enlargement, as an alternative seemingly glad to simply neglect it ever occurred.
Dragonflight
Key options: Dragonriding, huge expertise revamp, Dracthyr race and Evoker Class added
Launch: November 2022
Dragonflight felt as soon as once more like Blizzard was making an attempt to show a brand new nook when it got here to WoW. A brand new flying system was added which modified the best way gamers would journey around the globe. It additionally noticed the primary time gamers might fly from the outset, with zones now tailored to be flown round.
The enlargement would additionally see a brand new kind of sophistication added with the Evoker. Introducing a brand new type of spell casting, Evoker gamers might empower casts making spells and skills doing various things relying on how lengthy you maintain the spell down. Evoker would additionally acquire a brand new spec mid-expansion, a primary for Blizzard as they added a brand new assist/DPS hybrid spec… with blended outcomes.
Dragonflight was a giant success for WoW, and whereas many gamers had been burned prior to now by WoW “being again” it definitely turned some heads. With Struggle Inside up subsequent many individuals have been beginning to return.
World Soul Saga begins
The World Soul Saga was a brand new type of enlargement launch by Blizzard, bundling 3 expansions collectively right into a WoW expanded story. The Struggle Inside could be the primary to drop, however particulars of Midnight and the Final Titan have been additionally confirmed.
Time will inform how this works, however early indicators from Struggle Inside are that Blizzard has shifted focus, and is trying to recapture what made WoW so particular.
Struggle Inside
Key options: Hero Skills, Delves, Earthen Allied Race
Launch: September 2024
The primary of the World Soul Saga sequence, Struggle Inside saved gamers in Azeroth and promised a “extra grounded” expertise. Many acquainted faces returned, because the Alliance and Horde labored collectively to take down a bigger menace.
With just some weeks of the Struggle Inside underneath our belts, it is early days however the indicators are good.
Midnight
Key options: Set on Quel’Thalas
Launch: 2026 TBC
The second enlargement within the World Soul saga will see gamers journey to Quel’Thalas. The story is ready to see gamers unite the Elven nations as they face a bigger menace. It is unknown how the story will play out at this stage, although it can seemingly turn out to be clearer because the Struggle Inside develops.
Hypothesis: If we needed to guess, we’d see a “Excessive Elf” pores and skin possibility come to Void Elves, with Horde probably getting one thing related for the Void Elves for his or her Blood Elves.
The Final Titan
Key options: Again to Northrend
Launch: 2028 TBC
Properly, The Final Titan provides us some clue as to what to anticipate, and we all know Northrend shall be an space that options at the very least partially. We all know subsequent to nothing in regards to the enlargement, solely that it’ll revolve round a conspiracy concept among the many Titans in Northrend.
Hypothesis: We are going to get a brand new Class themed across the Titans and their energy. Like Evoker it can carry one thing new, we suspect a Tank with a singular twist, although much less of a gimmick as Monk stays the least-played tank for that reason. Story-wise The Final Titan is probably going a pink herring and will consult with Azeroth herself being a Titan.
