Blizzard Entertainment Announces the Next Three Expansions for World of Warcraft®, Kicking Off The Worldsoul Saga™ with The War Within™ in 2024

Rhea-AI Summary

Blizzard Entertainment announced The Worldsoul Saga, a three-part expansion for World of Warcraft. The first expansion, The War Within, is set to release in 2024. The expansions will feature new zones, dungeons, raids, and a new level cap of 80. Players will also encounter a new playable allied race called the Earthen and have access to Hero Talents for class specialization customization. Pre-purchase options are available with various bonuses and perks.

Positive

• The Worldsoul Saga is one of the most ambitious creative endeavors for World of Warcraft since its release 20 years ago.
• The first expansion, The War Within, is set to release in 2024.
• Players will have access to new zones, dungeons, and raids, and the level cap will be increased to 80.
• A new playable allied race called the Earthen will be introduced.
• Hero Talents will allow for class specialization customization.
• Pre-purchase options are available with different editions and bonuses.

Negative

• None.

The most ambitious creative endeavor for World of Warcraft since its release almost 20 years ago

The War Within is available for pre-purchase today, includes access to World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

Announced live at BlizzCon^® 2023, taking place November 3-4 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today at BlizzCon 2023, Blizzard Entertainment announced The Worldsoul Saga^™, featuring three separate expansions for the critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft^®. Players will begin their adventure deep beneath the surface in the World of Warcraft: The War Within^™ expansion, slated for release in 2024. World of Warcraft: Midnight^™ and World of Warcraft: The Last Titan, ^™ will round out a three-part saga that calls players home to save Azeroth.

WoW BlizzCon Cinematic Still (Graphic: Business Wire)

“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 civilization 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 - $49.99 USD
  • 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 - $69.99 USD
  • 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 - $89.99 USD
  • 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

For more information about The War Within, tune into the World of Warcraft What’s Next and Deep Dive panels at BlizzCon 2023, available on the BlizzCon website. An active subscription is required to play World of Warcraft. For more information on World of Warcraft: The War Within, visit the World of Warcraft website. Assets are available on the Blizzard Press Center. World of Warcraft: The War Within will launch on or before December 31, 2024.

^* Instant access to Dragonflight will only be granted to players who do not own Dragonflight
^**Availability and launch date(s) of the Beta subject to change. Limited time only.
^*** 3 days based on estimated access; actual play time subject to possible outages and applicable time-zone differences.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was recently acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231103304656/en/

Andrew Meyer

Global PR Director, Warcraft

949.955.1380 x61353

anmeyer@blizzard.com

Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

FAQ

What did Blizzard Entertainment announce at BlizzCon 2023?

Blizzard Entertainment announced The Worldsoul Saga, a three-part expansion for World of Warcraft.

When is the first expansion, The War Within, scheduled for release?

The War Within is set to release in 2024.

What new features will be introduced in The War Within expansion?

The expansion will introduce new zones, dungeons, and raids, and increase the level cap to 80. It will also introduce a new playable allied race called the Earthen and Hero Talents for class specialization customization.

Are there any pre-purchase options available?

Yes, there are pre-purchase options available with different editions and bonuses.