The World of Warcraft faithful gathered in Anaheim this weekend for the reveal of the next chapter in Azeroth’s story at BlizzCon 2023. Blizzard Entertainment announced not just one but three upcoming expansions for their hit MMORPG World of Warcraft.
Kicking things off is World of Warcraft: The War Within, coming in 2024. This expansion will take players beneath the surface of Azeroth to explore the ancient civilization of the Khaz Algar. The War Within introduces four new zones, including Azj-Kahet, a city of the insectoid Nerubians, and Hallowfall, a lush forested realm that fans are speculating may be linked to the Shadowlands.
Also coming in The War Within is a new playable Allied Race – the stony, Titan-forged Earthen who inhabit Khaz Algar. Players will be able to unlock this new race and their unique culture. The expansion raises the level cap to 80 and adds new dungeons, raids, quests and more to keep players engaged.
For WoW faithful, one of the significant new features that should keep things exciting is the new Hero Talents—a way to further customize your character with abilities modelled after iconic Warcraft archetypes like the Dark Ranger or Farseer. Delves will offer quick 1-5 player adventures to jump into, while Warbands allows players to share resources across all their characters.
The War Within is just the start of what Blizzard calls The Worldsoul Saga, which will continue with two more expansions: World of Warcraft: Midnight and World of Warcraft: The Last Titan. Blizzard says this will be their most ambitious storytelling endeavour since the game first launched nearly 20 years ago.
Fans who want to return to Azeroth can pre-purchase The War Within now and gain access to the current World of Warcraft: Dragonflight expansion. The Heroic and Epic editions come with extras like mounts, pets, toys and beta access.
While some players have expressed concerns over the rapid pace of new expansions and pricing, others are thrilled at the chance to continue adventures in the Warcraft universe. The War Within shows that even after two decades, there are still new stories left to be told in the fan-favourite fantasy world.
