The Next WoW Expansion

This boy has aged like a fine wine

World of Warcraft: The War Within will launch by the end of this year, 2024. It will most likely be released near the end of summer or the beginning of autumn. The War Within will be the tenth expansion of World of Warcraft. The Worldsoul Saga, a series of three expansions, will begin with The War Within.

Looking Forward–The Worldsoul Saga

The current roadmap of the saga

It is said that these expansions will be shorter and more compact than previous expansions, reducing the gaps between content. This is exciting news for many players!

Technical Details…Fun Things AFTER This, I Promise!

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was one expansion riddled with content gaps

Before we discuss the most exciting things, though, we need to give credit where it is due.

• The Worldsoul Saga’s beginning was announced on November 3, 2023
• As is tradition, the announcement was done at BlizzCon
• Chris Metzen is the executive creative director
• We aren’t sure of the exact release date yet. According to the roadmap Blizzard has released, we will likely see this expansion between August and October

Fun Things Now! Should We Be Excited Enough to Pay Up?

Chris Metzen, the executive creative director, stands with some impressive artwork

Alright, technical details are out of the way. So…why should we be excited for this expansion? Will it be better than Dragonflight or a waste of 50 bucks?

Short Answer is…Up to You!

While Dragonflight has had mostly positive feedback, some of the above expansions were not so well received

From the details we currently have, The War Within is likely worth the money. If you pre-purchase the Heroic or Epic editions of this expansion, it will come with additional rewards. Regardless of what edition you buy, it will come with a level 70 character boost. This boost includes 424 item level gear, Renown with major factions, and other useful things.

What Does The War Within Include?

The Epic edition of The War Within even grants early access!

Let’s go over what each edition of this expansion includes in this stage.

Base includes the following:

• The War Within immediately after launch
• Dragonflight, the current expansion
• An enhanced level 70 character boost
• 500 Trader’s Tender

Heroic includes the following:

• All previously mentioned rewards
• An additional 250 Trader’s Tender for a total of 750
• Algarian Stormrider mount
• Access to special races
• Stormrider’s Attire transmog set (upgradable)

Epic includes the following:

• All previously mentioned rewards
• An additional 250 Trader’s Tender for a total of 1,000
• Beta access
• 3 days early access
• 30 days of game time
• Squally, the Storm Hatchling battle pet
• Sandbox Storm Gryphon toy
• Deepdweller’s Earthen Hearthstone

Gameplay Features?

Every successful WoW expansion must bring a new dish or two to the table

From what we know so far, this WoW expansion is filled with new gameplay features for players to explore. There is a stronger focus on solo content and alt characters, along with continuations of previously popular features.

• Earthen, a new playable race, will be added
• Several new thematically different zones will be included
• Dynamic Flying will be introduced to many more mounts thanks to its popularity in Dragonflight. The old way of flying, also known as TBC flying or formally as Static Flying, will still be an option
• At least eight Dungeons and one Raid will be available
• Hero Talents will allow higher level players to further customize their playstyle
• Warbands, a system of features designed to help players with many characters, will be introduced. The Warband Bank will be accessible throughout your account, making it easier to keep your alts up-to-date. Some reputation, achievements, and even transmogs will be shared across toons. That’s not all Warbands has to offer, but those are the most essential features
• There will be a new type of end-game content, called Delves, that can be carried out alone or with other players. Delves will be somewhat like Torghast and somewhat like Dungeons–really, the best of both worlds. Delves will provide gear for the weekly Great Vault

Alright, and Our Antagonist?

Ask a Shadow Priest and they will tell you.

Our main villain for this expansion is Xal’atath, also known as the Harbinger. Any Shadow Priest with a shred of respect for themselves will know all about this character, especially if they played during the Legion expansion. Working with the Nerubians to bring back the full potency of the void, Xal’atath will be a formidable opponent.

Other Major Characters

The ancient rivalry between the Horde and the Alliance is at somewhat of a pause

The name for this expansion seems to have a double meaning. There is a war developing under the ground, yes…but morality is also at war in this expansion. Our main characters will struggle with their own internal wars in The War Within.

• Anduin Wrynn grapples with his past interactions regarding the Jailer
• Thrall finds both peace and pain in ancient honor and traditions
• Magni Bronzebeard, the voice of Azeroth, plays a major role in uncovering the secrets within
• Alleria Windrunner must not succumb to the whispering void…or else
• Ansurek will lead the Nerubians along with our main villain, Xal’atath
• More characters will certainly find their spotlight

Concluding Thoughts

World of Warcraft: The War Within is showing promise

As the beginning of a saga, The War Within has a lot of pressure to perform well. World of Warcraft players tend to be hard to please, but this expansion seems to fit the criteria for a good expansion from what we know so far. However, we all have our own thoughts on this upcoming expansion, just as we all have our own wars within.

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