 World of Warcraft: The War Within | ||||
| Developer(s) | Blizzard Entertainment | |||
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| Publisher(s) | Blizzard Entertainment | |||
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, macOS | |||
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| Genre(s) | Expansion pack | |||
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer | |||
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World of Warcraft: The War Within is the tenth expansion for World of Warcraft, and the start of the Worldsoul Saga story arc. It is set primarily in Khaz Algar, a large region beneath the surface of Azeroth. The expansion was officially announced at BlizzCon on November 3, 2023 alongside World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic[1], and was released on August 26, 2024 [2]. The Worldsoul Saga will be continued in later expansions, World of Warcraft: Midnight and World of Warcraft: The Last Titan.
Story[]
Official site[]
In this opening chapter of The Worldsoul Saga, defend Azeroth from the shadows below. Journey through never-before-seen subterranean worlds filled with hidden wonders and lurking perils, down to the dark depths of the nerubian empire, where the malicious Harbinger of the Void is gathering arachnid forces to bring Azeroth to its knees.[2]
Features[]
- New level cap: 80
- Delves - Deep beneath the surface lies treasure vaults waiting to be discovered. Explore these world instances solo or with up to four friends, along with a NPC companion, to defeat bosses and gain epic end-game loot!
- Warbands - Expand the potential of your alts with account-wide progression across your family of characters on your Battle.net account, regardless of their Faction. Share Warband Bank access, War Within Renown, achievements, collections and more.
- Hero Talents - Rise to new heights of power with new Hero Talent trees! Each class specialization has access to two choices of self-contained Hero Talent trees inspired by iconic Warcraft universe archetypes.
- New playable allied race, Earthen - Enlist a titan-forged race made of living stone imbued with the essence of Azeroth’s worldsoul! Unlock playable Earthen characters after completing their quests and the overall level-up campaign.
- Professions - Continuing the expansion of all major professions in Dragonflight, The War Within adds further methods to individualize each profession and expand skills.
- Dynamic Flying - Explore the stunning new zones of Khaz Algar from the saddle of hundreds of in-game mounts, now with the dynamic flying capabilities first introduced in Dragonflight.
- Eight new Dungeons and one challenging Raid rally Alliance and Horde defenders together to face a menacing new threat taking shape at the heart of the world. Additionally, starting in The War Within, follower dungeons will be available as a single-person experience where the player will be aided by NPCs that fill out their group composition. A version of this mechanic for the final boss of each raid is also anticipated.
Zones[]
- Azj-Kahet
- The pinnacle of nerubian society where Xal'atath, Harbinger of the Void, has been gathering and mutating nerubian forces to create an unstoppable army.
- Hallowfall
- Lit by a massive crystal at its center, this bright underground zone is home to the Arathi who are engaged in a continuing battle against the nerubians.
- Isle of Dorn
- Discover the land of Khaz Algar, off the western shores of Pandaria and home to the Earthen. Their capital city, Dornogal, will become the new meeting ground for the Horde and Alliance.
- The Ringing Deeps
- This gigantic cavern serves as the home of the Machine Speakers, Earthen who maintain the gigantic Titan machines of old.
Prominent figures[]
New figures[]
- Faerin
- Stormguard Gorren
Returning figures[]
- Alleria Windrunner[3]
- Anduin Wrynn[4]
Thrall[4]- Brann Bronzebeard
- Magni Bronzebeard
- Xal'atath
- Jaina Proudmoore
- Khadgar
- Queen Moira Thaurissan
- Dagran Thaurissan II
- Wrathion
- Ebyssian
- Archmage Aethas Sunreaver
- Archmage Drenden
- Elise Starseeker
Creatures and Races[]
New[]
- Humanoid
- Haranir
Returning[]
Pre-order options[]
All editions include Dragonflight as a bonus if it is not already on the player's account.
Base Edition[]
- World of Warcraft: The War Within digital license
- Enhanced Level 70 Character Boost
- 500 [Trader's Tender]
Heroic Edition[]
- Everything in the Base Edition, plus:
- Algarian Stormrider mount with dynamic flying and access to special racecourses
- Upgradable Stormrider's Attire transmog set
- An additional 250 [Trader's Tender] (750 total)
Epic Edition[]
- Everything in the Heroic Edition, plus:
- 3-day Early Access to World of Warcraft: The War Within
- Elements that could confer a long-term competitive advantage will be disabled during the early access period, such as mythic zero dungeons, weekly quests, weekly specialization cooldowns, and rare high-end treasures.[5]
- Beta Access to World of Warcraft: The War Within
- 30 days of Game time
- Squally, the Storm Hatchling pet
- Sandbox Storm Gryphon toy
- Deepdweller's Earthen Hearthstone effect
- An additional 250 [Trader's Tender] (1000 total)
- 3-day Early Access to World of Warcraft: The War Within
The War Within Base Edition
The War Within Heroic Edition
The War Within Epic Edition
Reception[]
Reviews for the expansion were very positive, with many emphasizing an improvement in the writing and narrative compared to previous expansions. IGN's Leana Hafer stated that "I think this might be my favorite World of Warcraft expansion in the MMO's 20-year history. From the story, to the environments, to the music, to the new features, this is WoW firing on all cylinders."[6] Eric Switzer of The Gamer wrote that the expansion's campaign was "a focused and perfectly paced adventure that prioritizes quality over quantity while valuing your time and effort more than its predecessors," and that he had seen little of the negativity he perceived as prominent in community discussions prior to The War Within. [7]
Delves were particularly praised by reviewers as an expansion of the game's mechanics and capability to engage players, with Harvey Randall of PC Gamer also noted that Blizzard's intent to utilize delves as a storytelling device was an exciting prospect, stating that "WoW's players have been conditioned to look to raid cinematics as the be-all, end-all climax of a story" that non-raiders would ostensibly be forced to look up online, and that delves offered a way for more players than ever to engage with endgame narrative content.[8] Additionally, the zone of Hallowfall was singled out for praise by many players [9][10] and reviewers. Also praised by outlets was the expansion's "arachnophobia mode," which replaces the large spiders and insects of The War Within with crabs.[11]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ^ https://www.ign.com/articles/blizzard-announces-next-three-expansions-in-world-of-warcraft-the-worldsoul-saga-blizzcon-2023
- ^ a b https://thewarwithin.blizzard.com/
- ^ The War Within Features Overview trailer
- ^ a b The War Within Announce Cinematic trailer
- ^ World of Warcraft BlizzCon Q&A at time offset 2:00
- ^ https://www.ign.com/articles/world-of-warcraft-the-war-within-review
- ^ https://www.thegamer.com/world-of-warcraft-the-world-within-review-a-perfect-start-to-the-worldsoul-saga/
- ^ https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-the-war-within-will-tell-its-main-story-via-delves-and-dungeons-when-it-makes-sense-giving-me-hope-for-an-escape-from-2-decades-of-raid-centric-storytelling/\
- ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1f1eknz/comment/ljz8bfc/
- ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1ezqwvi/hallowfall_is_easily_the_best_zone_blizzard_has/
- ^ https://www.wowhead.com/news/arachnophobia-mode-toggle-turns-spider-models-into-crabs-in-the-war-within-338758%7C
External links[]
World of Warcraft Community Site Official website
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