World of Warcraft Reveals Its Massive 20th Anniversary Update

World of Warcraft has been around since 2004, but if the MMORPG’s 2023 BlizzCon presentation is anything to go by, Blizzard has plenty of ideas left for the future of Azeroth. With its 20th anniversary kicking off next year, World of Warcraft is set to start a bold new chapter with the Worldsoul Saga. At the same time, World of Warcraft Classic will add another old-school expansion that will change the game forever.

Here’s everything you need to know about the World of Warcraft’s Worldsoul Saga and WoW Classic’s next update.

What Is the Worldsoul Saga?

The Worldsoul Saga isn’t an expansion itself. Instead, it’s a three-part story made up of three expansions that form the next era of World of Warcraft. Together, the expansions will mark a capstone to the game’s first 20 years and set up its next two decades, developer Chris Metzen said during BlizzCon’s opening ceremony.

The three expansions that make up the Worldsoul Saga will be called The War Within, Midnight, and The Last Titan.

When Is The War Within Release Date?

The first part of the Worldsoul Saga is set to launch in fall 2024, though Blizzard hasn’t been more specific than that. The next two expansions haven’t received release dates yet, but Metzen did say that Blizzard is working to release content more quickly than it has in the past. Typically, World of Warcraft receives a new expansion every two years.

What Is the Story of the Worldsoul Saga?

Blizzard shared details regarding each part of the Worldsoul trilogy, but we still don’t know how they’ll connect. For the first part, The War Within, Blizzard revealed a cinematic showing the Horde’s former warchief Thrall meeting with King Anduin of the Alliance to discuss strange visions they’ve both been having about a threat lurking deep under Azeroth. Blizzard says the expansion will take players to Azj-Kahet, the underground kingdom of the insectoid Nerubians, along with zones called Hallowfall, the Isle of Dorn, and the Ringing Depths.

Midnight will take place in the Sun Elves’ home of Quel’thalas, where players join the fight against the Void, a shadowy force that opposes Light in World of Warcraft mythos.

In The Last Titan, ancient beings called Titans return to Azeroth. According to Blizzard, this expansion will focus on a mysterious plan these godlike beings have for Warcraft’s world. The Last Titan will also resurrect Ulduar, a raid first introduced in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

What New Features Will Be Added in The War Within?

Blizzard said it’s looking to add new types of content that will be relevant in the long term while updating World of Warcraft’s systems for The War Within. The biggest new content type announced so far is Delves, an activity for one to five players with no class restrictions where players can gather endgame rewards. Delves will change with each new season of World of Warcraft, bringing a new set of dungeons to explore. Each season will have a unique NPC aiding the party, starting with Brann Bronzebeard at launch.

Warbands will unify progress across all characters on an account. When the Warbands feature launches, players can share items, reputation levels, and achievements across characters. You’ll even be able to transmog your armor into the form of gear you’ve collected on another character, so you won’t have to repeat the same content to collect equipment multiple times if you only intend to use it as a cosmetic piece.

The War Within also introduces Hero Talents. This new customization system offers multiple talent trees for each class, letting you further specialize your role.

Is World of Warcraft Classic Getting a New Update?

Yes, and it’s going to be a major shakeup for the throwback MMO. Set to launch in the first half of 2024, Cataclysm will join World of Warcraft Classic. Originally launched in 2010, Cataclysm was, literally, a world-shaking expansion as it permanently replaced the map that World of Warcraft had used since its release with a new one scarred by the rise of the dragon Deathwing. One of the reasons that World of Warcraft Classic launched in the first place is because players wanted the ability to play on the game’s original map. So the introduction of Cataclysm is sure to be divisive.

Like other Classic expansions, Cataclysm will be slightly altered from its original release. This time around, players can level up faster, and new content will launch at a quicker pace. The Titan Rune system introduced in Wrath of the Lich King Classic, which buffs enemies for a bigger challenge, will also return.