Sharpen your swords and ready your armor, the eighth expansion for World of Warcraft is arriving on October 27.
A realm of infinite afterlives is coming to Azeroth. The Shadowlands is a dark place where mortal souls face their past lives and discover new purpose… or suffer eternal torment. Come October 27, both the Horde and the Alliance will forge their own fate when the eighth expansion drops around the globe.
Heroes will face an otherworld in disarray once entering the realms of the Shadowlands. Crawl your way out of the eternal darkness of the Maw, all the while the Covenants – powerful factions who hold dominion over the afterlife’s disparate realms – face ruin and strife as the flow of the Shadowlands‘ essential anima mysteriously dwindles. Funnily enough, that sounds like the plot to the Adam Sandler movie, Little Nicky. Go watch it if you haven’t seen it yet, and order some Popeye’s chicken too while you’re at it. Anyway, players must carve their path on the afterlife and forge a pact with the Covenant that most aligns with their own principles and purpose and ultimately restore balance to the for…. to the Shadowlands.
In Shadowlands, players will explore one of the Warcraft universe’s most mysterious undiscovered frontiers, and in selecting a Covenant to align themselves with, they’ll face one of the most challenging decisions they’ve ever made in the game—one that will impact nearly every aspect of their experience with this expansion. We can’t wait to see what paths players choose when Shadowlands launches this October.
said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands brings new content and features to shape their characters’ destinies with.
- Explore Warcraft’s Afterlife—Discover the wonders and horrors that await in the world beyond the veil. Ride across the gleaming fields of Bastion, lose yourself among the gothic
spires of Revendreth, find yourself at the crossroads of fate in the eternal city of Oribos, and much more. - Pledge Yourself to a Covenant—Align with one of the Shadowlands’ 4 Covenants, each with unique story campaigns, gameplay features, and powers that they bestow upon those who pledge themselves to their cause. Choose between Bastion’s valiant Kyrian or Revendreth’s prideful Venthyr, fight for the mighty Necrolords of Maldraxxus, or seek renewal with the wild Night Fae of Ardenweald.
- Ascend the Tower of the Damned—The vilest souls in existence are locked away in Torghast, an otherworldly prison ruled by the terrifying entity known as the Jailer. This everchanging,
roguelike challenge is open to solo players and groups of up to five, and those who brave its trials will earn materials to commission rune-carved legendary equipment of their choosing. - Rise as a Death Knight—Bolvar Fordragon, the former paladin who once wore the helm of the Lich King to keep the Scourge at bay, seeks to bolster the Death Knights’ numbers— now, all Allied Races as well as pandaren can join their unholy ranks. (Available with prepurchase.)
- And More. . .—Endure the Jailer’s watchful eye in the Maw, where the challenge mounts the longer you linger; Soulbind with key characters of your chosen Covenant to share their distinct powers; choose how to restore your Covenant’s Sanctum to glory . . . Shadowlands is unlike anything ever before experienced in World of Warcraft.
Death Rises in Azeroth
Prior to the release, Azeroth will experience the effects of Sylvanas‘ actions during a special pre-launch in-game event titled “Death Rising”. This limited-time event will send players to Icecrown, where the rift between the life and the afterlife exists and the reawakening of the undead Scourge is just the beginning.
The “Death Rising” event is part of the major pre-expansion game update to prepare for Shadowlands’ release, which also includes a newly revamped leveling experience that takes players to the new pre-Shadowlands level cap of 50, the addition of an epic introductory adventure for players new to World of Warcraft set on the accursed island of Exile’s Reach, a variety of updates to classes and abilities in preparation for the expansion, and more.
Choose Your Path Into the Shadowlands
Players who wish to prepare for their journey into the Shadowlands today can pre-purchase the expansion now.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is available in a
range of editions:
- Shadowlands Base Edition ($39.99, digital only), which comes with the expansion only, and provides a new lower entry point compared to previous expansions.
- Shadowlands Heroic Edition ($59.99, digital only), which comes with the expansion; a character boost so players can be ready to enter the Shadowlands at launch; and the Ensorcelled Everwyrm mount, which additionally provides access to a quest line through which players can earn the Vestments of the Eternal Traveler transmogrification set.
- Shadowlands Epic Edition ($79.99, digital only), which includes everything in the Heroic Edition plus the Anima Wyrmling pet; the Wraithchill cosmetic weapon effect; the Eternal Traveler’s Hearthstone, which provides a unique visual effect; and 30 days of game time.
- Shadowlands Collector’s Edition ($119.99 SRP, retail only), a limited-edition boxed set that comes with the Epic Edition content along with mementos to adorn the physical realm, including four pins bearing the sigils of the Covenants; a mouse pad reflecting the shattered sky over Icecrown; a hardcover Art of the Shadowlands book; and a key to download the Shadowlands soundtrack. The Collector’s Edition is scheduled to begin shipping from retailers starting October 13, 2020; check with your local store for pre-order availability or information regarding their shipping policies. Players who pre-purchased a digital copy of Shadowlands and who upgrade to the Collector’s Edition will automatically be credited Blizzard Balance based on their original purchase.
**All bonuses from the Heroic and Epic Editions are unlocked immediately upon pre-purchase. In + addition, pre-purchasing any edition of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will open the ability for players to create Pandaren and Allied Race Death Knights.