he World of Warcraft is constantly evolving. The people of Azeroth have discovered new lands, battled strange new creatures, and uncovered more and more of the complex history woven within the world as they adventure and explore. Interested in learning about the many ways the world has changed and grown? Read on below!
Current Patch: 2.4.0 — Click here to see the current patch notes.
You have traveled through the Dark Portal and braved the perils of Outland; you faced off against the might of the Burning Legion itself, and you prevailed. Now the journey that began with the arrival of the draenei on Azeroth and the blood elves' inclusion into the Horde is about to come full circle as a mighty army gathers to purge evil from one of Azeroth's most important loci of power: the ancient, magical Sunwell.
The stronghold of Zul'Aman has stood for millennia as the Amani trolls' seat of power and bastion of the fearless, cunning warlord Zul'jin.
Zul'jin has spent several years plotting behind Zul'Aman's walls. Furious at the Horde for allowing his hated enemies, the blood elves, to join its ranks, he eagerly embraced a scheme that the witch doctor Malacrass recently proposed: to seal the power of the animal gods within the bodies of the Amani's strongest warriors.
Now Zul'Aman's army grows more powerful by the day, hungry to exact vengeance in the name of its fearless leader, Zul'jin.
Voice chat, a brand-new feature introduced in patch 2.2, will let you and your friends talk directly to each other using a microphone or headset instead of text-based chat. With this exciting new feature, you can talk to your party, your raid group, your battleground, and even players in custom channels that you can create and moderate. All this is tied into an intuitive and user-friendly chat interface that allows you to manage, moderate, and modify all your chat channels.
Celebrated by both the Horde and the Alliance, the Brewfest is a time to enjoy the fermented fruits of the harvest: pretzels, cheese, and booze! The competing breweries Thunderbrew, Barleybrew, and the Ogres, all come together outside of all the major cities in a bid to outdo each other with their special ales, meads, and beers.
The Temple of Karabor was the center of draenei worship until its priests were slaughtered by demonically corrupted orcs. In the massacre's aftermath the warlocks of the Shadow Council seized the structure and gave it a new name: The Black Temple.
When the Alliance invaded Draenor after the Second War, the orc shaman Ner'zhul hastily opened several dimensional portals in order to escape. The resulting magical backlash ripped the world apart. Drawn by these portals, the pit lord Magtheridon arrived in what had come to be known as Outland and took the temple as his seat of power.
His dominion over Outland remained unchallenged until the arrival of Illidan the Betrayer. The pit lord proved no match for the wielder of the Twin Blades of Azzinoth. Today Illidan occupies the temple, awaiting any and all who would challenge his rule.
The biggest storms are often preceded by a sudden calm, as if the whole world stands still for a moment while the winds gather all their strength. This patch includes many important changes and improvements leading up to the release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, including the new PvP Honor and Arena systems. Prove your worth on the Battlegrounds and earn new, powerful PvP Honor rewards, or take the ultimate test of your team PvP skills in the new Arena System. Also, you can already learn the new class talents that will help you brave the many challenges awaiting you in Outland and beyond.
There are many new, groundbreaking features to be found in this patch, but always remember this is nothing but the calm... before the storm.
For the first time in the history of World of Warcraft, you can take on players from other realms in the battlegrounds. Replenish your mana, sharpen your blades, and get ready for some brand-new challengers! Also, this patch introduces world PvP objectives to Silithus and the Eastern Plaguelands. The stage is set for intense, objective-based land battles as Horde and Alliance vie for control over important strategic positions and resources around Azeroth.
Floating above the Plaguelands, the necropolis known as Naxxramas serves as the seat of one of the Lich King's most powerful officers, the dreaded lich Kel'Thuzad. Horrors of the past and new terrors yet to be unleashed are gathering inside the necropolis as the Lich King's servants prepare their assault. The Scourge marches again... Naxxramas is the new 40-man raid dungeon that will present even the most experienced and powerful players with an epic challenge.
Weather has at last arrived across the continents of the land. Priests' abilities have been further tuned, and many high-level raid instances have undergone significant changes, with adjustments to difficulty, rewards, and the number of players allowed to venture together into the depths of the darkest, most dangerous places of Azeroth. Prepare yourselves for the coming storm!
The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj will house two massive. unique dungeons - the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj. a 20
-man raid dungeon. and the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj. a 40-man raid dungeon. As players delve deeper
into the mysteries of Ahn'Qiraj. they will discover revelations of the Silithid infestation and
their shadowy masters. the Qiraji. Players will have to complete a world event of massive proportions
before they can open the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj on their realm.
The Great Trees of the world have been shaken to their roots; a new menace has come from the portals to the Emerald Dream. Four green dragons. once proud lieutenants of Ysera now corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare. have appeared in Azeroth to destroy the life they once dearly protected. Adventurers must ride forth and defend the land from this new threat. . .
Meanwhile in Silithus. the Cenarion Circle gathers at its Hold to research the strange goings-on both above and underneath the shifting sands. Something dangerous is stirring beyond the Scarab Wall. The Twilight's Hammer are extremely active in the area. working to uncover some unnamed evil. Can you uncover the mysteries therein?
Venture into Zul'Gurub. ancient city of the Gurubashi trolls. and do battle against the minions of the Blood God Hakkar. Aid the Zandalar tribe in restoring the proper order to the world. for they will reward your efforts with both knowledge and armor to help you in your quest.
In the Arathi Highlands. a resource-rich vale lies nestled within the mountains. There. the League of Arathor fights against the undead Defilers to gather these vital supplies for their armies. Join the battle in the name of the Horde or Alliance and take control over the Basin!
Lord Victor Nefarius has long taunted the defenders of the land during their adventures in Blackrock Spire - now. at last. his lair lies open. awaiting those daring enough to set foot within. Do battle against the black dragonflight and face off against Nefarian himself within the treacherous Blackwing Lair.
For those less inclined to do battle with dragons. the mysterious. mischievous Darkmoon Faire has been sighted around the areas of Elwynn Forest and the plains of Mulgore. Indulge in less-than-healthy faire food. enjoy the strange and wonderful games. get your fortune told by a gnoll. and imbibe cheap booze. Who could ask for more?
The troops again lusting for battle. all eyes now turn to two prime spots in Azeroth.
In the formerly pristine Alterac Valley. the Stormpike dwarves and the Frostwolf
clan of orcs fight over the rights to the strategic piece of land. Huge armies
clash upon the slopes of the snowy vale. Over in Kalimdor. the Silverwing Sentinels
of Ashenvale and the Warsong orcs battle for the forest - the night elves to save their
ancestral land. the orcs to chop it down for valuable war supplies. Both battles
require the most stalwart of soldiers; it is time to fight for lord and land!
There was no help for it; the seasoned troops on both the Horde and Alliance were
becoming beleaguered. The fierce light of battle was fading from their eyes.
Leaders feared retaliation by their enemy. assured that they would strike any day.
Something had to be done to rekindle that fire. to return vigor to their valiant soldiers. The cities of Azeroth now grant ranks to their fighters. and the craftsmen of both sides have been working feverishly to provide their armies with new items for use in the war effort. Fight on. brave and noble adventurers. and achieve glory!
Built long ago by Queen Azshara's followers, the ancient, magical city of Eldre'Thalas
was the center for the highborne's arcane research. Thousands of years have passed
since the destruction of the Well of Eternity, and the broken city's three wings
have been overrun by ghostly Highborne, satyr, and ogres. Now known as the Dire Maul,
only the most daring party of adventurers can enter this dungeon and face the ancient
evils within.
Intrepid adventurers first discovered the depths of Maraudon, a dungeon that revealed much of the mystery behind the marauding centaur clans. Denizens of Azeroth also celebrated the Feast of Winter Veil. Trading gifts, munching on cookies and eggnog, and chatting with Greatfather Winter kept both Alliance and Horde in high spirits throughout the holiday.
he World of Warcraft is constantly evolving. The people of Azeroth have discovered new lands, battled strange new creatures, and uncovered more and more of the complex history woven within the world as they adventure and explore. Interested in learning about the many ways the world has changed and grown? Read on below!
