World of Warcraftis undoubtedly one of the most influential PC games to date. The massively popular title has been redefining the MMORPG genre since its release in 2004, and still boasts millions of players today. Many staples of video game culture, from the popularization of guilds and raids to the overuse of the word “epic” can be traced back toWorld of Warcraft’s success.
But if returning to the game’s roots withWorld of Warcraft Classichas proven anything, it’s that the game has evolved considerably over its 17-year history. Each ofWoW’s eight expansions have made significant changes, altering players' expectations along the way.
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The Burning Crusade (2007)
The Burning Crusadewas the very first expansionforWorld of Warcraft. In addition to providing a massive influx of content, it also defined what aWoWexpansion could be. Blood Elves and Draenei appeared as playable races and the level cap was raised from 60 to 70.TBCalso marked the first time that players were able to get their hands on flying mounts, a major turning point forWoW’s endgame.
Wrath of the Lich King (2008)
13 years after its release,Wrath of the Lich Kingis still revered amongWoWplayersas one of its greatest expansions.WotLKwas the first expansion to add a new class to the game: the Death Knight. Perhaps even more importantly,Wrathadded the Dungeon Finder, marking the first time thatWorld of Warcraftplayers could use a matchmaking system to tackle dungeons. This feature made a huge portion ofWoW’s content accessible to more players than ever before, earning the game an army of lifelong fans.
Cataclysm (2010)
Though it was a bit light on massive story beats and explosive raids,Cataclysmmarkeda major change forWorld of Warcraft.Azeroth was completely redesigned, as were the leveling experience, questing system, and talent trees. The level cap was raised once again, this time from 80 to 85, and Worgen and Goblins were added to the game as playable races.Cataclysmalso marked the first appearance of Transmogrification, allowing players to alter a piece of gear’s appearance without changing its stats.
Mists of Pandaria (2012)
Introducing both the Pandaren race and the Monk class,Mists of Pandariainvited numerous comparisons toKung Fu Panda. The game’s fourth expansion added a new continent to explore, as well asPokemon-inspired Pet Battles.MoPalso marked the introduction of raids that could scale in difficulty according to group size.
Warlords of Draenor (2014)
Warlords of Draenoris one of the least popular expansions inWoW’s history, doing little to change the core structure of the game. Outside of adding Mythic raids and updating the graphics,WoD’s biggest contribution was raising the level cap from 90 to 100. Though the Garrison system was considered underwhelming during its time, its Shipyard component served as a precursor for the mission tables that would become a mainstay in later expansions.
Legion (2016)
Legionintroduced the Demon Hunter toWorld of Warcraft, adding a twelfth playable class to the game. The expansion also marked the first appearance of Mythic Plus Dungeons, which have now becomea staple ofWoW’s endgame content. In addition to raising the level cap to 110,Legionalso added class-specific Order Halls, incentivizing players to level up multiple alts.
Battle for Azeroth (2018)
Battle for Azerothis another ofWorld of Warcraft’s least popular expansions, doing little to fundamentally change the game. The expansion’s controversial Heart of Azeroth upgrade system tied the power level of most gear to a single necklace, making the endgame loot grind repetitive and unexciting. On the plus side,BfAraised the level cap to 120 and added a slew of unlockable allied races to the game. It also allowed players to opt in or out of PvP using the toggleable War Mode option, eliminating the need for separate PvP and PvE servers.
Shadowlands (2020)
Released in November,Shadowlandshas already drastically changed the leveling experience. In addition to implementing a level squish that reduced the max level from 120 to 60, the expansion also added a new starting area to the game. New characters can now level from 1 to 10 in Exile’s Reach before playing through one ofWoW’s previous expansions to level from 10 to 50.Shadowlandsalso added upgradeable Covenants to the game, combining the best parts ofLegion’s Order Halls andWarlords ofDraenor’s Garrisons. With a new patch coming later this year,Shadowlandspromises to make even more changesto Blizzard’s incredibly popular MMO.
