When is the WoW The War Within release date? The tenth World of Warcraft expansion takes us deep beneath the earth, to a subterranean world that harbors the mysteries of Azeroth’s creation. This expansion is more ambitious than any other that has come before it, and that’s before we get into all the new content we’ve come to expect from a WoW expansion. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot to cover.
WoW The War Within charts the first installment of The Wordsoul Saga, a multi-expansion storyline celebrating twenty years of World of Warcraft by tying off loose plot threads in the MMORPG and setting the stage for a bold new era. Dragonflight’s dynamic flying returns, offering a fresh alternative to exploration on foot as we venture down into the new zones of Khaz Algar. There’s also a gamut of new dungeons and raids to clear, unique story-driven endgame activities, and a new titan-forged Allied Race. Here’s all you need to know about WoW The War Within.
WoW The War Within release date window
World of Warcraft The War Within is due to release on PC and Mac “on or before December 2024” according to a Blizzard blog post announcing the beta. Blizzard’s official WoW roadmap places the expansion after the 11.0.1 pre-patch in early Summer.
The beta test is due sometime around late Spring and early Summer, according to Blizzard’s official blog and you can now sign up for The War Within beta now. This beta period will be open to all players who purchase the Epic Edition, and any feedback will be implemented in the short months between the test period and the expansion. Anyone can sign up to the beta, though, via the official website.
Once the WoW The War Within release date arrives, the 11.0.5 expansion content update will unveil new quests and story developments, as well as the official 20th-anniversary event to celebrate the longevity of one of the best PC games of all time.
The War Within trailers
We caught our first glimpse of WoW The War Within in the announcement trailer that aired at Blizzcon 2023. This cinematic sequence depicts Thrall and Anduin in the Silithus Desert, as the King of Stormwind struggles to process the trauma he endured at the hands of Sylvanas and Zovaal the Jailer.
Anduin rejects Thrall’s suggestion to reclaim the Light, though it’s clear the two have bigger problems at hand – namely, the strange visions that they’ve both been experiencing, calling to them from Azeroth’s heart. While neither of them can ascertain the voice in the visions, they vow to stand with one another. The trailer culminates in a final lingering shot of the Sword of Sargeras, impaled into the earth.
The War Within story
The Worldsoul Saga will transport us to the never-before-seen depths of WoW’s lore, pitting the Light against the Void for the first time. Executive creative director Chris Metzen described it as “too big to contain” in a single expansion. Instead, The War Within will set the stage for the events that will play out in Midnight and The Last Titan, the successive expansions already announced.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The War Within’s story hinges upon the radiant visions afflicting the RPG’s most notable characters, including Anduin Wrynn, Thrall, and Alleria Windrunner. These visions necessitate an expedition deep beneath the earth to uncover their source. We also expect Magni Bronzebeard to come along for the ride, given his deep connection to Azeroth’s world-soul in his role as the Speaker. Meanwhile, Xal’atath, the Harbinger is confirmed as The War Within’s major antagonist, last seen in the Crucible of Storms during the Battle for Azeroth expansion.
The War Within zones
The War Within introduces Khaz Algar, a new realm split into four distinct zones. The Worldsoul Saga kicks off on the Isle of Dorn and continues down through The Ringing Deeps and Hallowfall to culminate in Azhj-Kahet, the last kingdom of the Nerubians. The Earthen’s capital city of Dornogal, located on the Isle of Dorn, serves as our main respite from the deep – as well as a neutral ground between the Alliance and Horde. We also expect to encounter Arathi settlements and Nerubian outposts along the way.
The War Within races
Following earlier expansions in the long-standing MMO, The War Within is set to debut a new playable race. The Earthen Allied Race is available to both Alliance and Horde and can be unlocked during the expansion’s main story campaign. These Titan-forged proto-dwarves have populated Azeroth since ‘vanilla’ WoW, most notably in the lost Titan strongholds of Ulduar, Uldaman, and Uldum. While the Earthen race is already furnished with a rich history that harks back to the primordial era of WoW’s lore, we expect plenty of revelations as we delve into the Worldsoul Saga.
Alongside the Earthen race, we can also expect to encounter the Arathi in their underground home of Hallowfall as they attempt to push back the Nerubians from their seat of power in Azj-Kahet. The Nerubian legion is led by Xal’atath, Harbinger of the Void, an ancient entity that was once sealed within a dagger. Now free after the events of Battle for Azeroth, Xal’atath’s exact whereabouts and motivations are unknown, though it’s clear that she’s rallied the Nerubians to her cause.
The War Within dungeons and raids
The War Within includes eight new dungeons – four to tackle as you level up, and four for an additional challenge at the expansion’s endgame.
The four new level-up dungeons are:
- The Rookery
- The Stonevault
- Priory of the Sacred Flame
- City of Threads
The four new max-level dungeons are:
- Cinderbrew Meadery
- Darkflame Cleft
- The Dawnbreaker
- Old City
A new raid is also arriving as part of The War Within expansion. Nerub’ar Palace is an eight-boss raid that takes the fight to the Nerubian Empire and Xal’atath within Azj-Kahet itself. The raid kicks off with a tumble into a pit of an Old God’s blood, continuing through the Harvest Pits and Stalactite Wing to reach the Nerubian Queen’s chambers.
The War Within delves
Delves are a new form of instance that offers a change of pace from the usual gamut of dungeons and raids at endgame. These short adventures can be cleared in as little as ten minutes and can be tackled alone or as part of a group of up to five players. An NPC accompanies you through this bite-sized morsel of content, and each one ties into the story of The War Within in some fashion.
Here are the delves and their locations:
- Earthcrawl Mines (Isle of Dorne)
- Kriefval’s Rest (Isle of Dorne)
- Fungal Folly (Isle of Dorne)
- Skittering Breach (Hallowfall)
- Nightfall Sanctum (Hallowfall)
- The Sinkhole (Hallowfall)
- Mycomancer Cavern (Hallowfall)
- The Waterworks (The Ringing Deeps)
- The Dread Pit (The Ringing Deeps)
- Deepwalker Hold (The Ringing Deeps)
- The Spiral Weave (Azj-Kahet)
- Rak-Rethan Abyss (Azj-Kahet)
We don’t expect to make it to the end of a delve without a fight, but their flexible format means more platforming and puzzles than is usually present in dungeons and raids. Each delve culminates in a treasure trove of loot, including gold, cosmetics, and even a flying mount. Various characteristics of each delve can change over time, which should keep things fresh as the expansion rumbles on.
The War Within special editions
There are three editions of WoW The War Within available to purchase. While the base edition grants players access to WoW Dragonflight and a character boost to level 70, the Heroic and Epic editions include additional bonuses such as early access, cosmetics, and mounts.
The War Within Heroic Edition includes:
- Algarian Stormrider mount
- Stormrider’s Attire transmog set
The War Within Epic Edition includes:
- Algarian Stormrider mount
- Stormrider’s Attire transmog set
- The War Within beta access
- The War Within early access
- 30 days of game time
- Squally, the Storm Hatchling pet
- Sandbox Storm Gryphon toy
- Deepdweller’s Earthen Hearthstone effect
While you wait to set sail or hop into the first part of the saga, why not take a quick look through our WoW Dragonflight tier list to get a feel of the best builds? Alternatively, you can browse around our rundown on all the best WoW addons for free ways to spice up Blizzard’s venerable RPG and make your adventures, raids, and all much easier.