Here’s everything you need to know about World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.
Shadowlands is World of Warcraft’s eighth expansion, and will continue directly from the events of Battle for Azeroth. Originally announced at BlizzCon 2019, Shadowlands will have us follow Sylvanas Windrunner into the afterlife as she wreaks havoc in the realm of the dead. As with any new World of Warcraft expansion, we can expect a whole host of new features to keep us busy, but Shadowlands also has big changes lined up for the residents of Azeroth. The max level will be squished from 120 down to 60, various character customization options will be made available for the first time, and there will be a whole new levelling experience to enjoy. There’s a lot to get through, so below we’ve broken down some of the most important things you’ll need to know before the release of Shadowlands. But before you dive in, treat yourself to the stunning World of Warcraft: Shadowlands cinematic trailer below. At Gamescom 2020, Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will be released on October 27,2020. There is a Shadowlands beta currently in progress, but it’s restricted to invite-only, with Blizzard sending out waves of invites every few weeks. You can opt in to the beta by heading to the official site and scrolling to the bottom of the page. Shadowlands is available to preorder now and comes with a few nifty bonuses, depending on which version you want to go with. Base Edition ($40/£35): This will nab you World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, as well as access to Pandaren and Allied Race Death Knights right now. Heroic Edition ($60/£50): As well as World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, this edition comes with a level 120 character boost, the Ensorcelled Everwyrm flying mount, and the Vestments of the Eternal Traveler transmog set quest. Epic Edition ($80/£70): This edition includes everything from the Heroic Edition, along with the Anima Wyrmling pet, the Wraithchill cosmetic weapon effect, the Eternal Traveler’s Hearthstone, and 30 days of game time. Shadowlands will take players away from Azeroth as we know it and place us in the world of the dead. Sylvanas Windrunner has destroyed the Helm of Domination, along with the current Lich King Bolvar Fordragon. In doing so, she has torn the barrier separating Azeroth and the Shadowlands beyond. Sylvanas Windrunner has always been an ambiguous character, but in recent expansions, she has been making increasingly questionable choices. This has culminated in her showdown with Saurfang in front of the gates of the Horde capital, Orgrimmar, in the latter part of Battle for Azeroth. After fleeing to Icecrown, and destroying the veil separating Azeroth from the Shadowlands, players are left with no choice but to follow her. But this is the land of the dead, so players will be able to enlist the help of familiar allies – and old enemies – to put an end to Sylvanas’ plans, whatever they may be. As with any World of Warcraft expansion, there will be new lands to explore and Shadowlands offers players five new zones to quest in. Oribos, the Eternal City, will act as the main hub for both factions and is where you’ll arrive when you first enter the Shadowlands. Then there’s Bastion, Ardenweald, Maldraxxus, Revendreth, and the max level zone, The Maw. If the Shadowlands was operating as it should, each new soul that entered would be directed to the relevant zone – and its Covenant – determined by that soul’s experiences and accomplishments in life.
