Blizzard Entertainment showed off World of Warcraft’s next major expansion, Shadowlands, last year at BlizzCon 2019, leaving fans of the game anxious to explore the Realm of the Dead for the first time.
When players cross into the Realm of the Dead, they’ll be able to explore five new zones, including Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, Revendreth, and Maw—the last of which will feature a new trial area, the Tower of the Damned.
In the Shadowlands expansion, players can choose between one of four Covenants: the Kyrian, Night Fae, Venthyr, and Necrolords. Each Covenant will come with its own campaign, and as players level up, they’ll earn class-based abilities based on their chosen Covenant. Similarly, they’ll develop Soulbinds with Covenant members and will unlock access to the character’s traits and bonuses.
Additionally, Shadowlands will feature improved character customization and a new leveling system. Max-level characters will begin their journey through the Realm of the Dead at level 50 and will be able to work their way up to a new level cap of 60.
When does Shadowlands launch?
Blizzard originally announced that Shadowlands would launch on Oct. 27, but the developer later postponed the release to later this year without setting a specific date.
At the end of October, just days after the expansion was supposed to come out, Blizzard updated the projected release date for the game as Nov. 23. If there are no more complications, that’s when players can expect to finally step into the Shadowlands.
Fans of the game can pre-purchase the expansion from Blizzard’s store in three different bundles. The base edition costs $39.99, while the Heroic and Epic editions are $59.99 and $79.99, respectively.
Those who purchase the Heroic edition will receive a level-120 character boost, the Ensorcelled Everwyrm mount, and access to the Vestments of the Eternal Traveler transmogrification set. Players who buy the Epic edition will unlock the rewards from the Heroic edition plus an Anima Wyrmpling pet, a cosmetic weapon effect, and the Eternal Traveler’s Hearthstone.
The release date announcement came following months of testing that started with a closed alpha in April. On July 15, beta testing was made accessible to a larger base of players.
