The next chapter of the World of Warcraft franchise was announced at BlizzCon earlier today and it will begin with the game’s 10th expansion: The War Within, which is currently available to pre-order.
The War Within will go live sometime in 2024 although no official release date has been announced by Blizzard at this time. It’s likely, though, that the game will be launched at some point in the second half of the year, as has been tradition for recent WoW expansions.
As is usually the case with WoW expansion pre-order bonuses, players who purchase The War Within early will get access to plenty of in-game rewards, such as mounts, toys, and even extra time added to their WoW subscription.
Here’s what’s included in each of the three editions for WoW’s upcoming expansion, The War Within.
All editions of WoW: The War Within and their pre-order bonuses
Listed below, you’ll find all of the pre-order bonuses for each of the three editions of WoW: The War Within, with what’s included in the base, heroic, and epic editions of the expansion.
WoW: The War Within Base Edition
The base edition of WoW: The War Within includes the following items:
- Access to the expansion at launch.
- Complete access to all WoW Dragonflight features.
- A level 70 character boost.
- 500 Trader’s Tender.
WoW: The War Within Heroic Edition
The WoW: The War Within Heroic Edition contains all Base Edition items above as well as:
- Algarian Stormrider bonus mount.
- Stormrider’s Attire cosmetic transmog set.
- 750 Trader’s Tender.
WoW: The War Within Epic Edition
Alongside the above Base and Heroic Edition items, the WoW: The War Within Epic Edition includes the most extras of the three:
- Beta access to The War Within
- Early access to The War Within, starting three days before the official launch of the expansion
- Squally, the Storm Hatchling pet
- Sandbox Storm Gryphon toy
- 1,000 Trader’s Tender
- 30 days of WoW subscription time
Which edition of WoW: The War Within should you purchase?
Frankly, it’s up to you (and your wallet) when it comes to deciding which version of The War Within you should purchase.
If you’re a WoW collector or completionist, the Epic Edition is going to be the best option for you. However, if you’re just someone who only wants to play the game and really couldn’t care less about any of the extra toys or mounts that come with the stepped-up versions of the expansion, you’re better off purchasing the base edition.
What separates The War Within from previous WoW expansions is the three-day early access period that players who order the epic edition of the game will receive. This new period will give players who spend an extra $30 USD an early head start on the leveling process, as they’ll be able to dive into the new expansion a full 72 hours before the rest of the player base.
In many ways, this can be viewed as an unfair advantage for certain players—especially those competing in the race to get to max-level first. If you find yourself in the population of players who absolutely cannot miss out on that expansion launch experience or are someone who is easily susceptible to “FOMO,” the epic edition might be up your alley.
However, with how negatively-received the early access period has been with fans just a few hours into the pre-order period, we wouldn’t bank on it sticking around as a potential feature.
WoW: The War Within will launch next year, and it’s currently available to pre-order in the Blizzard store.
