When was 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, 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.
World of Warcraft The War Within charts the first installment of the Worldsoul 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. Our WoW The War Within review calls it “a true return to form” that “fulfills the redemption Dragonflight started.” If you’re itching to get back in the fight, here’s everything you need to know about The War Within.
WoW The War Within release date
World of Warcraft: The War Within released on Monday, August 26, 2024. The expansion went live at 3 pm PDT / 6pm EST / 11pm BST / 12am CEST / 8am AEST.
Players who purchased the Epic Edition of The War Within could opt into the three-day early access period prior to the official release date.
The War Within pre-patch went live on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, introducing warbands, skyriding, and cross-realm guilds. It also included the Radiant Echoes limited-time pre-patch event that concluded on The War Within’s release date. Players who wrapped up the Harbinger questline in WoW Dragonflight could complete Visions of Azeroth leading into The War Within.
The 11.0.5 expansion content update following The War Within’s launch is set to arrive sometime around October and November, unveiling 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 beta
The War Within beta went live on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, and was automatically available to all players who preordered the Epic Edition. The beta included a complete leveling experience, with access to four new zones and eight dungeons. We could also experience many of the new gameplay features reported below, including the new race, warbands, and delves.
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 transports 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 sets 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. Magni Bronzebeard is also along for the ride, given his deep connection to Azeroth’s world-soul in his role as Speaker. Meanwhile, Xal’atath, the Harbinger is The War Within’s major antagonist, last seen in the Crucible of Storms during the Battle for Azeroth expansion.
If you’re curious how The War Within differentiates itself from high-stake expansions like Shadowlands, our WoW The War Within preview is the perfect primer.
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.
The War Within races
Following in the footsteps of previous expansions, The War Within debuts 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.
Alongside the Earthen race, we can also 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 was also introduced 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. If this new feature sounds right up your alley, catch up with our conversation with executive producer Holly Longdale about how Blizzard plans to better serve the WoW The War Within’s solo players going forward.
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 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
As you set sail into the first part of the Worldsoul saga, why not take a quick look through our WoW 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 game and make the toughest dungeons, raids, and quests far easier to clear.