Summary
World of Warcraftis without doubt the biggest and most influential MMORPG ever. Launched in 2004, World of Warcraft revolutionized the role-playing genre through the sprawling world of Azeroth - a vast, treacherous, open world full of adventures to be had with your custom character. With deep lore, complex game mechanics, and a slow progression system, World of Warcraft is more than a game - it’s a lifestyle.
There have been numerous expansions to the original World of Warcraft launch, with each one adding unique content and updates to the already massive base game. In this list, we’re running down each World of Warcraft expansion in chronological order, covering what they brought to the game and when.
Updated on August 03, 2025, by Gonçalo Santos:The ever-expanding World of Warcraft universe is getting yet another expansion, with a different twist, this time. Chris Metzen has returned to the Warcraft team and, as Executive Creative Director, is taking us into the first multi-expansion-spanning storyline. Where will the Worldsoul Saga take us?
This article contains spoilers for the plot of World of Warcraft
2007
70
Notable additions
New playable races: Blood Elf (Horde) & Drainei (Alliance) PvP content, the world of Outland, flying mounts, new staring areas, profession changes, new dungeons and raids.
The Burning Crusade was the first expansion to World of Warcraft. The expansion’s title refers to the ‘Burning Legion’ - an army of demons unleashed upon Azeroth by the Doom Lord Kazzak. To defend their lands, both the Alliance and Horde must travel to the ravaged world of Outland to do battle with the Burning Legion.
As well as the new world of Outland, The Burning Crusade introduced two new races to the game - the Drainei (Alliance) and the Blood Elves (Horde). These new races added new lore and flavor to Azeroth, whilst also opening previously unavailable classes to both the Horde & Alliance. Alliance players could now play the previously Horde-exclusive Shaman class by creating a Drainei Shaman, and Horde players could now use the Paladin class with the newly added Blood Elf race.
2008
80
Introduced hero class: Death Knight, new mounts, Inscription profession, PvP content, new dungeons, and raids.
Blizzard continued to expand World of Warcraft by releasing Wrath of the Lich King in 2008. After a period of peace following the events of The Burning Crusade, an undead Scourge led by the Lich King launched a fierce attack on Azeroth. With the fate of Azeroth in the balance, the rivalrous Alliance and Horde must join forces to infiltrate the land of Northrend to face the Lich King and his army of undead servants.
Wrath of the Lich King introduced new worlds and antagonists, but its most notable addition was World of Warcraft’s first ‘hero’ class - the Death Knight. Hero classes are those that begin at a higher level than level 1, with Death Knights starting at level 55 (creation reliant on the player having already leveled another character to level 55). Death Knights can play as a tank or DPS (damage dealer) and were available to every race in the game at the time. As well as this new class, Wrath of the Lich King increased the level cap from 70 to 80 and established the new profession, Inscription.
2010
85
New playable races: Worgen and Goblin, landscape alterations to Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, new class and race combos, PvP dungeon Baradin Hold, Archeology profession, new leveling zones, new dungeons and raids.
After over two decades in the ashes, the wicked dragon Deathwing the Destroyer (originally Neltharion the Earth Warder) returns to wreak fiery havoc on Azeroth. As well as reshaping Azeroth’s landscape, Deathwing’s return causes further political tension between the Alliance and Horde, who are both under serious threat from his cataclysm.
Cataclysm saw players take their characters through a new-looking Azeroth full of flooded locales and lava-stricken landscapes, with the ability to reach level 85 through their adventures. In terms of character creation, two new races were added in Worgen (Alliance) and Goblin (Horde), and certain classes were opened up to previously incompatible races. For example, players could now make a Human Hunter or a Dwarf Shaman.
2012
90
New playable race: Pandaren, additional PvP content, new dungeons and raids, pet battle system, new playable class: Monk, new mounts, overhaul of talent system.
Horde forces struck Alliance territory hard in the wake of Deathwing’s demise, stoking the already fiery conflict even more. Maritime battles fought in the Great Sea saw both Alliance and Horde forces wash up on the newly emerged land of Pandaria, a mysterious continent inhabited by an ancient race known as the Pandaren.
Pandaren was the first neutral race to be introduced in World of Warcraft, being available to both Alliance and Horde factions - a mechanic that intertwines with the plot of this expansion. Mists of Pandaria also introduced a new playable class, Monk, which could be used to heal, tank, or DPS. The level cap was also pushed to level 90, with plenty of new dungeons and raids added to help players reach that summit.
2014
100
New zones, updated character models, group finder system, new world: Draenor, new dungeons and raids, sandbox PvP zone: Ashran.
After the Horde war chief Garrosh Hellscream is thwarted in an Alliance-Horde coup, he escapes his imprisonment and time-travels back 35 years to Draenor, the native home of the Orcs. His subsequent actions create an alternative timeline that threatens the existence of both the Alliance and Horde, who must join forces to clash with Hellscream’s newly-formed “Iron Horde.”
To support an epic story, Warlords of Draenor increased the character level cap to 100, established a new group-finder system for multi-player activities, and introduced the land of Draenor, including eight new dungeons and three new raids. A new sandbox-style PvP area called Ashran was also added.
2016
110
New hero class: Demon Hunter, additional character slot, PvP Honor system, Class orders that allow you to enlist NPCs, new continent: Broken Isles, new world bosses, additional dungeons and raids.
The story of Legion is underpinned by a demonic invasion of Azeroth caused by the Orc Warlock, Gul’dan, and The Burning Legion. To fight the invasion, the Alliance and Horde must join forces once again, enlisting the help of both the Argent Crusade and the newly introduced Demon Hunters to thwart the demonic attacks causing chaos across Azeroth.
Legion’s plot gives rise to the addition of the new Demon Hunter class. As World of Warcraft’s sophomore ‘hero class,’ Demon Hunters initially started at Level eight in a progression mechanic similar to the first hero class, Death Knight. Demon Hunters are only available to the Night Elf and Blood Elf races. Legion also added a new playable area in The Broken Isles, as well as five new dungeons, two new raids, and powerful ‘artifact weapons’ that grow in power as the play progresses through the expansion’s story.
2018
120
New races: Highmountain Tauren, Nightborne, Zandalari Troll for the Horde,Void Elf, Lightforged Draenei, Dark Iron Dwarf for the Alliance, overhauled PvP system, new leveling zones, Island expeditions, Heart of Azeroth mechanic.
The end of Legion sees the Titan, Sargeras, stab Azeroth with a giant sword before his imprisonment, causing the world to bleed a magical substance known as ‘Azerite’ from its wounds. With Azerite offering immense power, both the Alliance and Horde want to harness it for themselves, causing a chain of events that lead to The Fourth War.
Battle for Azeroth introduced a whopping six races and made drastic changes to PvP play. Instead of opting into PvP servers (which were removed), players are required to turn on ‘War Mode’ if they wish to participate in open-world PvP. This change came with new PvP scaling and balancing mechanics. This expansion also introduced the Heart of Azeroth, an amulet that fills the character’s neck slot and grows in power as the player collects Azerite.
2020
60 (existing characters squished back to 50 upon installation)
Overhauled leveling system, character customization, Covenant system, new world: Shadowlands, new dungeons, and raids, map pin system,
After Sylvanus Windrunnerdefeats the Lich King in Battle for Azeroth, she tears his crown in two, causing the sky above Icecrown Citadel to shatter and expose a portal to the Shadowlands. Sylvanus becomes a servant of the Jailer, an Arbiter of the Shadowlands, and sends dark beings to kidnap key political figures on both sides of Azeroth. Before order is lost, The Heroes of Azeroth (established in Battle for Azeroth) must join forces with a group of Death Knights to infiltrate the Shadowlands and foil the Jailer’s wicked plans.
Shadowlandswas the first World of Warcraft expansion to ‘squish’ the level cap from 120 to 60, with existing characters ‘squished’ back to level 50 for an overhauled leveling experience. This new experience takes place in the Shadowlands (The Realm of the Dead), a vast new world comprised of five zones. Players are also required to align themselves with one of four ancient Covenants, each boasting its own story and questline.
2022
New playable race: Dracthyr, new class: Evoker (exclusive to Dracthyr),customizable dragon mountsthrough Dragonriding feature, new zones, new dungeons and raids, new continent: The Dragon Isles.
Dragonflightexpands on the Deathwing storyline within World of Warcraft. After 20,000 years, members of an anthropomorphous dragonkin race, known as the Dracthyr, awaken from a stasis-like state placed upon them by Deathwing. Their home of The Dragon Isles is revealed in Azeroth, prompting the Horde and Alliance to conduct a joint investigation, which ensnares them in a series of events that threaten the existence of Dragonkind itself.
As well as re-pushing the level cap up to 70, Dragonflight introduces a new playable race-class combo in the Dracthyr and their exclusive casting class, Evoker. Perhaps the most exciting addition was the Dragonriding feature, which allows players to customize and upgrade a unique Dragon mount with over 50 customization options. Whilst Dragonriding can only be conducted in The Dragon Isles, there isplenty in this new continent to doand explore, including three new raids and eight new dungeons.
2024
Delves as a new and fresh content type. Warbands and Hero Talent trees. A new allied race, the Earthen. Dragonridingbecomes Skyriding, a slightly minor rework of the system added in Dragonflight. Takes place in Khaz Algar.
The War Within is the first expansion in WoW that is a part of something bigger: The Worldsoul Saga.
The story, headed by Chris Metzen, surrounds around the very heart of Azeroth, and will bring us back to the narratives surrounding the Titans and how the planet we hold so dear came to be, and what secrets might be hidden in her entrails. The Worldsoul Saga kicks off as we chase Xal’atath into the depths of Azeroth herself, with the Harbinger of the Void intent on creating a new army.
This expansion brings with it a lot of intriguing features, alongside a lot of quality of life updates that fans have been requesting for years. Warbands make WoW a much more alt-friendly experience, and content like the Delves are very welcome additions for players who mostly engage with the game solo.
