BlizzCon 2013: World of WarCraft: Warlords of Draenor Announced

BlizzCon returned for its first time in two years today. As usual, Blizzard Entertainment had some stellar announcements to make, the biggest of which was what the future of World of WarCraft beholds.

World of WarCraft: Warlords of Draenor is the name of the next expansion, signifying its return to WarCraft‘s early history where warlords such as Kargath and Ner’zhul commanded great power. It also identifies the world where WoW players will forge future memories: Draenor. Known as the land that would eventually become Outland, Burning Crusade’s main destination, players will travel back in time to experience the story where WarCraft began.

This will be the fifth expansion for the game during its 9-year tenure, this time around with a new structure. There will be no new class or race. However, the game is ripe with new content.

The highlights are below:

• Explore a Savage World: Explore the hostile world of Draenor, home of the orc and draenei races, as it once existed, and adventure in all-new zones alongside characters central to Warcraft history.
• Build Your Garrison: Construct, command, and expand your own customizable stronghold on Draenor, and gather NPC followers to collect resources and embark on missions on your orders.
• Instantly Upgrade to Level 90: Boost one character of your choosing to be ready to adventure on Draenor, making it easier than ever to enjoy the latest content alongside your friends.
• New Player Character Art: Character models and animations for many of World of Warcraft’s existing playable races are being fully revamped in keeping with the game’s iconically epic style.
• Adventure to Level 100: Reach new heights of power and unlock bonuses to further enhance your abilities on your way to the new level cap of 100.
• …And More: Take on a wide array of Dungeons, Raids, Scenarios, Battlegrounds, Challenge Modes, and more—no matter what kind of content you enjoy, new adventures await.

And the announcement trailer:

World of WarCraft: Warlords of Draenor currently has no release date, but is likely to be out during the 2014 Holiday season. Look out for beta information in the near future.

BlizzCon 2013 Gallery