Free WoW: Battle for Azeroth servers. Review of the World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth add-on - the war between the Alliance and the Horde flared up with renewed vigor! Wow battle for azeroth what's new

At Gamescom we met with the developers of a major expansion for World of Warcraft - Battle for Azeroth. WoW Producer Michael Bybee and Lead Environment Artist Ely Cannon told us a lot of interesting things.

Journey to the New World

So, the add-on was officially launched last week. This happened simultaneously for all regions, which was a new achievement for the creators of WoW. The launch took place without special problems, and this made the team very happy.

Representatives of the alliance and horde have already begun to explore the locations of Kul Tiras and Zandalar. They complete quests, receive rewards, and enjoy an amazing story. Many players have reached the new level cap of 120 and gained access to additional content. Among other things, they opened world quests on two continents and began to explore special storylines that are only available at the maximum level.

Always be ready

The already implemented war mode is popular. In it, the player is constantly ready for PvP battles, receiving additional experience and other pleasant bonuses for this. The mode can be activated in the faction capital. This is a very fun innovation that allows, for example, the entire zone to attack aggressive players or organize internal competitions.

The development team has a lot of patches in their plans, when creating them they hope for feedback from players. Moreover, not every patch will have another raid. Basically, these will be local, small events that will fit well into the realities of what is happening.

Classic Warcraft universe

A new interesting mode will appear soon - fronts. These are PvE battles designed for 20 people. When creating the mode, the developers were inspired by the mechanics of the original Warcraft 3. In it, you will play the role of a hero-commander leading a small group of warriors into battle. Each participant will be at the head of his own group. It will also be possible to extract resources and build a base. Towards the end of the confrontation, the final assault on the fortress will begin, after which all heroes will fight with the enemy commander. By defeating him, they will successfully capture the territory, receive a reward and gain access to additional quests.

Initially, the Arathi Highlands, where the battle will take place, belongs to the Alliance. To enter the battle for this territory, the Horde will have to collect a certain amount of resources. Once she collects them, she will attack and is guaranteed to win. This is done to ensure that no one faction can control a strategically important area for too long. Having lost possession, the Alliance will also begin collecting resources, after which it will attack and return what was lost. And so on in a circle. The battle will take approximately 30-45 minutes.

Let's go on an epic trek

The first Uldir raid will begin on September 4th. It will open first on Normal and Heroic difficulties, and then on Mythic difficulties. In a few days, the first wing will open in the raid finder, and after two weeks, the second wing will open. The opening of the third wing is supposedly scheduled for October 10th.

When will Thrall return?

"Should we expect to wait for a return former leader Thrall's hordes from his so-called "maternity leave"? Producer Michael Bybee answered the question, saying that he personally and the entire team love this character very much, and, of course, he is not forgotten. But he is not yet ready to give an official statement about the leader’s return.

We remember that the Cataclysm expansion ended very vaguely, with fire, lava and a giant tidal wave marking the beginning of a new era. What she will bring to the leader and the newly minted shaman Thrall is unknown.

It's interesting that some people consider the union of Thrall and Aggra to be fake by calling a female character « filler » for those who dreamed of uniting the orc leader and his beautiful partner Jaina. Perhaps in the future we will learn more details about the life of this ambiguous union of hearts.

» WoW will never be the same - we explain why.

Burning the World Tree “lowly” is the norm

The game map has been completely redrawn. Sylvanas Windrunner, the new leader of the Horde, burns one of the night elves' four World Trees, Teldrassil. For what? She decided to prove that she was not weak. As a result, centuries of history and thousands of innocent civilians are burned alive, and the survivors are deprived of their homes.

The continent of Kalimdor is finally occupied by Horde troops.

Anduin Wrynn - assassin

The young king Rynn, who once stood up for peace, was friends with the tauren and until the last tried to reason with the half-mad orc Garrosh, leads a crusade of avengers from the Alliance to the capital of the undead - Undercity. Not without losses, but the city is taken, but Sylvanas screws everyone here too: the residents are evacuated, and the settlement itself is filled with a raging plague. Because they can, and honor is for weaklings from the Alliance. As a result, the holders of the blue flag, bound by moral principles, remain the Horde's neighbor, but no longer in Lordaeron.

On this side of the Great Sea there are now only isolated blood elves.

Wartime laws

The essence of the addition is war, and not with a common enemy, with whom both factions quite recently fought side by side, but with each other. This war will change everyone. Neither the Horde, nor the Alliance, nor Sylvanas, nor young Anduin will be the same.

In the first, large-scale fermentation began on the topic that the faction was no longer the same (as if everything that happened after Thrall always suited everyone). The second does not like to be a punching bag on which the third, the Banshee Queen, trains her treachery and cunning. Well, the fourth one simply changed too much and abruptly. Although Anduin is the easiest to understand: his country is being torn to pieces, and his father was brutally drowned in corruption due to the fault of Sylvanas.

The rest clearly fell victim to marketers who decided to dedicate the new addition to the war. Obviously, the writers had to quickly fit the current story into the reality of the new add-on. That is why the add-on has serious problems with the motivation of the heroes and the plot.

Well, what did you want? The main villain of the universe flew into the Twisting Nether, but the promise to release add-ons every two years is still in force.

Admiral Proudmoore was right

Admiral Proudmoore is no longer a villain. He is the hero that Kul Tiras considers him to be. He said from the very beginning that the Horde cannot be trusted and cannot be negotiated with. And so it happened.

Jaina, his daughter, regrets what happened and repents the most. As a result, the Daughter of the Seas, distraught after the loss of Theramore, looks like one of the coolest, most motivated and interesting heroes of the expansion. And her song is great. Listen if you haven't already.

#ForgiveUsAdmiral

Two powerful sea empires have appeared in the game

Kul Tiras is an old maritime nation and the homeland of Jaina. The location looks incredibly atmospheric and cool. Things here, however, are bad. Corruption reigns all around, and crowds of internal enemies like witches and rebel clans are tearing the islands apart. Which, however, plays into the hands of the Alliance, which, having solved these problems, will again persuade old allies to join the faction. The area is very good visually, the quests are interesting, and between them we are regularly offered to watch colorful videos.

Long live Zandalar!

Zandalar are the same trolls that everyone has been fighting with for many years. Now, however, they have problems at home, and the Horde, which has come to the rescue, will help solve them. Naturally, for a reason. Such power can significantly strengthen an already powerful fighting machine.

The locations do not look as stylish and original as Kul Tiras, but there is also something to see in the bloody swamps and the giant golden city. In addition, there are thousands of small islands scattered in the Great Sea, the resources of which heroes can capture by competing with updated AI in new events - island expeditions.

More quests for the quest god

What? Were there a lot of them in “”? But no! Because now quests are everywhere.

A huge number of tasks await us both in Kul Tiras and in Zandalar. And when you finish leveling up, you will need to finish some more things to level up your reputation. Oh yeah, after that you need to go and do world quests on both new continents to receive rewards and unlock access to dungeons. Yes, and professions require the completion of a number of tasks.

In general, now there are enough quests for everyone. And there will still be change left.

All your past achievements are of no interest to anyone here.

The artifact you spent so much time grinding has become a useless piece of wood or metal. All legendary items will be disabled after level 115. And titles like “High Lord” and “Lord of Death” no longer impress anyone. You will be addressed as a “mainland wanderer” or “foreigner.”

The recently founded class order will also remain a thing of the past. You will live in a tavern, and give out new tasks to your comrades (they migrated here too) on a ship moored nearby. There is no place for great heroes here.

Now go and collect some shells from the beach!

Prepare to suffer

Already in the second half of pumping each monster, you will be picking for quite a long time. And after its completion, the characteristics will be so ridiculous that you will have to sweat a lot if you accidentally catch a pack of three enemies. World quests at level 120 look quite comical.

Even with PvP mode enabled, the Horde and Alliance often helpfully help each other with monsters. Because they share each other’s pain from meeting the harsh reality of “”, where every extra NPC can send you to the cemetery.

Add to this the non-working artifact talents and the unimproved “Heart of Azeroth” (a new artifact-necklace that gives special bonuses to some armor elements), and you get a new reality where you need to unite in groups with other players. Just like the good old days.

The coolest character in the expansion is Troll

The most interesting character in the expansion goes to the Zandalari. Well, that is, how he got it: to be precise, it was the Zandalari who got it. We are, of course, talking about the Loa of Death or Bwonsamdi. This is a troll deity, responsible for life after death and very fond of entering into seductive contracts with mortals. The latter give them unprecedented power, but the price for this is great.

Bwonsamdi is incredibly cool. He masterfully chooses moments and binds the heroes with heavy obligations. It also looks cool and sounds very cool. First of all, thanks to the excellent acting. At least in the English version. If the heroes end up in the cemetery by force of chance, then he waits for them here, making malicious comments. Honestly, for us, the Loa of Death turned out to be the main reason to complete Horde quests, which do not take place in such memorable locations as those of the Alliance.

So what should we do about it now?

« Battle for Azeroth"did not leave the same factions, heroes, or gameplay, nor, in fact, the players who discuss in every possible way what is happening on the Internet. At the very least, the event turned out to be very bright. What will happen next - time will tell, because the start of the addon is just the beginning, and ahead of us are Queen Azshara, the dangerous neighborhood with Bwonsamdi and several more stages of this war, which may end this way or that way, or may not end at all.

Who knows what other surprises she has in store for us? Blizzard?

So, the next add-on for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth has been announced. Large-scale, global, cool addon!

An impressive introductory video tells us how much the representatives of the Horde and the Alliance hate each other, some time ago they helped each other defeat Sargeras and push the demons of the Burning Legion back into the underworld during the campaign on Argus.

The developers promise an incredible intensity of passions and - of course - we cannot do without hair-raising plot twists: betrayals, cunning and sophisticated plans, sudden changes in the balance of power, etc. All this will be served with a good plot sauce on the islands of Zandalar and Kul Tiras. The presence of the Old Gods and the return of Azshara are possible!

How to get to the free WoW: Battle for Azeroth server?
There is only one official free server - this is the test server of the addon. You can get there completely free of charge if you have received (or purchased) an invite to beta testing. It should be noted that a beta test cannot be called a full-fledged game: you will encounter many bugs, repeated resets of character progress, alterations or imperfections in quests, etc. But you can fully enjoy the process of creating and balancing your favorite game. You will be the first to see those ideas that developers later implement in real conditions. And, of course, don’t forget about spoilers: there are plenty of them, as well as problems with connection and disconnection, balance, and even just downloading files.

List of free WoW: Battle for Azeroth servers

Unfortunately, the list of free World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth servers is still empty. If you are a server administrator and want to add your server to this list, contact me!

Generally speaking, WoW free servers allow you to play the current version of the MMORPG for free. Alas, they usually have one common drawback: due to the friability, admins introduce donations to maintain the operation of their shards. For money they sell things, boosts, amplifiers and all sorts of gizmos and goodies. Sometimes this does not affect the gameplay, but sometimes without a donation, an ordinary player cannot even come close to the strength of other characters.

Review of the Battle for Azeroth add-on for World of Warcraft. Major new items in Battle for Azeroth, new continents and islands, allied races, dungeons, raids, game changes and much more!

Release date

Accordingly, to access the Lightforged Draenei you will need a walkthrough storyline Argus and reputation with the Army of Light. The Void Elves should be somehow connected to the Defenders of Argus and the main plot.

New zones have appeared in Stormwind and Orgrimmar in which you can interact with representatives of the allied races. In these zones, a chain of quests begins to gain access to new races.

Below are the available classes for each Allied Race.

Horde Races

	Highmountain Taurens	Nightborne	Trolls Zandalar	Mag'har Orcs
Warrior	+	+	+	+
Paladin
Hunter	+	+	+	+
Shaman	+		+	+
Druid	+		+
Robber		+	+	+
Monk	+	+		+
Mage		+	+	+
Priest		+	+	+
Warlock		+	+

Alliance Races

	Lightforged Draenei	Void Elves	Dwarves ChZh	People of Kul Tiras
Warrior	+	+	+	?
Paladin	+		+	?
Hunter	+	+	+	?
Shaman			+	?
Druid				+
Robber		+	+	?
Monk		+	+	?
Mage	+	+	+	?
Priest	+	+	+	?
Warlock		+	+	?

Please note: At the moment, allied race paladins are only available to the Alliance.

Read the full guide to learn about racial abilities, mounts, traditional armor and the best ways leveling up allied races:

New locations and changes to old zones

In the Battle for Azeroth expansion, 2 new islands (continents) will be added to WOW - Kul Tiras (the territory of the Alliance) and Zandalar (the territory of the Horde). Each of them will have 3 locations.

Kul Tiras

The island of Kul Tiras is quite gloomy. The local forests are full of witches and ancient, magic-using druids.

Kul Tiras consists of three locations:

• Stormsong Valley
• Drustvar
• Tiragarde Sound

Stormsong Valley

Drustvar

Tiragarde Sound

Below is more detailed information about every location on Kul Tiras.

Stormsong Valley

• in this location there is a port where they produce warships, consecrated by the Sea Priests - this makes the ships more powerful, which helps the Alliance in naval battles.
• in the valley there is the Sanctuary of Storms, a sacred place and dungeon for 5 players, which is used for their purposes by local priests

Drustvar

Long ago, this hilly region covered with dense forests was inhabited by people who called themselves Drusts. Later, people already familiar to us reached Drustvar, who displaced the indigenous inhabitants of these lands, destroying most of them.

But the Drusts did not leave completely - they seemed to have frozen in time, located in the central part of the city, protected by some strong magic.

The Drust spirits are looking for ways to return back - they even made a pact with the current owners of Drustvar, specifically with Lady Waycrest. She agreed to this treaty only for the sake of strengthening her position in the council of Kul Tiras.

On the territory of Drustvar there is another dungeon in the Battle for Azeroth - Waycrest Manor.

Tiragarde Sound

The location is inhabited by pirates - this is where their stronghold, Free Harbor, is located.

In the capital of Tiragarde Sound, Boralus (under the control of Jaina Proudmoore's mother, Miss Katrina Proudmoore), there is a dungeon for level 120 characters - the Siege of Boralus (a scenario similar to the Quarter of Stars).

Zandalar

Zandalar is an area inhabited by trolls, full of prehistoric animals and ruins.

Zandalar Island Locations:

• Nazmir
• Zuldazar
• Vol'dun

Nazmir

Zuldazar

Nazmir

Nazmir is somewhat reminiscent of Un'Goro Crater - prehistoric animals, dense thickets and swamps. However, there is a difference - Nazmir is inhabited by tribes of bloody trolls.

This location also contains the Underrot dungeon, the main source of corruption to which the Zandalar tribe was subjected.

Zuldazar

Zulzadar is the capital of the continent, which makes this location the safest compared to other zones of Zandalar. This is where the Horde base is located.

There are 2 dungeons in the Zuldazar location - Atal'Dazar (an open-air dungeon like Zul'Drak and Zul'Aman) and Kings' Rest (the inner sanctum, the tomb of the troll kings).

Vol'dun

A desert region, once attacked by the ancient gods - this is how Vol’dun appears before the players. The Zandalar tribes exiled criminals here, so the location is very unfriendly. Inhabited by the fox race Vulpera and the snake race Sethrak.

In Vol'dun you will find another new dungeon - the Temple of Sethraliss.

Stormwind and Orgrimmar

In the Battle for Azeroth expansion, Stormwind and Orgrimmar will not receive such global changes as during the Cataclysm, but new buildings will appear in them.

Faction leaders gather in the new buildings, discussing the possibility of attracting allies. These same leaders tell the player the stories of the allied races and launch quest chains / mechanisms that allow you to play with the chosen race.

Heart of Azeroth

The Heart of Azeroth (localized this way) is an “artifact” level medallion that the player receives as a gift from Magni Bronzebeard at the beginning of the expansion.

The Heart of Azeroth will be with the player throughout the expansion. So it's sort of like the Legion artifact system, tailored to Battle for Azeroth.

What is the Heart of Azeroth

The Heart of Azeroth is filled with energy with the help of Azerite, which the amulet automatically absorbs when it is near a deposit - you do not have to waste space in your bags or waste time collecting new substance.

As you consume Azerite, the amulet will level up, which can eventually be used to unlock hidden abilities in your equipment.

Read the detailed guide:

Armor Upgrade

Leveling up the Heart of Azeroth allows you to open “talent trees” for your helmet, shoulders and chest - the principle is approximately the same as for the Crucible of Netherlight.

The talent tree is presented in the form of several circles:

• First Circle Talents – Class Talents
• talents of the next circle - associated with a specific specialization
• on the 3rd circle – defensive talents
• the central circle increases the item level by 5

Items with the same names will have the same talent trees - in the case of the Heart of Azeroth, any randomness is excluded. However, the higher the level of an item, the more powerful its talents will be.

An item once modified with Azerite cannot be upgraded in the Titan Forge.

Azerite

Azerite in the Battle for Azeroth expansion is an analogue of the power of artifacts from the Legion.

This substance appeared on the surface due to constant strife between the Alliance and the Horde, because not only the peoples, but also Azeroth itself suffer from them. Goblins and gnomes quickly found out which islands could produce it and sent their expeditions there.

Azerite can be found in the form of deposits, in chests, as a reward for killing mobs and bosses, and for completing regular and world quests.

Island expeditions

Island Expeditions are a new form of battlefield designed for a team of three players. It is not yet known whether a group will be required to be created in advance or players will be selected randomly, like in a dungeon finder.

As for the roles in the team, they do not matter: you will be able to participate in island expeditions both in a team of three tanks and, for example, three healers. There will be an opportunity to win in any scenario, this is provided for by the developers.

The territory in which hostilities will unfold will vary:

• other creatures on the map
• other types of capture points
• different treasure chests
• new NPCs, etc.

Thus, according to the developers’ plan, expeditions will not bore players with their monotony.

Island Expeditions in Azeroth

Description of expeditions

An island expedition looks like this: you arrive on an island as part of a team of NPCs and two other players, and join in the fight against enemy forces who also sailed here in order to get the island's resources.

You can choose the type of opponents before going on an expedition - either they will be NPCs (but much smarter than usual), or players.

Each Island Expedition will last approximately 15-20 minutes and have several difficulty levels: normal, heroic, mythic and PvP.

One of the island expeditions

One of the island expeditions

Updated AI

The behavior of ordinary enemies has long been known - mobs simply run up to you and hit you as best they can. If you move far enough away from them, they return to their place. That is why advanced AI was developed for Island Expeditions, which will try to defeat the players using their own methods: for example, such NPCs will try to turn into a sheep or stun your healer in order to calmly deal with you.

In addition, the AI ​​will be good at navigating in space - identifying Azerite deposits, finding local bosses, as well as assessing the situation and making decisions along the way.

Let's say that in some cases it is easier for an NPC to cast Transformation on you and move on, bringing his team closer to victory.

New NPCs will likely have their own personality traits and names - currently announced is an NPC called Sneaky Pete, who will cast Sap on your healer if he sees that the advantage in battle is clearly on your side.

Island Expedition Guides

Fronts

The new game mode “Front” is a 20-player co-op, working like garrisons.

The front mechanics were borrowed from classic RTS games, particularly Warcraft III. This is roughly how it would work:

• Setting up a camp: collecting resources (wood and metal), creating buildings (smithy, armory, barracks, etc.)
• Each player collects resources independently and invests them in the selected building, which will be built automatically (as soon as the required amount of resources is collected)
• Next you need to create an army to defeat the enemy leader
• Different leaders have the ability to improve certain types of troops: for example, a dwarf leader will allow you to improve shooters with guns, and a person at the head of a camp will give access to improved knights
• Also, random events may appear on the map, such as goblin merchants
• To win, you will need not only to fight your way to the enemy, but also to defend your lines from attacks.

Guides for these factions can be found on the Reputations page.

There will be 10 dungeons available at Battle for Azeroth launch. All of them will be available to players from level 120.

Below - full list dungeons and raids of Battle for Azeroth.

• Free port
• Waycrest Manor
• Tol Dagor
• Shrine of Storms
• Siege of Boralus

• Atal'Dazar
• Temple of Sethraliss
• Underrot
• Rest of Kings
• Kezan

Raid Dungeons:

• Uldir
• Halls of Management

So far, detailed information is only available about the pirate dungeon Free Harbor and the troll Atal’Dazar.

Free port

Free Harbor is a haven for pirates who do not want to live under the control of Kul Tiras. And before they become too strong, players will have to deal with their leaders, sowing confusion among the free people.

Atal'Dazar

The tombs of Atal'Dazar, located high on Mount Mugamba, house the troll kings along with their treasures.

But the corruption reached these places - the prophet Zul, together with his faithful follower Yazma, cursed the tombs, wanting to use the already fallen kings for their own purposes.

Class changes

Most of the changes in the new addition will affect tank classes. Abilities that allow you to massively stun enemies will also be revised.

An important point for all other classes: in Battle for Azeroth artifact weapons will be removed, and all the opportunities that it provided will be distributed in class talents and spells. In this way, it is planned to maintain balance and not deprive players of already familiar and necessary combat capabilities.

In this case, the artifact will not simply be removed from the game - you will have to go through a chain of tasks that will smoothly turn weapons into abilities, etc.

Main changes:

• Class buffs are back in the game
• Some classes received artifact or legendary effects in the form of talents
• A new ability damage calculation formula has been introduced that better balances Attack Power and weapon damage. Details can be found in the English article on Wowhead.
• On Bleeding and Poisons Speed ​​now affects
• The Hunter pet concept has been redesigned. In the Legion, any pet could have any specialization (tank, damage control); In Battle for Azeroth, you will need to tame a specific family of pets for each specialization. Details are in the video.
• The PvP talent system has been completely redesigned. Now you choose not one talent out of three in each row, but one talent from the general set. The total number of PvP talents in Battle for Azeroth has been reduced to 4 (in Legion it was 6).
• The animation of the abilities of some specs has been reworked (for example, Holy Paladins and all Warlock specs).

Most of the changes took effect with the release

And pre-orders for the Battle for Azeroth expansion are open in the in-game store! When you pre-order, you'll be able to instantly level up your character to level 110 and set off on a quest to find four new allied races that will appear in the expansion: Highmountain Tauren, Lightforged Draenei, Void Elves, and Nightborne. And for developing an Allied Race character from level 20 to level 110*, you will receive a special set of traditional armor - a true symbol of devotion to Azeroth.

Whose side are you on?

The inhabitants of Azeroth managed to repel the surprise attack of the Burning Legion. The victory came at a high price: many noble heroes fell in battle, the blade of Sargeras inflicted a severe wound on the world. But there is an old split that will be even more difficult to overcome. The age-old mistrust between the Alliance and the Horde threatens to escalate into a new conflict - and no one can foresee how this will turn out for Azeroth. Now to the heroes - you! - you need to find new allies and go into battle for your faction. With arms in hand, you have to take part in a key episode of a long-term confrontation.

This is not the time to sit back! Start preparing for battle now. Pre-order Battle for Azeroth, mount a Gilded Ravasaur or a Salt-Maned Stallion, and set out in search of the Allied Races. Announce to all of Azeroth which faction you are for, and get ready to meet the enemy fully armed.

Battle for Azeroth: Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition

Battle for Azeroth is available in two digital editions: Standard and Deluxe.

Both the Standard and Digital Deluxe Editions include:

• full version of the Battle for Azeroth expansion;
• increasing the character's level to 110.
• Pre-order now to immediately level up your character and start searching for allied races.

The Deluxe Digital Edition also includes:

• Zandalari Gilded Ravasaur (Horde) or Kul Tiran Salt-Mane Stallion (Alliance);
• pet Cake, a small tortollan;
• Hearthstone card back;
• graffiti in StarCraft II;
• fireborn saber (vehicle) in Heroes of the Storm;
• lines, emotes, sprays and icons in Overwatch.

We'll soon share more details about the Collector's Edition, which will only be available at retail. It will include the soundtrack, exclusive artwork and story details for the Battle for Azeroth expansion.

New Battle for Azeroth

Kul Tiras is a kingdom of the Alliance: the homeland of Jaina Proudmoore has become a hotbed of intrigue and dark magic. You will battle power-hungry pirates, witches who use death magic, and mysterious priests of the sea.

Zandalar is the empire of the Horde: in these troll-inhabited lands lies an ancient evil, ready to awaken and subjugate the entire world. You will need to defeat crazed blood trolls, giant dinosaurs and the creations of the titans.

New Allied Races: By pre-purchasing, you can start building connections with the Highmountain tauren, Lightforged draenei, Void Elves, and Nightborne. This, in turn, will give you the opportunity to create new characters belonging to these races.

Islands not on the map: Team up in groups of three and fight cunning invaders (or players from the opposing faction). The islands are constantly changing, so many challenges await you.

Battles on the fronts: Take part in a massive 20-player co-op battle to reclaim strategic territory. Lead your troops and fight the enemy commander in a new PvE mode, similar to battles in classic Warcraft strategy games.

Heart of Azeroth: Receive the Heart of Azeroth, a legendary necklace, from the hands of Magni Bronzebeard himself. Infuse the necklace with Azerite, a valuable resource that has become a source of contention between two factions, to give your armor new properties.

Start recruiting new Allied Races!

When you pre-order, you'll be able to experience Azeroth through the eyes of a character from one of Battle for Azeroth's new allied races. The heroes of the Horde will be able to attract the Highmountain tauren and the nightborne to their side, and the Alliance - the lightened draenei and the elves of the Abyss. If you form an alliance with these races, you can choose them when creating new characters.

Before one or another race will side with your faction, you will need to fulfill a special set of conditions - earn a reputation or complete certain tasks. Once these conditions are met, you will receive a special task that will allow your faction to gain the support of the race. And if you can develop a character belonging to one of the Allied Races from level 20 to 110 - without using the services of a level increase, changing race or faction, and without gaining levels through the Refer-a-Friend program! - you receive a special set of traditional armor of this race. The set is a set of decorative items that will subsequently be available to all your characters of the corresponding race.

Allied Races: Features, Abilities and Conditions

Highmountain Tauren - Horde

Descendants of Huln, the brave hero of the War of the Ancients, the Highmountain tauren revere the spirits of the earth, river and sky. Although Legion forces invaded their lands, sowing seeds of distrust between the tribes, the Highmountain tauren united once again. For the first time in a long time, they are ready to leave the sacred mountain and join their relatives from Kalimdor. The Horde will certainly be glad to receive such noble and powerful allies.

Highmountain Tauren Racial Abilities

• Bull Rush: Charges, knocking opponents down.
• Highlander: Increases your versatility.
• Pride of the Iron Horn: Increases mining skill and ore extraction speed.
• Durable Hide: Reduces damage taken from attacks.
• Thrift: sometimes collects more meat and catches more fish.

How to Enlist the Support of Highmountain Taurens

• Earn Exalted status with the Highmountain Tribes.
• Earn the "Knee-deep Mountains" achievement.

Lightforged Draenei - Alliance

For thousands of years, the Army of Light fought the Burning Legion in the Twisting Nether. Draenei, who have completely dedicated their lives to fighting demons, take part in a special ritual and absorb the essence of the Light of heaven, becoming illuminated. Having won their final victory on Argus, the Lightforged draenei set themselves a new task - to protect Azeroth from all threats and help the Alliance defend against the attacks of the Horde.

Lightforged Draenei Racial Abilities

• Forge of Light: Increases your blacksmithing skill and allows you to install an anvil.
• Light Resistance: Reduces damage taken from Holy magic.
• Judgment of Light: Deals high Holy damage to enemies in the targeted area.
• Holy Retribution: Explodes upon death, dealing Holy damage to enemies and healing allies.

How to Enlist the Support of Lightforged Draenei

• Earn Exalted status with the Army of the Light.
• Once these conditions are met, you can begin the quest chain to unlock this race.

Nightborne - Horde

The elves of Suramar spent 10,000 years protected by a magical barrier, and during that time they became overly dependent on the arcane magic of the Nightwell. To protect this source of power, the leaders of the Nightborne made a deal with the Burning Legion, which led to civil war. Having won freedom from the demons who subjugated them, the Nightborne strive to form an alliance with the Horde and regain their rightful place in this world.

Nightborne Racial Abilities

• Ancient History: Increases inscription skill.
• Magic Affinity: Increases magical damage dealt.
• Focus: Summons a flying tome that serves as a mailbox.
• Arcane Surge: Fills an area with arcane energy, dealing damage and pinning nearby enemies.
• Arcane Resistance: Reduces Arcane damage taken.

How to Enlist the Support of the Nightborne

• Earn Exalted status with the Nightborne.
• Obtaining the "Uprising" achievement.
• Once these conditions are met, you can begin the quest chain to unlock this race.

Void Elves - Alliance

Many have tried to curb the dangerous magic of the Abyss. Most of them lost their minds. Alleria Windrunner is determined to use this power for the good of Azeroth - she has become the first mortal not subject to the influence of the whispers of the shadows. After she managed to save a group of brethren who had nearly perished in the arms of darkness, Alleria vowed to teach the Void Elves to hold dark force under control and ensure that the newfound power serves the Alliance.

Void Elves Racial Abilities

• Child of the Night: Reduces damage taken from Shadow magic.
• One with Entropy: Your abilities have a chance to empower you with Void Essence, increasing your healing and Shadow damage.
• Aetherlink: Reduces transmog and Void storage costs.
• Preternatural Calm: Casting spells is no longer delayed when taking damage.
• Dimensional Rift: Opens a rift in space, allowing you to teleport a short distance.

How to Enlist the Support of the Void Elves

• Earn Exalted status with the Defenders of Argus.
• Earn the "Now You're Ready!" achievement.
• Once these conditions are met, you can begin the quest chain to unlock this race.

Additional character slots

All players will receive four additional slots for creating characters of new races.**

When will Battle for Azeroth be released?

Battle for Azeroth will be released in the summer of 2018. The expansion will bring many new features to the game. In a fierce battle for the future of Azeroth, you will find yourself on the front line!

Pre-order the Battle for Azeroth expansion and go in search of new Allied Races!

*To obtain Heritage Armor, you must develop your character without leveling up, changing races or factions, or gaining levels through the Refer a Friend program.

**Not part of pre-order. The developers are currently working on expanding the number of cells for all players. Changes are expected in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned for news and updates.