5 Things You Should Know Before Buying WoW: Battle for Azeroth

Battle for Azeroth is just around the corner. Therefore, we present to you the 5 things you should know before purchasing the WoW expansion.

On August 14, 2018, it will finally be time, World of Warcraft will launch its seventh expansion and reignite the war between Horde and Alliance with Battle for Azeroth. For those still undecided about whether to make the purchase, we present here 5 things that everyone should know before buying Battle for Azeroth!

1. Battle for Azeroth is not a PvP expansion

At the center of the expansion is the conflict between Horde and Alliance. Many players fear that Battle for Azeroth will be an expansion with a special focus on PvP, neglecting fans of PvE content. This is not the case. As usual, there is plenty of quests, new areas, dungeons, and raids.

While the conflict between Horde and Alliance is the driving story element, participation in PvP is not required. Although there are PvP content, the PvP servers have been abolished and replaced by a War Mode. PvP is thus an option on all servers – not a must and not a special focus of Battle for Azeroth.

2. Easy entry thanks to character boost

For newcomers or returning players wanting to dip their toes into World of Warcraft with Battle for Azeroth, they might be intimidated by the 120 levels to climb. Blizzard has realized this as well, and therefore grants each buyer of the expansion a character boost to level 110. From this level, characters can join the new areas of Battle for Azeroth and immediately engage in the current content.

Leveling a second character becomes significantly faster if you want to play more heroes. There are rewarding heirlooms with XP bonuses and a look into our Level Guide will speed things up even further if you want to level up quickly.

3. More content for small groups

For those who only play World of Warcraft with friends, they may not always have enough people to form a complete dungeon group. Blizzard thought of these players with Battle for Azeroth, as there is plenty of content for groups of 3 players. The so-called “Island Expeditions” are designed for a trio and come in various difficulty levels.

On islands, the layout and tasks vary each time, players must collect Azerite (a new resource). Time pressure arises because a team from the opposing faction is also on the island. These NPCs act smarter than regular enemies, plan ambushes, or flee to regroup. For those looking for the right challenge, island expeditions can even be played against each other in PvP.

The best part: You don’t necessarily need a tank or healer. All players can participate with their favorite specialization. Three DPS are just as possible as three healers or three tanks – or any other conceivable combination. The island expedition adapts to the characters!

4. Nostalgia for longtime fans

With Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard aims to cater to the nostalgic feelings of longtime Warcraft fans. For instance, there are the Warfronts, which essentially simulate battles from Warcraft III. Players must build bases, gather resources, upgrade their troops, and then storm the enemy’s camp. They take on the role of the hero who led the armies into battle in the RTS games back then.

At the start, there is only the battle in Arathi Highlands, where the fortress Stromgarde is contested. However, more warfronts will follow in the future, as there is already an initial hint of a battle in the Barrens.

Nostalgia seekers will likely be pleased – but also everyone else who wishes for new features in World of Warcraft.

5. More of the tried and true

Fundamentally, Battle for Azeroth focuses on what World of Warcraft has always done well. There is “more of the tried and true” and existing systems have been refined further to make them even better. Dungeons retain their endlessly scalable difficulty through “Mythic+”, world quests fill the time when you want to play alone, and the War Mode allows PvP players to experience the thrill of constant worry about a hostile attack.

With Battle for Azeroth, only a few new mechanics are introduced – but they are meaningful, such as communities for easier group finding or the integrated (optional) voice chat to enable easier communication in dungeons.