Worldwide

World of Warcraft is one of those rare titles that people recognise even if they’ve never touched a video game in their life. Remarkable in every sense, it started breaking records from the very first day and has remained a defining force in online gaming for over two decades.

Today, we invite you to follow us through the main milestones in WoW’s history and witness the moments that shaped it into a worldwide phenomenon.

How it all began

The history of the Warcraft franchise stretches back to 1994, when Blizzard Entertainment released a real-time strategy game (RTS) called Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. It wasn’t the first RTS to include multiplayer, but it was the one that played a vital role in popularising co-operative play for a wider audience.

The game was met with strong critical and player reception, prompting Blizzard to release a sequel in 1995. In 2002, the third title finally saw the light of day and, just like its predecessor, later received its own expansion.

By the early 2000s, after nearly a decade of continuous releases, the Warcraft universe had already grown into a fully-fledged fantasy world with a deep storyline, complex politics, and a dedicated fanbase. However, the true breakthrough came in 2004, when Blizzard rolled out a title that was destined to change the series and the entire gaming world forever.

The golden age of MMOs

World of Warcraft officially launched in November 2004, marking the franchise’s first step into the MMORPG genre.

At a time when most MMOs were complicated and incredibly demanding on hardware, WoW broke the mould completely. The game was very beginner-friendly and ran smoothly even on older, less powerful PCs, mostly thanks to Blizzard’s artistic choices. Instead of chasing realism, they went for a slightly cartoon-like look with bold colours, exaggerated shapes, and sharp angles. That approach kept character models light for the system, while also giving the game a distinctive visual identity that lately became one of WoW’s greatest strengths.

Of course, not everything went smoothly at launch. Servers crashed, players lagged, but none of that slowed WoW down. By the end of launch day, more than 100,000 players were logged in at the same time, and all forty-plus original servers were completely full, which was unprecedented for any online game of that era.

The UK, along with the rest of Europe, received WoW a little later, in February 2005. It immediately became a major hit there as well, helping the game secure global popularity.

These phenomenal early numbers made World of Warcraft the fastest-growing MMORPG in history, and the genre as a whole entered its golden age.

The era of expansions

After the enormous splash WoW made at launch, another major release was only a matter of time. Following the already successful formula, Blizzard chose to expand the story through full-scale expansions. The first of them, The Burning Crusade, arrived in 2007, introducing a brand-new realm of Outland, along with fresh zones, activities, characters, playable races, and other content. This expansion also added Arenas, a competitive PvP mode that would later grow into a proper esports discipline with official Blizzard-hosted tournaments.

From there on, Blizzard delivered a new expansion every two years:

● Wrath of the Lich King (2008)
● Cataclysm (2010)
● Mists of Pandaria (2012)
● Warlords of Draenor (2014)
● Legion (2016)
● Battle for Azeroth (2018)
● Shadowlands (2020)
● Dragonflight (2022)
● The War Within (2024)

This two-decade-long content rollout had its ups and downs. Some expansions landed with a mixed reception but grew on players later on; others became fan-favourites right from the get-go and remain so to this very day.

As WoW evolved, so did the gaming world around it. New technologies encouraged the rise of player-made addons, as well as professional boosting services that helped players handle challenging content or let them buy WoW Classic gold. And speaking of Classic WoW...

The return of vanilla WoW

In 2019, the series reached one of its biggest turning points with the release of WoW Classic, a recreation of the original, “vanilla” 2004 experience. The game was a huge hit. For many, it brought back a sense of discovery and danger that had faded from retail WoW. For others, it was their first glimpse of the game as it was back in the early days.

The success of Classic gave Blizzard a clear green light to continue reviving the original timeline, releasing updated versions of the old expansions from The Burning Crusade (TBC) all the way to the recent Mists of Pandaria Classic.

Players’ enthusiasm for the Vanilla era also paved the way for several spin-off variants. Before the launch of TBC Classic, Blizzard introduced Classic Era servers that allowed players to keep playing Vanilla WoW without moving forward into expansions.

Seasonal realms came shortly after, offering fresh twists and challenges on top of the original content. The first, Season of Mastery, arrived in 2021, followed by Season of Discovery in 2023.

In 2023, WoW received yet another experimental branch with Hardcore Classic, where characters had only one life. A year later, Blizzard doubled down on the challenge with the addition of a Self-Found mode, removing access to the Auction House and mailbox.

What the future holds

The next chapter of World of Warcraft is already on its way. Midnight, the highly anticipated 11th expansion, will serve as the second installment of the Worldsoul Saga, following last year’s The War Within.

The expansion brings a host of new features, including 8 dungeons, 3 raids, the Haranir Allied race, the Devourer specialisation for Demon Hunters, and an eagerly awaited player housing system.

The beta for Midnight went live on 11 November for the Epic Edition owners and a select group of players who applied for the test. While the exact date is still unconfirmed, various sources predict a release in early 2026, with 26 February and 10 March being the most likely candidates.

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