BlizzCon 2019: World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Announced

Otherworldly wonders and challenges await players as they journey through the realms of the afterlife and gain new power from the Covenants that rule there.

Brave the hazards of Torghast, Tower of the Damned—an ever-changing dungeon for solo players and groups of up to five—and claim legendary treasures.

Available for pre-purchase in the Blizzard Shop starting today, with multiple options offering multiple entry points and more benefits.

IRVINE, Calif. -- Nov. 1, 2019 -- Sylvanas Windrunner, fallen leader of the Horde, has pierced the veil between Azeroth and the realm of the dead, setting in motion a series of events that threatens to upset the cosmic balance between life and death. Blizzard Entertainment today revealed World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands, the latest expansion for the company’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, in which Azeroth’s heroes will confront the wonders and horrors of the afterlife as they deal with the consequences of Sylvanas’ actions.

World of Warcraft players entering the fabled Shadowlands will find the realms of the dead in upheaval. Under the normal order, departed souls were delivered to a realm appropriate to the lives they led, but now, all souls are being funneled into the Maw, where the most wicked are damned to suffer for eternity. As they seek to right the cycle and uncover the extent of Sylvanas’ designs, players will forge bonds with the Covenants who hold domain over different planes within the Shadowlands:

• The steadfast Kyrian of Bastion, whose discipline and duty compels them to safeguard souls from the mortal realm as they pass into the Shadowlands.

• The mysterious Night Fae of Ardenweald, who fiercely defend the spirits of nature from those who would deprive them of rebirth.

• The cunning Venthyr of Revendreth, who feast on the souls of the prideful and vain in a gothic realm of opulence and torment.

• The warlike Necrolords of Maldraxxus, who forge the undead armies that serve as the first line of defense for the Shadowlands and honor those who seek power and glory in battle.

In their journeys through the Shadowlands, players will also come face-to-face with some of the departed legends of the Warcraft® universe, such as Uther the Lightbringer, who struggles against dark forces that seek to transform him into a symbol of retribution, and Kael’thas, who pursues vengeance on an enemy from his past while confined to Revendreth for the crimes he committed in life.

"Shadowlands is taking us somewhere we’ve never dreamed of going in the Warcraft universe, and that’s incredibly exciting," said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. "We can’t wait to explore the great beyond, catch up with old departed friends, and forge an epic new chapter in the Warcraft saga together with our players."

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Features

A host of new features and activities await players in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. When they cross into the realm-between-realms, players will be able to:

• Explore the Realm of the Dead: For the first time ever in World of Warcraft, players will cross into the Shadowlands and experience the wonders and horrors of the afterlife across five new zones—the gleaming fields of Bastion, the scarred battlefields of Maldraxxus, the eternal twilight of Ardenweald, the opulent keeps of Revendreth, and the horrific Maw.

• Claim a Covenant’s Power: Players will be called upon to forge a bond with one of four Covenants that rule Shadowlands’ new zones, setting the tone for their journey through the expansion with a full Covenant Campaign. As they level up, they’ll get new abilities based on their choice, including class-specific abilities for each Covenant—as well as developing Soulbinds with specific Covenant members, which grant them access to that character’s specific traits and bonuses.

• Ascend the Tower of the Damned: At the heart of the Maw lies Torghast, Tower of the Damned, a cursed otherworldly prison where the wickedest souls in the universe are locked away. Highly replayable and inspired by roguelike games, heroes are invited to explore its ever-changing halls and chambers and do battle with the minions of the Jailer, Torghast’s vile ruler. Those who brave its trials can claim legendary treasures and help free the heroic spirits wrongfully trapped within.

• Every Level Is Meaningful: Shadowlands will introduce a new leveling system, meant to provide a meaningful sense of advancement with every level achieved. Current max-level characters will begin Shadowlands at level 50 and work toward the new level cap of 60.

• A New Army of the Dead Rises: To combat Sylvanas’ assault on Icecrown, Bolvar Fordragon— the revered former paladin who took on the mantle of Lich King to keep the Scourge at bay—has raised heroes from among all the peoples of Azeroth to bolster the Death Knights of Acherus. With Shadowlands, pandaren and all allied races will now be able to become Death Knights.

• Improved Character Customization Options: A host of new appearance options for all races will be made available to players when they create new World of Warcraft characters (or alter existing ones at the in-game barber shop).

Pre-purchase Options

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is available for pre-purchase digitally from the Blizzard Shop starting today, with three different options all designed with player preference in mind. The Base Edition of Shadowlands is available for $39.99 SRP, providing a new lower entry point compared to previous expansions. The Heroic Edition ($59.99) includes the expansion; a level-120 character boost; and the Ensorcelled Everwyrm mount, which provides access to a questline through which players can earn the Vestments of the Eternal Traveler transmogrification set. The Epic Edition ($79.99) includes the Anima Wyrmling pet; the Wraithchill cosmetic weapon effect; the Eternal Traveler’s Hearthstone, designed with a unique visual effect; and 30 days of game time, in addition to all of the contents from the Heroic Edition.

All bonuses from the Heroic and Epic Editions are unlocked immediately upon pre-purchase. In addition, pre-purchasing any edition of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will open the ability for players to create pandaren and allied race Death Knights once the Visions of N’Zoth content update for the current expansion, Battle for Azeroth™, arrives in the coming months.

For more information on World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, visit www.worldofwarcraft.com

Sylvanas Windrunner has torn open the veil between Azeroth and the afterlife, jeopardizing the fragile balance between the realms of life and death. To ensure that the cosmic order is preserved, Azeroth’s champions must set out on a journey into the realms of the afterlife to deal with the consequences of Sylvanas’s actions. World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands, the eighth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, sends players to the ultimate undiscovered frontier—the Shadowlands, an infinite plane where the souls of the dead go to be reborn, serve, do battle, or endure endless torment. There, Azeroth’s heroes must forge bonds with the powerful beings who hold dominion over the Shadowlands—among them some of the most iconic figures in the Warcraft® universe—and acquire the unearthly powers they need to uncover the extent of Sylvanas’s designs.

• EXPLORE THE REALM OF THE DEAD—For the first time in World of Warcraft, cross into the Shadowlands, a realm of infinite afterlives where wonders and horrors abound. Ride across the gleaming fields of Bastion, lose yourself among the gothic spires of Revendreth, confront the twisted visions of the Maw, and more.
• PLEDGE YOURSELF TO A COVENANT AND SHAPE YOUR DESTINY—The Covenants who hold dominion over the zones introduced in Shadowlands are eager to recruit Azeroth’s champions. Each has unique story line and an array of powers they bestow upon those who pledge their cause. Choose between Bastion’s valiant Kyrian or Revendreth’s cunning Venthyr, fight for the mighty Necrolords of Maldraxxus, or seek renewal with the untamed Night Fae of Ardenweald.
• TAKE ON THE BOUNDLESS CHALLENGE OF TORGHAST, TOWER OF THE DAMNED—The vilest souls in existence are damned to suffer eternal torment in this horrific, otherworldly prison. This everchanging, roguelike challenge is open to solo players and groups of up to five, and those who brave its trials will earn some of the afterlife’s worthiest rewards.
• JOURNEY THROUGH A NEW LEVELING EXPERIENCE—Level up your next hero through a fully revamped 1–50 experience where every level is meaningful, then advance to the new level cap of 60 in the Shadowlands.

Brave The Beyond... The veil between life and death is no more.

With a single act of destruction, Sylvanas Windrunner has ripped open the way to the afterlife. Azeroth’s staunchest defenders have been dragged into all-consuming darkness. An ancient force of death threatens to break its bonds and unravel reality.

Hidden realms of wonder and horror await any who would pass to the other side. The Shadowlands is home to an entire realm of the departed; it is a world between worlds whose delicate balance preserves life and death itself.

As one of Azeroth’s greatest champions, you have been granted the power to cross over in body and soul. Now you must investigate a conspiracy to unmake the cosmos, and help Warcraft legends journey back... or fulfill their ultimate destiny.

CHOOSE YOUR COVENANT

Align yourself with one of the Shadowlands’ four Covenants—otherworldly shepherds of the dead, each with their own ambitions, motives, and incredible powers to claim as your own.

STORM THE ETERNAL PRISON

Test your limits as you ascend Torghast, Tower of the Damned, a highly replayable ever-changing dungeon in the dark heart of the Maw, where the vilest souls are locked away forever.

Explore Azeroth’s Afterlife. The Shadowlands are home to an entire universe of the departed. Journey through hidden realms of wonders and horrors that await any who pass to the other side.