Twenty years in, and World of Warcraft (WoW) is in a state of revival and new beginnings. With the recent launch of its tenth expansion, The War Within, WoW is kicking off a bold new story arc, the Worldsoul Saga, and introducing new features that cater to a wider variety of player styles. If you’re a lapsed veteran wondering if it’s time to return, or a newcomer considering diving into the world of Azeroth, here’s a look at the current state of the game.
Retail: The War Within Expansion
Released in August 2024, The War Within has been generally well-received, building on the quality-of-life and design improvements that started with the previous expansion, Dragonflight.
Story and World
The new expansion takes the battle to Khaz Algar, a subterranean world deep beneath Azeroth’s surface. Critics have praised the storytelling as some of WoW’s best, feeling more focused on core characters and world-building instead of another massive, cosmic threat. The zones are consistently described as visually stunning, with a vast sense of scale, which is an achievement given the entire setting is underground. The storyline is the first chapter of a planned three-expansion narrative, suggesting a coherent, long-term vision from the developers.
New Features
The War Within introduces a few key systems that improve the overall experience:
- Warbands: This is a major quality-of-life feature that makes many account-wide progressions—like reputation, bank space, and transmog—shared across all your characters. This significantly boosts the experience for players who enjoy having multiple “alts.”
- Hero Talents: An addition to the talent tree system, Hero Talents provide a third, small talent tree that offers new specializations for each class. This has been noted as an exciting new layer of character customization.
- Delves: Catering to players who prefer solo or small-group content, Delves are mini-dungeons that offer an alternative path to endgame gear. This is a big step toward making high-end progression more accessible to those who don’t want to engage in the highly competitive culture of pick-up groups (PUGs) for Mythic+ dungeons and raids.
Classic: A Nostalgia-Driven Alternative
WoW is no longer just one game. The WoW Classic servers, which let you play older versions of the game, continue to thrive. This option is split into various forms:
- Classic Era/Progression: Servers that are either permanently set in the original Vanilla game state or progress slowly through the classic expansions (like Wrath of the Lich King Classic).
- Classic Hardcore: An extremely popular mode where death is permanent, offering a high-stakes, authentic experience for veterans.
- Season of Discovery (SoD): A unique, experimental version of Classic that introduces new class abilities (Runes) and content, offering a fresh take on the old world.
The Classic experience, fueled by nostalgia and a desire for the game’s old-school challenge, accounts for a large segment of WoW’s active player base.
Is WoW Worth Playing in 2024?
The answer largely depends on who you are.
For Returning Veterans
Yes, absolutely. If you quit during expansions like Battle for Azeroth or Shadowlands, the game is now in a much better place. The quality-of-life changes like Warbands, the focus on compelling narrative in The War Within, and the existence of the Classic servers mean there is a version of the game that caters to nearly every taste. Many have commented that The War Within feels like the most listened-to they’ve ever felt by the developers.
For New Players
It’s complicated. WoW has two decades of systems piled on, which can make the game overwhelming for a brand new player. While the War Within campaign is excellent, the process of getting to the newest content still involves navigating the game’s complicated history. New players should be prepared to use outside resources (like guides or a veteran friend) to understand how all the systems—from talents to currencies—interact. The initial onboarding process is a frequent criticism, but if you can push past the initial hurdle, you’ll find an engaging game with a massive community and more content than you can imagine.
The current state of World of Warcraft (Retail and Classic) offers a wealth of content and is widely considered to be heading in a positive direction, particularly with the focused storytelling and quality-of-life updates in The War Within.