WoW Battle For Azeroth Expansion Release Window Announced As Pre-Sales Go Live

Some 13 years after it originally released in 2004, World of Warcraft continues to release new expansions. The latest of these, Battle for Azeroth, is coming this summer. Blizzard announced the release window today and also opened pre-sales and more.

One of the coolest perks of pre-purchasing Battle for Azeroth is that you can try out one of the four new playable Allied Races, which were first referenced in Legion. You have to complete quests to earn their favour, but once you do, you can create your own Void Elf, Lightforged Draenei, Nightborne, or Highmountain Tauren. More Allied Races are coming in the future, though these have yet to be officially announced.

Additionally, everyone who pre-buys Battle for Azeroth gets a single level 110 character boost that can be redeemed right away. The standard edition of Battle for Azeroth goes for $50 while a Digital Deluxe edition is available for $70.

Everyone who pre-buys Battle for Azeroth's Digital Deluxe edition will also receive in-game items for WoW and other Blizzard games. These include the Seabraid Stallion (Alliance) and Gilded Ravasaur (Horde) mounts, along with Tottle, a baby Tortollan pet. The Hearthstone bonus is an Azeorth Is Burning card pack, while the StarCraft II goodies are sprays themed around the Horde and Alliance. For Heroes of the Storm, you get a Primal Flamesaber mount, which has three variants. And finally, the Overwatch bonuses are Horde- and Alliance-themed voice lines for Torbjorn, along with emotes for Tracer. You also get player icons for Kul Tiras and Zandalar; along with sprays featuring Anduin, Sylvanas, Jaina, and Varok Saurfang artwork.

A Collector's Edition of Battle for Azeroth is also on the way. It will include an "assortment of loot" on top of everything mentioned above. Details on the specific items and pricing will be announced later.

We recently had an opportunity to speak with World of Warcraft designers about the new Allied Races and the new level-scaling system. Check back soon for more from our conversation.