World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Pre-orders Open

The Battle for Azeroth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment's flagship MMO World of Warcraft will be launching this coming summer, bringing along a raised level cap, new content, and plenty of new features, like the new playable Allied Races. And if you'd like to grab a copy of the expansion ahead of time and in the process get access to the Allied Races, as well as a free level 110 character boost, you can do so right now through the Blizzard Shop or WoW's in-game shop. The Standard Edition will cost you $49.99 or your regional equivalent, with the Digital Deluxe Edition going for $69.99.

You can read more about the editions and their content, the expansion's new features, and the Allied Races' seemingly overpowered racial traits right here. A few snippets:

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is now available for pre-purchase through the Blizzard Shop and in-game shop! When you pre-purchase a digital copy, you’ll receive a level 110 character boost to use immediately. You can also begin the journey to unlock the expansion’s new playable Allied Races: the Highmountain Tauren, Lightforged Draenei, Void Elves, and Nightborne. And if you level an Allied Race character from 20–110*, you’ll earn a distinctive Heritage Armor set—a lasting symbol of your dedication and commitment to Azeroth.

IT’S TIME TO DECLARE YOUR ALLEGIANCE

Azeroth has paid a heavy price to end the Legion’s crusade. Countless noble heroes have fallen, and the world itself has been wounded by the sword of Sargeras—but another rift remains that may prove much harder to mend. The shattered trust between the Alliance and the Horde has brought tensions to the brink of war, and no one knows what the future holds for Azeroth. It falls to you, hero, to recruit allies, champion your faction’s cause, and take up arms in this defining moment of an age-old conflict.

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BATTLE FOR AZEROTH: EXPANSION FEATURES

The Alliance Kingdom of Kul Tiras: Home of Jaina Proudmoore, and the scene of a tangled web of betrayal and dark magic. You’ll encounter power-hungry pirates, witches wielding death magic, and mystical sea priests.

The Horde Empire of Zandalar: In this troll-dominated territory, ancient evil waits to be unleashed on the world as you battle crazed blood-troll worshippers, gargantuan dinosaurs, and titan constructs.

New Playable Allied Races: With pre-purchase, you can start to gain favor with the Highmountain Tauren, Lightforged Draenei, Void Elves, and Nightborne to unlock playable characters.

Plunder Uncharted Islands: Battle in groups of three as you race against cunning rival intruders—or enemy players. Islands are constantly evolving, and many challenges await you.

Storm the Warfront: Take part in a large-scale 20-player cooperative Warfront to claim a key strategic location. Lead the charge and battle enemy commanders in a new PvE challenge that owes more than a nod to classic Warcraft RTS battles.

Heart of Azeroth: Take control of the Heart of Azeroth—a legendary neck piece entrusted to you by Magni Bronzebeard. Imbue it with Azerite, an invaluable resource that is the source of great tension between the factions, to customize your armor with new powers and traits.

BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TO RECRUIT ALLIED RACES NOW

With pre-purchase, you can experience Azeroth as one of Battle for Azeroth’s new playable Allied Races. Earn the respect of the Highmountain Tauren and Nightborne for the Horde, and Lightforged Draenei and Void elves for the Alliance, and you’ll unlock the ability to create characters of that race.

Each Allied Race has its own unique set of requirements to fulfill before you can unlock them, such as completing quests or earning reputation. Once you fulfill these requirements, you can embark on a quest to recruit the race to your faction. If you level up an Allied Race character all the way from their starting level 20 to 110 without boosting, faction/race-changing, or having levels granted to you through the Recruit-A-Friend program, you’ll earn that race’s distinctive Heritage Armor set—cosmetic gear that you can use on any character of that Allied Race you play in the future.