World of Warcraft News and Development Updates

September 8th by Blizzard Entertainment
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Welcome to the latest World of Warcraft news and update roundup. Read on to learn what’s happening in the Shadowlands, Dragonflight, and WoW Classic.

Dragonflight News and Development

The World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Beta Test

The World of Warcraft®: Dragonflight beta test begins today! Over the course of the test, we’ll be inviting community veterans, press, fansites, and friends and family to check out the upcoming expansion and give us feedback. Learn more on how to get started here.

World of Warcraft ®: Dragonflight HUD and UI Revamp

With the Dragonflight update, we’re making sweeping changes to World of Warcraft’s HUD and UI from the ground up. Our aim is to provide a clutter-free layout and allow players to customize their HUD to better fit their individual needs. Read more about these changes in our article.

Dragonflight Development Update Posts on the Forums (English Only)
  • Dragonflight beta, upcoming balance druid changes [Learn More]

WoW Classic News and Development

The Wrath of the Lich King Classic™ Pre-Patch Now Live!

Ominous portents gust in on icy winds blowing into Azeroth from the cold lands of Northrend. The Lich King’s undead forces are on the move, and heroes are needed once more to stem the tide of the Scourge before it’s too late. Read up on everything you need to know in our article.

World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King Classic™ - Building Death Knights

In this episode of Building Azeroth, Wrath of the Lich King® Game Director Tom Chilton and Principal Game Designer Kris Zierhut take us on a journey beyond the grave into the making of World of Warcraft’s first iconic hero class—the Death Knight. Watch the entire episode here.

Wrath Classic Zone Guide: The Storm Peaks and Icecrown

Two ice-entombed zones, The Storm Peaks and Icecrown, beckon fearless champions on their journey to face the Lich King. Learn all you need to know to prepare yourselves to bring the fight to the Lich King and a stop to his vicious plans when you read our article.

Classic Development Update Posts on the Forums (English Only):
  • Current developer thoughts and direction for some changes in future raid content of Wrath Classic  [Learn More]
  • Some engineering items won’t be usable in Wrath Classic Arenas [Learn More]
  • Regarding the recent WoW Classic suspensions and policies for AFKing in Battlegrounds [Learn More]

WoW Esports

Introducing Two New Events: Xy’mox’s Charity Cache and Solo Shuffle Showdown!

As we fly toward the release of Dragonflight, the WoW® Esports team is excited to announce two new events to showcase our incredible PvE and PvP communities. Learn more about these events here.

Hotfixes

Here are the latest hotfixes that address various issues related to the World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, Burning Crusade Classic, and WoW Classic. This list is updated as additional hotfixes are applied, so check back often.

Promotions

Get A Northrend Upgrade Before Your Journey to Icecrown

The frozen wastes of Northrend await you, hero! World of Warcraft®: Wrath of the Lich King® Classic™ launches on September 26, and the pre-expansion patch is now live. Details on getting some upgrades before you journey to Icecrown await you in this article.

Play a Death Knight in Wrath of the Lich King Classic™ and Get a Mount in WoW®

Complete the Death Knight starting experience in Wrath of the Lich King Classic and get a Frostbrood Proto-Wyrm mount in World of Warcraft. More details on how to get this mount can be found in our article.

Loading Screen Wallpapers

Darkmaul Citadel
Wallpaper: Darkmaul Citadel
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Sanguine Depths
Wallpaper: Sanguine Depths
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THIS WEEK IN SHADOWLANDS

  • Darkmoon Faire
    • The Darkmoon Faire is open for business! Meet Silas Darkmoon and his troupe, play games that test mind and nerve, and behold exotic sights from the four corners of Azeroth… and beyond!
  • Harvest Festival
    • The Harvest Festival is a time to commemorate those who have sacrificed their lives to help friends and allies. Feasts are held outside Orgrimmar and Ironforge in honor of these fallen heroes.
  • Fated Raids: Sepulcher of the First Ones
    • The week, bosses in Sepulcher of the First Ones are empowered with increased difficulty and a special affix. Loot drops are upgraded to a higher item level.
  • Torghast: Unbridled Darkness
    • Unbridled Darkness has been unleashed upon Torghast, Tower of the Damned!
  • PvP Brawl: Packed House
    • We’ve put more PvP in your PvP! There’s nowhere to hide in Packed House as you face not 2, not 3, not 5, but 15 adversaries in this 15 vs. 15 Arena battle.
  • The Burning Crusade Timewalking Dungeon Event
    • While this event is active, players level 50 or higher may access a special Timewalking Dungeon Finder queue which scales players and their items down to revisit past dungeons from The Burning Crusade expansions.

COMING UP IN SHADOWLANDS

Beginning Next Week:
  • Fated Raids: Castle Nathria
    • This week, bosses in Castle Nathria are empowered with increased difficulty and a special affix. Loot drops are upgraded to a higher item level.
  • PvP Brawl: Deep Six
    • Deep Six pits teams of six players against each other in three iconic Battlegrounds: Warsong Gulch, Silvershard Mines, and Temple of Kotmogu.
  • World Quest Bonus Event
    • While this event is active, completing World Quests awards bonus reputation with the appropriate faction.
Beginning the week of September 19:
  • Pirates Day
    • Captain Demeza sails to the goblin town of Booty Bay and recruits land-lovers into her buccaneer ranks. Visit her or her henchmen in the capital cities if the pirate’s life is for you!
  • Fated Raids: Sanctum of Domination
    • The week, bosses in Sanctum of Domination are empowered with increased difficulty and a special affix. Loot drops are upgraded to a higher item level.
  • Battleground Bonus Event
    • While this event is active, random Battlegrounds will award Honor at an increased rate. Glory awaits in the fields of battle!
  • PvP Brawl: Arathi Blizzard
    • Put away your bathing suit, pull out your parka, and enter a winter wonderland as the Arathi Basin you know and love gets a fresh coat of ice and snow.
  • Brewfest
    • First celebrated by the dwarves, Brewfest now holds appeal among all the races of Azeroth! Visit the Alliance camp outside Ironforge or the Horde camp outside Orgrimmar, and join the party!

Check your in-game calendar for a list of the current and upcoming in-game event start times!

We can't wait to share more about exciting World of Warcraft experiences—keep checking WorldofWarcraft.com for the latest news and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.