Blizzard unveils WoW expansion

By Oli Welsh Published 4 August, 2007

Wrath of the Lich King.

Blizzard has used the opening ceremony of its second BlizzCon convention to announce that the second expansion for World of Warcraft is in development. Confirming internet rumours, it's to be titled Wrath of the Lich King, and open the northern continent of Northrend.

Details of the expansion are exactly as revealed in the FAQ that leaked earlier this week: new Death Knight hero class, new arenas and battlegrounds, siege weaponry and destructible buildings, customisable hairstyles and dances, a new Inscription profession, and the increase of the level cap from 70 to 80.

In addition, Blizzard confirmed that integrated voice communication and guild banks would be introduced to WoW in regular patch updates, along with a new 10-man instance, Zul'Aman.

Blizzard president and co-founder Mike Morhaime also said that new details of StarCraft II will be revealed at BlizzCon (specifically, about the Terran race, and the single-player campaign). In addition, there will be news of the planned Warcraft film, and the announcement of a collaboration with Dell on the "ultimate WoW gaming PC".

An in-game trailer for Wrath of the Lich King was shown, showcasing the Death Knight's devastating attacks, and the atmospheric, snowbound landscapes of Northrend. The expansion is playable on the show floor, but there's no word of a release date yet.

Stay tuned for more details from the BlizzCon show floor.

Meanwhile you can pop into our Wrath of the Lich King gallery for the first screenshots, or into Eurogamer TV for the first trailer.

Catch up with a few more details just unveiled.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • jonnyreb #1 5 years ago

    Oh no.....get ready for Griiiiiiind.

  • FunkyRenegade #2 5 years ago

    Heh :D
    The whole game is a grind.
    I sure hope Northrend has more interesting quests all the way through, not just for the first level or two.

  • Benno #3 5 years ago

    70-80 will kill the earlier game for newcomers

    1-60 was enough of a task, imagine making a new character then? level 60 would be less than half way

  • Benno #4 5 years ago

    in other news i have been in alterac valley since 8 minutes past 8 this morning farming honor

    i am currently in 20,700

    intense, no wonder its called wowcrack

  • Narv #5 5 years ago

    I was having a discussion last night in game with a char who was levelling to 70 currently at 40 and I was thinking that he'd have a long way to go. Now with the cap set to 80 I even I baulk at getting my alts up to that level.

    However, Death Knights DPS/Tank FTW!

  • Hunam #6 5 years ago

    Boo at the level cap.

  • absolutezero #7 5 years ago

    The Level cap is'nt bothering me, its Blizzards insistance on adding new content that 95% of the user base will never see.

    Why not add in some new quests all the way through, making leveling alts more fun, not just repeating what you've done many times before.

    Just stop pandering to elite guilds for christ sake.

  • DarkTimes #8 5 years ago

    60-70 was pretty easy, it took me about a month, and I'm a 'read every headstone in the graveyard' sort of gamer. I escaped from WoW earlier in the year, but I have no problem with an expansion to pull me back in. It is the best game ever made.
    Edited by DarkTimes at 03/08/07 @ 22:18

  • Pirotic #9 5 years ago

    wonder how the hero class will work, hope it's something an average player can enjoy.

  • M83J01P97 #10 5 years ago

    I highly doubt it will be.

    Like those Epic Flying mounts they recently added to the game, those were apparently easy to get for everyone... where they hell.

    Edited by M83J01P97 at 03/08/07 @ 22:16

  • BigJonno #11 5 years ago

    I still find a WoW a lot of fun with the missus and our friends, but the lack of new races and new normal classes is a bit disturbing. The most fun I had with BC was the draenei starting area. If you're not into the raiding thing, it seems that you won't have much to do when you hit the new cap.

  • spongebob #12 5 years ago

    How unsurprising and boring. Thanks Blizzard.

  • Wyrm #13 5 years ago

    We won't see this for some time I imagine. Whats the bet for 2009?

  • absolutezero #14 5 years ago

    I think you need to be a combination of a certain race and a certain class in order to become a Death Knight.

    Undead or Human Warrior if my guess.

  • Nill #15 5 years ago

    Or more like Paladin, as that's what Arthas was before becoming a Death Knight.

    Edit: And yeah, WoW sure won't change. Chances of me coming back to it are pretty much zero at this point. I used to love the game though - but that was way back in the day.
    Edited by Nill at 03/08/07 @ 22:48

  • ProtoformX #16 5 years ago

    I played WoW and got my main up to lvl 56 before getting bored of the grind. Was wondering about getting back to it as I really wanted to get a character up to 70 then a friend said "Yeah, do it! The game only really begins at 70!". The notion of playing for that many days only to have the game "begin" was seriously disuading me from continuing. However, I bet I'll be drawn into this again - I love the world and the lore Blizzard create for this stuff.

  • Wyrm #17 5 years ago

    It doesn't 'begin', but it significantly changes towards a game that relies on guild coordination, which arguably is the most satisfying, enduring experience you will have with WoW. No-matter how gay it sounds, I really do cherish the memories I have of my guild mastering ZG, the nights on Ventrillo, so many funny memories. Probably the highlight of my 20 years of videogaming.

  • zozart #18 5 years ago

    Oh no. Those screenshots kinda make me want to resubscribe. :(

  • Kami #19 5 years ago

    "Or more like Paladin, as that's what Arthas was before becoming a Death Knight."

    What intrigued me was being surrounded by the udead and THEN becoming a Death Knight. If, somehow, Blizzard have realised some of us don't WANT to be heroes and that we can side with powers from the other side - I'll go back to WoW when this is released.

    I'd totally do the whole evil thing. Would be far more interesting.

  • neuroniky #20 5 years ago

    Ok, so they have raised the level cap... this means that I won't be able to see the majority of TBC contents before the new expansion comes out... and even then, my progression to lvl 80 will be so slow compared to my other guildmates (I've got a 360 and a RL too), that I won't be able to see the majority of WOTLK contents before they release another expansion...

    Well, but does this really matter? The content I'm seeing right now is great and TBC is probably the best fun I've had with WoW since I've started playing it for the first time. The game doesn't start at lvl 70, it just gives you a lot of content to enjoy with your guild... if you have A LOT of time to dedicate to the game (grinding rep to access heroics takes time, farming money to buy the flying mount takes time, farming items to prepare for raids takes time... and then you start dedicating A LOT of time to raiding, cause you can't just log in and play one hour or so and then log out...). If you have less time you'll be stuck (like me) with the standard quest and dungeon content... which, in the Burning Crusade, is really great.

    I still hope they will be giving the possibility to create a lvl 60/70 alt if you've reached the level cap though... or that they take the time to fill up the other zones of Azeroth with content just like they did with the Outlands... I don't think I could ever play lvl 30-58 again with the current (very lacking) contents...

  • Wyrm #21 5 years ago

    Well they've said they want to speed up the levelling process all the way to 70, they said at BlizzCon that they want to encourage people to play alt characters.

  • Emth #22 5 years ago

    I'm surprised at so many people moaning about level 80. First time leveling 60-70 was by far the most fun I've had so far in BC. At 70 I think it feels stale...

  • FunkyRenegade #23 5 years ago

    @Benno
    Better AV than AB eh?

  • Ryuken #24 5 years ago

    No Diablo III then? Bugger.

  • jonnyreb #25 5 years ago

    WoW is at that depressing stage in an MMORPG's lifespan where the majority of players are either super-hardcore-guild-types or people trying the game based on their friends recommendations who will quickly become tired of the fact that the starter areas are so dead.

    I still play in a large, end-game Guild, but to be honest I have totally given up the idea of ever levelling an alt again - the starter zones are just miserable and it feels like you are playing a single player game.

    Plus all the decent Guilds are almost impossible to get into.

    I remember how wonderful it was when TBC was first released.....the General chat channel was going nuts in Hellfire Peninsula as people were discovering all the new content and there were players EVERYWHERE you looked.

    I also remember when I first started playing how amazing it was to quest around Elwynn Forest for the first time, meeting new people equally as enthusiastic and excited about the game.

    Ahhh, memories :p

  • DarkTimes #26 5 years ago

    The trick is to roll on a new realm when it first opens, then you'll have people levelling up at the same time as you.

  • jonnyreb #27 5 years ago

    "Funny, WoW players are pleased/indifferent about this, non WoW players just sit and slag it off. If you don't like it and don't play it then just fuck off"

    Have you even read the comments in this thread? Who exactly is your suggestion aimed at?

  • jlaakso #28 5 years ago

    I'm not that interested in playing WOW anymore, but they sure have gorgeous art. Makes me want to jump in right away, despite reservations at the gameplay.