The ancestral home of dragonkind is stirring as Blizzard Entertainment announced Dragonflight, the ninth expansion for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft, will be released worldwide on 23 November at 3 pm PT.
“Dragonflight was crafted with our incredible community in mind and with the desire to return to what we all love most dearly: the splendour of Azeroth and its characters, with our players cast as heroes,” said World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale. “We invite everyone into this new adventure where we will bask in the landscape of dragons, become a part of their ancient legacy, and watch the secrets of this land unfold together.”
Players will discover the Dragon Isles and explore four new zones—each themed around and revealing more about the ancient dragon aspects—all lovingly crafted by the World of Warcraft development team for veteran and new players alike. As the Dragon Isles awaken, so too do long-forgotten secrets, and players will traverse land and sky as they explore what the Dragon Isles has to offer.
It is here that they will discover the dracthyr, who have emerged from their long slumber to join the fight and will become available to play during the Dragonflight pre-expansion patch for players who pre-purchase the expansion. Able to switch between a humanoid visage and a fearsome draconic form, the dracthyr are highly mobile, and their unique Evoker class can specialise in ranged damage-dealing or in aiding their allies as a healer by harnessing the mystical gifts of dragonkind.
Soar through the skies as you master the all-new skill-based art of Dragonriding, which allows players to take to the air on the back of their own Dragon Isles Drake. There are also millions of combinations of appearances available for Drakes, allowing players to make their companion their own as they learn to fly further, longer, and faster throughout their journey.
Players can also express themselves through the new talent system, which allows for creative skill selection at every level so you can play your class however you choose, and through the updated profession system, where players can choose to hone their craft. Alongside the updated Heads-Up Display (HUD) User Interface (UI) system, players may customise both the look and feel of their World of Warcraft experience through the game itself in more ways than ever before.
On 28 November, Dragonflight will release with eight dungeons, four of which can be taken on with friends as players build toward the new level cap of 70, while the remaining four can be tackled in the end-game. The first raid of the expansion, Vault of the Incarnates, will be unlocked—at all difficulty levels—on 13 December.
Dragonflight is available for digital pre-purchase as a Base edition ($49.99 SRP), Heroic edition ($69.99 SRP), and Epic edition ($89.99). Each digital edition includes one or more items for players to celebrate joining forces with the dragonflights as they reclaim their lost realm:
- Base Edition: Includes Drakks, as a pre-purchase bonus pet to accompany you on your quests.
- Heroic Edition: Includes Drakks, as a pre-purchase bonus pet, the new Murkastrasza pet, a Dragonflight-level character boost (level 60), and a new Tangled Dreamweaver flying mount to soar on.
- Epic Edition: Includes all Base and Heroic items, the Timewalker’s Hearthstone effect, the Diadem of the Spell-keeper head-slot transmog, the Wings of Awakening back-slot transmog in five colour variants, and 30 days of game time.
The expansion is also available for pre-purchase as a boxed Collector’s Set: in addition to an Epic edition digital key, players can explore Dragonflight’s visual development with the Art of Dragonflight hardcover book, upgrade their set-up with the powerful visage of an Alexstrasza mousepad, and add iconic representations of Azeroth’s five primary dragon flights in a five-pin collector’s set.
