Those players could explore a vast world full of heroes, villains, gods, and monsters, combined with an experience that was far more player-friendly than its contemporaries. On the backs of titles like Ultima Online and Everquest, the team at Blizzard Entertainment transported players to the world established in Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos, Azeroth. Mists of Pandaria Pre-Release: 2011-2012įrom the beginning, World of Warcraft was designed as a response to other games, with players of successful MMOs wondering if the experience could be made better.

Wrath of the Lich King: November 13, 2008.

Wrath of the Lich King Pre-Release: 2007-2008.

Some of World of Warcraft's past faction leaders strike a pose. With the release of its seventh expansion, Battle for Azeroth, WoW still boasts a thriving fanbase. World of Warcraft has sold millions of copies, made billions of dollars, and won hundreds of awards. It didn't define the massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) genre, but continues to evolve with it. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.įor 14 years, World of Warcraft has remained not only active, but relevant. This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247.

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