World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is launching on October 27

And we have a launch date, fam! It’s been announced at the start of gamescom’s digital incarnation this year that World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will be launching on October 27th, which means that we will just be looking at ten months since the last major content update before any new stuff in the game. This also means that you should expect the pre-patch soon, and it also also means that whatever issues you may still have with the expansion’s beta currently have two months to be solved. Oh, and you now know when to request time off from work, if that’s your thing.

The presentation also revealed the first of the animated shorts leading up to the expansion, which feature Uther showing up in the realm of justice with a wounded soul. Yes, there’s stuff going on in Bastion, and Uther is not simply going quietly into a long-deserved rest after all. (The moral of the story is that Arthas Menethil Continues Ruining Everything.) Check that out just below, as well as some stills. You have to do something before October 27th, right?

https://youtu.be/8q5gHTCFlbg

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug. 27, 2020– Beyond Azeroth’s shattered sky, a realm of infinite afterlives awaits: the Shadowlands, where mortal souls go to reckon with their pasts, discover new purpose . . . or suffer an eternity of torment. On October 27†, the heroes of the Horde and the Alliance will forge their own fate in the next world as World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands, the eighth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, launches around the globe.

Upon entering the Shadowlands, Azeroth’s champions will encounter an otherworld in disarray. Virtuous souls are being wrongfully cast into the eternal darkness of the Maw, while the Covenants—powerful factions who hold dominion over the afterlife’s disparate realms—face ruin and strife as the flow of the Shadowlands’ essential anima mysteriously dwindles. As an ancient, long-bound evil gathers the strength to break its chains, players must carve their path through the uncharted reaches of the beyond, forge a pact with the Covenant that most aligns with their own principles and purpose—and ultimately restore balance to the hereafter.

“In Shadowlands, players will explore one of the Warcraft universe’s most mysterious undiscovered frontiers,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “And in selecting a Covenant to align themselves with, they’ll face one of the most challenging decisions they’ve ever made in the game—one that will impact nearly every aspect of their experience with this expansion. We can’t wait to see what paths players choose when Shadowlands launches this October.”

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is loaded with content and features that give players whole-new ways to discover and shape their characters’ destinies:

• Explore Warcraft’s Afterlife—Discover the wonders and horrors that await in the world beyond the veil. Ride across the gleaming fields of Bastion, lose yourself among the gothic spires of Revendreth, find yourself at the crossroads of fate in the eternal city of Oribos, and much more.
• Pledge Yourself to a Covenant—Align with one of the Shadowlands’ four Covenants, each with unique story campaigns, gameplay features, and powers that they bestow upon those who pledge themselves to their cause. Choose between Bastion’s valiant Kyrian or Revendreth’s prideful Venthyr, fight for the mighty Necrolords of Maldraxxus, or seek renewal with the wild Night Fae of Ardenweald.
• Ascend the Tower of the Damned—The vilest souls in existence are locked away in Torghast, an otherworldly prison ruled by the terrifying entity known as the Jailer. This ever-changing, roguelike challenge is open to solo players and groups of up to five, and those who brave its trials will earn materials to commission rune-carved legendary equipment of their choosing.
• Rise as a Death Knight—Bolvar Fordragon, the former paladin who once wore the helm of the Lich King to keep the Scourge at bay, seeks to bolster the Death Knights’ numbers—now, all Allied Races as well as pandaren can join their unholy ranks. (Available with pre-purchase.)
• And More. . .—Endure the Jailer’s watchful eye in the Maw, where the challenge mounts the longer you linger; Soulbind with key characters of your chosen Covenant to share their distinct powers; choose how to restore your Covenant’s Sanctum to glory . . . Shadowlands is unlike anything ever before experienced in World of Warcraft.
Death Rises in Azeroth

Prior to the expansion’s release, Azeroth will begin to bear the effects of Sylvanas’s actions during a special pre-launch in-game event: “Death Rising.” This limited-time event will send players to the frozen wastes of Icecrown, where the veil between worlds has been shattered—and the reawakening of the undead Scourge heralds the stirring of more sinister forces.

The “Death Rising” event is part of the major pre-expansion game update to prepare for Shadowlands’ release, which also includes a newly revamped leveling experience that takes players to the new pre-Shadowlands level cap of 50, the addition of an epic introductory adventure for players new to World of Warcraft set on the accursed island of Exile’s Reach, a variety of updates to classes and abilities in preparation for the expansion, and more.

Players who wish to prepare for their journey into the Shadowlands today can pre-purchase the expansion now at www.worldofwarcraft.com. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is available in a range of editions to suit players’ interests:

• Shadowlands Base Edition ($39.99, digital only), which comes with the expansion only, and provides a new lower entry point compared to previous expansions.
• Shadowlands Heroic Edition ($59.99, digital only), which comes with the expansion; a character boost so players can be ready to enter the Shadowlands at launch; and the Ensorcelled Everwyrm mount, which additionally provides access to a quest line through which players can earn the Vestments of the Eternal Traveler transmogrification set.
• Shadowlands Epic Edition ($79.99, digital only), which includes everything in the Heroic Edition plus the Anima Wyrmling pet; the Wraithchill cosmetic weapon effect; the Eternal Traveler’s Hearthstone, which provides a unique visual effect; and 30 days of game time.
• Shadowlands Collector’s Edition ($119.99 SRP, retail only), a limited-edition boxed set that comes with the Epic Edition content along with mementos to adorn the physical realm, including four pins bearing the sigils of the Covenants; a mouse pad reflecting the shattered sky over Icecrown; a hardcover Art of the Shadowlands book; and a key to download the Shadowlands soundtrack. The Collector’s Edition is scheduled to begin shipping from retailers starting October 13, 2020; check with your local store for pre-order availability or information regarding their shipping policies. Players who pre-purchased a digital copy of Shadowlands and who upgrade to the Collector’s Edition will automatically be credited Blizzard Balance†† based on their original purchase (some restrictions apply; read Blizzard’s Collector’s Edition article for details).

All bonuses from the Heroic and Epic Editions are unlocked immediately upon pre-purchase. In addition, pre-purchasing any edition of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will open the ability for players to create pandaren and Allied Race Death Knights.