Highlights

  • The War Within beta for WoW begins June 5, kicking off the Worldsoul Saga trilogy with new lore and gameplay features.
  • The new expansion introduces a playable Earthen race, unique zones in Khaz Algar, and Hero Talents for all classes.
  • Beta testers can explore subterranean kingdoms, battle ancient machines, and expect updates like Warbands and Delves.

On May 30, Blizzard Entertainment made a surprise announcement for the future of World of Warcraft. The beta test for its newest expansion pack, The War Within, will begin on June 5, allowing players to dive into the world that lies beneath Azeroth.

Back in November, World of Warcraft: The War Within was announced at BlizzCon with a number of other exciting WoW updates. But this one is by far one of the most anticipated, as The War Within is the first part of the new Worldsoul Saga trilogy, adding to Azeroth’s already expansive lore. The trilogy celebrates 20 years of World of Warcraft and prepares Blizzard for the classic MMORPG’s future. The War Within will be followed by Midnight and The Last Titan at unspecified dates.

sword of sargeras silithus wow war within midnight last titan
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The War Within Beta Flexes Blizzard’s World-Building

Little has been revealed about WoW’s upcoming stories until now. The Worldsoul Saga revolves around the fate of the worldsoul of Azeroth and a monumental battle between the Light and the Void. According to Executive Creative Director Chris Metzen, the tale is “so epic it cannot be contained within any single expansion.” The first of the trilogy will take adventurers into subterranean kingdoms to kick things off.

New Dangers Sit in Khaz Algar

Off the western coast of Pandaria, a forgotten underground continent home to the Earthen waits for beta testers to descend. At the top sits the Isle of Dorn, including its capital city Dornogal, the meeting ground for the Alliance and the Horde. Underneath that is The Ringing Deep, containing Machine Speakers who operate ancient Titan machines. Then there is Hallowfall, the lit-up home of the Arathi humans who battle nerubians. And lastly, players will see Azj-Kahet, “the pinnacle of nerubian society,” where the immense forces of the Void have been gathering. Each of the new zones will include four level-up dungeons and four maximum-level dungeons.

It’s an obviously stirring prospect to receive new lore for each of these locations, but one standout feature is the presence of the mysterious arachnoid nerubians. WoW players have historically had few interactions with this civilization, yet it seems they’re integral to the Void’s upcoming story. Azj-Kahet, in particular, implies players will glimpse vast and distinct underground cities connected to the Void.

Blizzard includes an arachnophobia filter for The War Within that turns spiders into crabs.

Earthen Are Introduced as Playable

While World of Warcraft players know of Titan-forged Earthen, a new group that lives in Khaz Algar has distinct features and societal customs. In The War Within, Earthen will become a playable WoW race, replenishing their shrinking population. As they can join either the Alliance or the Horde, they will be the first neutral allied race. While a new playable race is invigorating for both new and veteran players, the Earthen being the ancestors of the familiar dwarves places them in a fascinating role story-wise. With any hope, Dornogal will delve into this connection.

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The War Within's Beta Offers Several New Features

The War Within also introduces several striking features to WoW, making the beta a broad experience on its own and, in some ways, modernizing gameplay for the next generation of players. Warbands are especially anticipated in this regard, as they allow account-wide progression for players who operate with several characters. There are also Delves, subterranean treasure vaults that offer powerful bosses and excellent loot. Delves can be played solo or with up to four friends, making them accessible. Other gameplay features include a new battleground, professions, and general UI updates.

some of the new mounts able to use dragonriding in The War Within

Each class can also make use of highly anticipated Hero Talents, self-contained skill trees inspired by iconic World of Warcraft archetypes, perfect for the nostalgic adventurer. Hero Talents arrive in the wake of Blizzard experimenting with Talent trees in recent expansions. From a flavor standpoint alone, Hero Talents could freshen things up for veteran players or those who haven’t played World of Warcraft in a while.

For all the anticipation of The Worldsoul Saga, it appears players will get to see it much sooner than they might have thought. World of Warcraft: The War Within begins Blizzard’s epic journey into the future, and those playing on June 5 will get to be an invaluable part of it.