View source for World of Warcraft

{{short description|2004 video game}}
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{{Infobox video game
| image = World of Warcraft.png
| caption = 2004 box art
| developer = [[Blizzard Entertainment]]
| publisher = Blizzard Entertainment<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/the-activision-blizzard-merger-five-key-points |title=The Activision/Blizzard Merger: Five Key Points |access-date=February 24, 2009 |work=Industry News |publisher=gamasutra.com |date=December 3, 2007 |quote=One of the intriguing things about the old Vivendi structure was that, even when Martin Tremblay joined to run Vivendi's publishing, it was specified: "World Of Warcraft creator Blizzard Entertainment has been designated a stand-alone division reporting to VU Games' CEO, and is not part of Tremblay's product development mandate. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221013844/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16458 |archive-date=December 21, 2008 }}</ref>
| director = {{ubl|[[Mark Kern]]|[[Chris Metzen]]}}
| producer = {{ubl|Shane Dabiri|Carlos Guerrero}}
| designer = {{ubl|[[Rob Pardo]]|[[Jeffrey Kaplan (game designer)|Jeff Kaplan]]|Tom Chilton}}
| programmer = John Cash
| artist = {{ubl|William Petras|Kevin Beardslee|Justin Thavirat}}
| composer = Jason Hayes{{efn|Additional music by Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke and Glenn Stafford}}
| series = ''[[Warcraft]]''
| released = {{vgrelease|AUS/NA|November 23, 2004|EU|February 11, 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.co.uk/press/050202.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207114532/http://www.blizzard.co.uk/press/050202.shtml |archive-date= February 7, 2005 |title=Blizzard Entertainment announces World of Warcraft European street date – February 11, 2005 |access-date=February 9, 2007 |date=February 2, 2005 |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment}}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|Massively multiplayer online role-playing]]
| modes = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
| platforms = {{ubl|[[macOS]]|[[Windows]]}}
}}

'''''World of Warcraft''''' ('''''WoW''''') is a 2004 [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game|massively multiplayer online role-playing]] (MMORPG) [[video game]] developed and published by [[Blizzard Entertainment]] for [[Windows]] and [[macOS]]. Set in the ''[[Warcraft]]'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the [[fictional planet]] [[Azeroth (world)|Azeroth]], approximately four years after the events of the previous game in the series, ''[[Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne]].''<ref name="Blizzard Timeline">{{cite web|title=FICTION TIMELINE |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/timeline.html |date=March 9, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204003841/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/story/timeline.html |archive-date=December 4, 2010 }}</ref> The game was announced in 2001, and was released for the 10th anniversary of the ''Warcraft'' franchise on November 23, 2004. Since launch, ''World of Warcraft'' has had ten major [[expansion packs]]: ''[[World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade|The Burning Crusade]]'' (2007), ''[[World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King|Wrath of the Lich King]]'' (2008), ''[[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm|Cataclysm]]'' (2010), ''[[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria|Mists of Pandaria]]'' (2012), ''[[World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor|Warlords of Draenor]]'' (2014), ''[[World of Warcraft: Legion|Legion]]'' (2016), ''[[World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth|Battle for Azeroth]]'' (2018), ''[[World of Warcraft: Shadowlands|Shadowlands]]'' (2020), ''[[World of Warcraft: Dragonflight|Dragonflight]]'' (2022), and ''[[World of Warcraft: The War Within|The War Within]]'' (2024). Two further expansions, ''Midnight'' and ''The Last Titan'', were announced in 2023.

Inspired by other MMORPGs, particularly ''[[EverQuest]]'', ''World of Warcraft'' allows players to create a [[Player character|character]] [[avatar (computing)|avatar]] and explore an [[open world|open game world]] in [[third-person (video games)|third]]- or [[first-person (video games)|first-person]] view, exploring the landscape, fighting various monsters, completing [[Quest (video games)|quests]], and interacting with [[non-player character]]s (NPCs) or other players. The game encourages players to work together to complete quests, enter dungeons and engage in [[Player versus player|player versus player (PvP)]] combat, however, the game can also be played solo without interacting with others. The game primarily focuses on character progression, in which players earn experience points to level up their character to make them more powerful, obtain better equipment by defeating monsters and completing challenges, and buy and sell items using in-game currency, among other game systems.

''World of Warcraft'' was a major critical and commercial success upon its original release in 2004 and quickly became the most popular MMORPG of all time, reaching a peak of 12 million subscribers in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last=Reilly |first=Jim |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/07/world-of-warcraft-reaches-12-million-subscribers |date=May 5, 2012 |publisher=IGN |title=World of Warcraft Reaches 12 Million Subscribers |access-date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204142841/https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/10/07/world-of-warcraft-reaches-12-million-subscribers |url-status=live }}</ref> The game had over one hundred million registered accounts by 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/28/5354856/world-of-warcraft-100m-accounts-lifetime |date=January 28, 2014 |publisher=Polygon.com |title=Blizzard reaches 100M lifetime World of Warcraft accounts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201230326/http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/28/5354856/world-of-warcraft-100m-accounts-lifetime |archive-date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref> and by 2017, had grossed over {{US$|9.23 billion|long=no}} in revenue, making ''Warcraft'' one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. The game has been cited by gaming journalists as the greatest MMORPG of all time and one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest video games of all time]] and has also been noted for its long lifespan, continuing to receive developer support and expansion packs over 20 years since its initial release.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sawyer|first=Logan|url=https://www.thegamer.com/best-mmorpgs-ever-wow-runescape/|date=May 13, 2020|publisher=TheGamer|title=Ranking The 15 Best MMORPGs Of All Time|access-date=January 19, 2021|archive-date=July 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712194638/https://www.thegamer.com/best-mmorpgs-ever-wow-runescape/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Bradley|first1=Alan|last2=Avard|first2=Alex|last3=Gerblick|first3=Jordan|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-mmorpg/3/|date=August 11, 2020|publisher=GamesRadar|title=The best MMORPG games to live out your best fantasy life|access-date=January 19, 2021|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204143537/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-mmorpg/3/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Lykins|first=Damien|url=https://gamerant.com/best-mmorpgs-all-time-metacritic/|date=September 2, 2019|publisher=GamesRant|title=The Top 10 Best MMORPGs Of All Time (According to Metacritic)|access-date=January 19, 2021|archive-date=July 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712194638/https://gamerant.com/best-mmorpgs-all-time-metacritic/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, a [[Vanilla software|vanilla]] version of the game titled ''[[World of Warcraft Classic]]'' was launched, allowing players to experience the base game before any of its expansions launched.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22990080/mark-your-calendars-wow-classic-launch-and-testing-schedule|title=Mark Your Calendars: WoW Classic Launch and Testing Schedule - WoW|website=World of Warcraft|language=en-US|access-date=August 27, 2019|archive-date=May 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519011059/https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/22990080/mark-your-calendars-wow-classic-launch-and-testing-schedule|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49448935|title=World of Warcraft goes back to basics|date=August 26, 2019|access-date=August 27, 2019|language=en-GB|archive-date=August 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828162633/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49448935|url-status=live}}</ref> Additional content for ''Classic'' was later released, including versions of some expansions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2022 |title=Burning Crusade Classic: The Dark Portal is Open! |url=https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23671134/burning-crusade-classic-the-dark-portal-is-open |access-date=27 September 2022 |website=World of Warcraft |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928023225/https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23671134/burning-crusade-classic-the-dark-portal-is-open |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2022 |title=Shatter the Ice: Wrath of the Lich King Classic™ Now Live! |url=https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23850854/shatter-the-ice-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic%E2%84%A2-now-live |access-date=27 September 2022 |website=World of Warcraft |archive-date=September 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928023227/https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23850854/shatter-the-ice-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic%E2%84%A2-now-live |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Gameplay==

===Starting a character or play session===
As with other MMORPGs, players control a [[Player character|character]] [[avatar (computing)|avatar]] within a game world in [[third-person (video games)|third]]- or [[first-person (video games)|first-person]] view, exploring the landscape, fighting various monsters, completing quests, and interacting with [[non-player character]]s (NPCs) or other players. Also similar to other MMORPGs, ''World of Warcraft'' requires the player to pay a [[Online pay for play|subscription]] by using a credit or debit card, using [[Prepayment for service|prepaid]] Blizzard game cards or using a WoW Token purchased [[in-game]]. Players without a subscription may use a trial account that lets the player's character reach level 20, but has many features locked.<ref name="gamespot_review"/>

To enter the game, the player must select a [[game server|server]], referred to in-game as a 'realm'. Each realm acts as an individual copy of the game world and falls into one of two categories. Available realm types are:
*  Normal – a regular type realm where the gameplay is mostly focused on defeating monsters and completing [[quest (gaming)|quests]], with player-versus-player fights and any [[Role-playing game|roleplay]] are optional.
* RP ([[Role-playing game|roleplay]]) – which works the same way as a "Normal" realm, but focuses on players roleplaying in character.

Before the introduction of World of Warcraft's seventh expansion "Battle for Azeroth", both "Normal" and "RP" servers were each divided into two separate categories: [[Player versus environment|PvE]] servers and [[Player versus player|PvP]] servers. This has since been removed after the implementation of the "War Mode" option, which allows any player (of level 20 and higher) on any server to determine whether they want to actively participate in PvP combat or not, by enabling War Mode in two of the game's capital cities.

Realms are also categorized by language, with in-game support in the language available.<ref name="realm_types">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Realm Types |url=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/guide/getting-started |access-date=April 17, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409180158/http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/guide/getting-started |archive-date=April 9, 2012 }}</ref>

Players can make new characters on all realms within the region, and it is also possible to move already established characters between realms for a fee.<ref name="gamespot_realm_xfer">{{cite web |author=Patrick Caldwell |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=Azeroth spreads out |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/azeroth-spreads-out-6153338 |date=June 29, 2006 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707205656/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/azeroth-spreads-out-6153338 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref>

====Races and factions====
{{Main|Races and factions of Warcraft}}

To create a new character, in keeping with the storyline of previous ''[[Warcraft]]'' games, players must choose between the opposing factions of the Alliance or the Horde; Pandaren, which were added in ''[[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria|Mists of Pandaria]]'', do not commit to a faction until after the starting zone is completed. Characters from the opposing factions can form cross-faction groups and engage in most types of instanced content, such as raids and dungeons, together. As of patch 10.1, 'Embers of Neltharion', characters can also join guilds of the opposing faction.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dragonflight: Embers of Neltharion Content Update Notes—Now Live! - WoW |url=https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23935248 |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=World of Warcraft |language=en-US |archive-date=September 6, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250906074718/https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23935248 |url-status=live }}</ref> The player selects the new character's [[Race (fantasy)#Sentient "races"|race]], such as orcs or trolls for the Horde, or humans or dwarves for the Alliance.<ref name="races">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Races |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/races/index.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512210253/https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/races/index.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref> Players must select the [[Character class|class]] for the character, with choices such as mages, warriors, and priests available.<ref name="classes">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Classes |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/index.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512210334/https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/classes/index.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref> Most classes are limited to particular races.

===Ongoing gameplay===
As characters become more developed, they gain various talents and skills, requiring the player to further define the abilities of that character.<ref name="gamespot_preview1">{{cite web|website=[[GameSpot]] |title=World of Warcraft Updated Hands-On Impressions – The Talent System Returns |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6102351&mode=previews |date=July 13, 2004 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317110111/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6102351&mode=previews |archive-date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref> Characters can choose two primary professions that can focus on producing items, such as tailoring, blacksmithing or jewelcrafting or on gathering from resource nodes, such as skinning or mining. Characters can learn all three secondary skills: archeology, cooking, and fishing.<ref name="professions">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Professions |url=http://www.fastestguides.com |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201060435/http://fastestguides.com/ |archive-date=February 1, 2011 }}</ref><ref name=BostonGlobeArcheology>{{cite news|last=Rothman |first=Josh |title=Archaeology: A New Skill in World of Warcraft – Brainiac |url=http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/brainiac/2011/01/archaeology_a_n.html |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=February 22, 2011 |date=January 28, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629001318/http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/brainiac/2011/01/archaeology_a_n.html |archive-date=June 29, 2011 }}</ref> Characters may form and join [[Clan (computer gaming)|guilds]], allowing characters within the guild access to the guild's chat channel, the guild name and optionally allowing other features, including a guild tabard, guild bank, guild repairs, and dues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guilds.html |title=Wow:Info:Basics:Guilds |access-date=June 16, 2010 |publisher=Blizzard |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507221604/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guilds.html |archive-date=May 7, 2010 }}</ref>

Much of ''World of Warcraft'' play involves the completion of [[quest (gaming)|quests]]. These quests are usually available from [[Non-player character|NPC]]s.<ref name="quests">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Quests |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/quests.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512210341/https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/quests.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref> Quests usually reward the player with some combination of experience points, items, and in-game money. Quests allow characters to gain access to new skills and abilities, as well as the ability to explore new areas.<ref name="ign_review" /> It is through quests that much of the game's story is told, both through the quest's text and through scripted NPC actions.<ref name="gamespy_review">{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft (PC) |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/world-of-warcraft/571585p1.html |author=Allen Rausch |date=December 7, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214121145/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/world-of-warcraft/571585p1.html |archive-date=December 14, 2004 }}</ref> Quests are linked by a common theme, with each consecutive quest triggered by the completion of the previous, forming a [[Quest (gaming)#Quest chains|quest chain]]. Quests commonly involve killing a number of creatures, gathering a certain number of resources, finding a difficult to locate object, speaking to various NPCs, visiting specific locations, interacting with objects in the world, or delivering an item from one place to another to acquire experience and treasures.

While a character can be played on its own, players can group with others to tackle more challenging content. Most end-game challenges are designed in such a way that they can only be overcome while in a group. In this way, character classes are used in specific roles within a group.<ref name="quests"/><ref name="party_roles">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Party Roles |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/partyroles.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512210418/https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/partyroles.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref> ''World of Warcraft'' uses a "rested bonus" system, increasing the rate that a character can gain experience points after the player has spent time away from the game.<ref name="gamespot_preview1" /> When a character dies, it becomes a ghost—or [[Will-o'-the-wisp|wisp]] for Night Elf characters—at a nearby graveyard.<ref name="ign_review">{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft Review |website=IGN |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/572/572070p1.html |author=Tom McNamara |date=December 10, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511160533/http://pc.ign.com/articles/572/572070p1.html |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> Characters can be resurrected by other characters that have the ability or can self-resurrect by moving from the graveyard to the place where they died. If a character is past level ten and they resurrect at a graveyard, the items equipped by the character degrade, requiring in-game money and a specialist NPC to repair them. Items that have degraded heavily become unusable until they are repaired. If the location of the character's body is unreachable, they can use a special "spirit healer" NPC to resurrect at the graveyard. When the spirit healer revives a character, items equipped by the character at that time are further degraded, and the character is significantly weakened by what is in-game called "resurrection sickness" for up to ten minutes, depending on the character's level. This "resurrection sickness" does not occur and item degradation is less severe if the character revives by locating its body, or is resurrected by another player through spells or special items.<ref name="death">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Death |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/death.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512211104/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/death.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="items">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Items |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/items/basics.html |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510115038/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/items/basics.html |archive-date=May 10, 2008 }}</ref>

''World of Warcraft'' contains a variety of mechanisms for [[player versus player]] (PvP) play. Players on [[player versus environment]] (PvE) servers can opt to toggle "War Mode" themselves, making themselves attackable to players of the opposite faction.<ref name="gamespot_1.4" /> Depending on the mode of the realm, PvP combat between members of opposing factions is possible at almost any time or location in the game world—the only exception being the starting zones, where the PvP "flag" must be enabled by the player wishing to fight against players of the opposite faction. PvE (called normal or RP) servers, by contrast, allow a player to choose whether or not to engage in combat against other players. On both server types, there are special areas of the world where free-for-all combat is permitted. Battlegrounds, for example, are similar to dungeons: only a set number of characters can enter a single battleground, but additional copies of the battleground can be made to accommodate additional players.<ref name="gamespot_1.5">{{cite web |author=Tim Surette |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=WOW patch opens new Battlegrounds |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/wow-patch-opens-new-battlegrounds-6127080 |date=June 7, 2005 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707200148/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/wow-patch-opens-new-battlegrounds-6127080 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref> Each battleground has a set objective, such as capturing a flag or defeating an opposing general, that must be completed to win the battleground. Competing in battlegrounds rewards the character with tokens and honor points that can be used to buy armor, weapons, and other general items that can aid a player in many areas of the game. Winning a battleground awards more honor and tokens than losing. In addition, players also earn honor when they or nearby teammates kill players in a battleground.<ref name="gamespot_1.4">{{cite web |author=Tim Surette |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=WOW patched to v1.4 |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/wow-patched-to-v14-6122496 |date=April 19, 2005 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707200440/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/wow-patched-to-v14-6122496 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref>

===Setting===
''World of Warcraft'' is set in the same universe as the ''[[Warcraft]]'' series of [[real-time strategy]] games and has a similar art direction.<ref name="gamespot_review">{{cite web|author=Greg Kasavin |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=World of Warcraft |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/review.html |date=November 30, 2004 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015083316/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/review.html |archive-date=October 15, 2007 }}</ref> ''World of Warcraft'' contains elements from [[fantasy]], [[steampunk]], and science fiction, including gryphons, dragons, elves, steam-powered automata, zombies, werewolves, other horror monsters, [[time travel]], spaceships, and alien worlds.

''World of Warcraft'' takes place in a [[Three-dimensional space|3D]] representation of the ''Warcraft'' universe that players can interact with through their characters. The game world initially consisted of the two continents in Azeroth: Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. Four separate expansions later added to the game's playable area the realms of Outland and Draenor and the continents of Northrend and Pandaria. As a player explores new locations, different routes and means of transportation become available. Players can access "flight masters" in newly discovered locations to fly to previously discovered locations in other parts of the world.<ref name="gamespot_1.10" /> Players can also use boats, zeppelins, or portals to move from one continent to another. Although the game world remains relatively similar from day to day, seasonal events reflecting real world events, such as Halloween (Hallow's End),<ref name="gamespot_1.8" /> Christmas (Winter Veil), Children's Week,<ref name="gamespot_1.4" /> Easter (Noblegarden), and Midsummer have been represented in the game world. Locations also have variable weather including, among other things, rain, snow, and dust storms.<ref name="gamespot_1.10">{{cite web|author=Tim Surette |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=WOW patched to 1.10 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6146732&mode=news |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317110033/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6146732&mode=news |archive-date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref>

A number of facilities are available for characters while in towns and cities. In each major city, characters can access a bank to deposit items, such as treasures or crafted items. Each character has access to personal bank storage with the option to purchase additional storage space using in-game gold.<ref name="gamespot_bank">{{cite web|author=Justin Calvert |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=World of Warcraft banking info |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6090384&mode=news |date=March 2, 2004 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317110010/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6090384&mode=news |archive-date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref> Additionally, guild banks are available for use by members of a guild with restrictions being set by the guild leader.<ref name="WoW Guild Banks">{{cite web|author=Blizzard |publisher=Activision Blizzard Inc. |title=Guild Banks |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guildbanks.html |access-date=November 9, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081108213958/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guildbanks.html |archive-date=November 8, 2008 }}</ref> Auction houses are available for players to buy and sell items to others in a similar way to online auction sites such as [[eBay]].<ref name="gamespot_ah">{{cite web |author=Tor Thorsen |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=Online auctions coming to World of Warcraft |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/online-auctions-coming-to-world-of-warcraft-6098955 |date=May 21, 2004 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707183617/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/online-auctions-coming-to-world-of-warcraft-6098955 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref> Players can use mailboxes, which can be found in almost every town. Mailboxes are used to collect items won at auction, and to send messages, items, and in-game money to other characters.<ref name="gamespot_preview1" />

Some of the challenges in ''World of Warcraft'' require players to group together to complete them. These usually take place in dungeons—also known as "instances"—that a group of characters can enter together. The term "instance" comes from each group or party having a separate copy, or instance, of the dungeon, complete with their own enemies to defeat and their own treasure or rewards.<ref name="instances">{{cite web|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |title=Instancing |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/instancing.html |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512210340/https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/instancing.html |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref> This allows a group to explore areas and complete quests without others interfering. Dungeons are spread over the game world and are designed for characters of varying progression. A typical dungeon will allow up to five characters to enter as part of a group. Some dungeons require more players to group together and form a "raid" of up to forty players to face some of the most difficult challenges.<ref name="gamespot_preview2">{{cite web|author=Andrew Park |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=World of Warcraft Updated Preview – Final Details, Player vs. Player, Future Updates |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6113764&mode=previews |date=November 23, 2004 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317110030/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=6113764&mode=previews |archive-date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref> As well as dungeon-based raid challenges, several creatures exist in the normal game environment that are designed for raids to attack.<ref name="gamespot_1.8">{{cite web |author=Tim Surette |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=WOW v1.8 patch adds dragons, holiday festivities |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/wow-v18-patch-adds-dragons-holiday-festivities-6135509 |date=October 12, 2005 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707175610/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/wow-v18-patch-adds-dragons-holiday-festivities-6135509 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="gamespot_1.3">{{cite web |author=Tim Surette |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=World of Warcraft patched |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/world-of-warcraft-patched-6120905 |date=February 11, 2005 |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707211012/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/world-of-warcraft-patched-6120905 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref>

===Subscription===
''World of Warcraft'' requires a subscription to allow continued play, with options to pay in one-month, three-month, or six-month blocks, and time cards of varying lengths available from retailers, or purchasing a "WoW Token" using in-game currency.<ref>{{cite web|title=Subscription - World of Warcraft Products - Battle.net Shop |url=https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/world-of-warcraft-subscription |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |access-date=October 5, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808100221/https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/world-of-warcraft-subscription |archive-date=August 8, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="bbcsubs">[https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32232608 Real money trade hits World of Warcraft game] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118141641/http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32232608 |date=November 18, 2015 }} April 9, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.</ref> Expansion packs are available online and from retailers. As the game client is the same regardless of the version of ''World of Warcraft'' the user owns, the option to purchase expansions online was added as it allows for a quick upgrade. ''World of Warcraft'' is also available as a free Starter Edition, which is free to play for an unlimited amount of time. Starter Edition characters are unable to gain experience after reaching level 20, and there are other restrictions in effect for Starter Edition accounts, including the inability to trade, use mail, use Auction House, use public chat channels, join guilds or amass more than ten gold.<ref name="gs-starter">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6321487/world-of-warcraft-now-free-until-level-20 |title=World of Warcraft now free until level 20 |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |access-date=October 28, 2011 |date=June 28, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831174908/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6321487/world-of-warcraft-now-free-until-level-20 |archive-date=August 31, 2011 }}</ref>

In January 2015, accounts that have lapsed subscriptions, which previously would not let a player log in, work like a restricted Starter Edition account with the one difference that sub-level 20 characters will be able to join a guild if any other characters on the account are still in that guild.<ref>[http://www.wowhead.com/news=245758.3/veteran-account-mode-january-15th-hotfixes-6-1-profession-updates Veteran Account Mode, January 15th Hotfixes, 6.1 Profession Updates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118185230/http://www.wowhead.com/news%3D245758.3/veteran-account-mode-january-15th-hotfixes-6-1-profession-updates |date=November 18, 2015 }} January 15, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.</ref>

In April 2015, an alternate way to cover the subscription was introduced. A player may spend real money ($20 in North America and differing amounts in other regions) on a WoW Token, which is sold on the auction house for the in-game currency, gold, that initially could only be used to add 30 days of playtime.<ref name="bbcsubs"/> At the launch of the feature in North America, a token sold for 30,000 gold and 24 hours later sold for 20,000 gold; therefore, the gold amount changes depending on what players are willing to spend. Subsequently, the amount that a North American token sells for remained at above 30,000 gold, and the other Battle.net regions were well above that value. Once a player buys a token on the auction house, it is account bound and cannot be resold. As of February 2017, the WoW Token can also be exchanged for $15 in Battle.net balance that can be used as credit for purchases in most of Blizzard's games as well as in ''[[Destiny 2]]''.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCWtkTWwpXM WoW Token Overview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207045025/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCWtkTWwpXM |date=February 7, 2017 }} Blizzard Entertainment, February 6, 2017.</ref>

===Parental controls===
The company offers parental controls<ref>[https://us.battle.net/account/parental-controls/index.html us.battle.net] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329190235/https://us.battle.net/account/parental-controls/index.html |date=March 29, 2012 }} Parental controls description</ref> that allow various limits to be set on playing time. It is possible to set a daily limit, a weekly limit, or to specify an allowed playing schedule. In order to control these settings, it is necessary to log in with different credentials than are used just to enter the game. It is also possible to receive statistics on the time spent playing. Apart from controlling children, adults sometimes use parental controls on themselves.<ref>[http://www.wowhead.com/forums&topic=178118/balancing-real-life-and-wow A forum thread] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004035851/http://www.wowhead.com/forums%26topic%3D178118/balancing-real-life-and-wow |date=October 4, 2012 }} From that, one of the solutions to control playing time is to use parental controls on one's own account.</ref> The company supports this kind of protection as otherwise the potential players or their supervisors may choose to uninstall or block the game permanently.

==Plot==
{{See also|Warcraft#Setting}}
Intent on settling in Durotar, [[Thrall (Warcraft)|Thrall's]] Horde expanded its ranks by inviting the undead Forsaken to join orcs, tauren, and trolls. Meanwhile, dwarves, gnomes, and the ancient night elves pledged their loyalties to the Alliance, guided by the human kingdom of Stormwind. After Stormwind's king, Varian Wrynn, mysteriously disappeared, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon served as Regent but his service was affected by the mind control of the black dragon Onyxia, who ruled in disguise as a human noblewoman. As heroes investigated Onyxia's manipulations, the ancient elemental lord Ragnaros resurfaced to endanger both the Horde and Alliance.<ref>The Burning Crusade Game Manual. Blizzard Entertainment.</ref> The heroes of the Horde and Alliance defeated Onyxia and sent Ragnaros back to the Elemental Plane.

===Assault on Blackwing Lair===
Deep within Blackrock Mountain, the black dragon Nefarian conducted twisted experiments with the blood of other dragonflights. Intent on seizing the entire area for his own, he recruited the remaining Dark Horde, a rogue army that embraced the demonic bloodlust of the old Horde. These corrupt orcs, trolls, and other races battled against Ragnaros and the Dark Iron dwarves for control of the mountain. Nefarian created the twisted chromatic dragons and a legion of other aberrations in his bid to form an army powerful enough to control Azeroth and continue the legacy of his infamous father, Deathwing the Destroyer. Nefarian was vanquished by the heroes from the Horde and the Alliance.

===Rise of the Blood God===
Years ago, in the ruined temple of Atal'Hakkar, loyal priests of the Blood God Hakkar the Soulflayer attempted to summon the wrathful deity's avatar into the world. But his followers, the Atal'ai priesthood, discovered that the Soulflayer could only be summoned within the Gurubashi tribe's ancient capital, Zul'Gurub. Newly reborn in this jungle fortress, Hakkar took control of the Gurubashi tribe and mortal champions of the trolls' mighty animal gods. The Soulflayer's dark influence was halted when the Zandalari tribe recruited heroes and invaded Zul'Gurub.

===The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj===
The great desert fortress of Ahn'Qiraj, long sealed behind the Scarab Wall, was home to the insectoid qiraji, a savage race that had once mounted an assault to devastate the continent of Kalimdor. But something far more sinister lurked behind Ahn'Qiraj's walls: the Old God C'Thun, an ancient entity whose pervasive evil had suffused Azeroth since time immemorial. As C'Thun incited the qiraji to frenzy, both the Alliance and Horde prepared for a massive war effort. A mixed force of Alliance and Horde soldiers, dubbed the Might of Kalimdor, opened the gates of Ahn'Qiraj under the command of the orc Varok Saurfang. The heroes laid siege to the ruins and temples of Ahn'Qiraj and vanquished C'Thun.

===Shadow of the Necropolis===
In the Lich King's haste to spread the plague of undeath over Azeroth, he gifted one of his greatest servants, the lich Kel'Thuzad, with the flying citadel of Naxxramas, as a base of operations for the Scourge. Consistent attacks from the Scarlet Crusade and Argent Dawn factions weakened the defenses of the floating fortress, enabling an incursion from the heroes that led to Kel'Thuzad's defeat. However, a traitor among the ranks of the knightly order of the Argent Dawn ran away with Kel'Thuzad's cursed remains and fled to Northrend, where the fallen lich could be reanimated.

==Development==
After releasing ''[[StarCraft]]'' in 1998, Blizzard began work on its next title. Initially, this was a project known as ''Nomad'', based on the tabletop role-playing game ''[[Necromunda]]'' that took place in a post-apocalyptic setting. Over its first year of development, ''Nomad'' did not have a strong sense of direction; at that time, many of the Blizzard developers had also become fans of the MMORPG ''[[EverQuest]]'', released in 1999 by [[Verant Interactive]]. Interest waned in ''Nomad'' as the company talked about making their own MMORPG, based on the ''Warcraft'' series and improving on aspects that they felt did not work from ''EverQuest''. In a management vote, all but Duane Stinnett, the project lead on ''Nomad'', voted for this shift, and work on ''Nomad'' stopped by the end of 1999 as ''World of Warcraft'' was initiated.<ref>Schreier, 2024, Chapter 8: Nomad</ref><ref>Schreier, 2024, Chapter 9: Everquest, but Better</ref>

''World of Warcraft'' was first announced by Blizzard at the [[European Computer Trade Show|ECTS]] trade show in September 2001.<ref name="ECTS">{{cite web|title=ECTS 2001:World of Warcraft |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=2810134 |website=GameSpot |access-date=November 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317110106/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=2810134 |archive-date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref> Released in 2004, development of the game took roughly 4–5 years, including extensive testing. The 3D graphics in ''World of Warcraft'' use elements of the proprietary graphics engine originally used in ''Warcraft III''.<ref name="ECTS"/> The game was designed to be an open environment where players are allowed to do as they please.<ref name="gamespot_preview">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=2809173&mode=previews |title=World of Warcraft Preview |access-date=March 8, 2008 |author=Greg Kasavin, Amer Ajami |date=September 1, 2002 |website=GameSpot |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207172310/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/news.html?sid=2809173&mode=previews |archive-date=December 7, 2008 }}</ref> Quests are optional and were designed to help guide players, allow character development, and to spread characters across different zones to try to avoid what developers called ''player collision''.<ref>{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft Preview |page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040215040959/http://www.gamespy.com/previews/january04/wowpc/index2.shtml |archive-date=February 15, 2004 |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/previews/january04/wowpc/index2.shtml |publisher=GameSpy |access-date=November 3, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The game interface allows players to customize appearance and controls, and to install add-ons and other modifications.<ref>{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft Preview |page=6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040215035438/http://www.gamespy.com/previews/january04/wow2pc/index2.shtml |archive-date=February 15, 2004 |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/previews/january04/wowpc/index6.shtml |publisher=GameSpy |access-date=November 3, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''World of Warcraft'' runs natively on both [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] and [[Windows]] platforms. Boxed copies of the game use a [[hybrid CD]] to install the game, eliminating the need for separate Mac and Windows retail products. The game allows all users to play together, regardless of their [[operating system]]. Although there is no official version for any other platform, support for ''World of Warcraft'' is present in Windows [[application programming interface|API]] implementations [[Wine (software)|Wine]] and [[CrossOver]] allowing the game to be played under [[Linux]] and [[FreeBSD]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=6482 |title=Wine application notes for WoW |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206184620/https://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=6482 |archive-date=February 6, 2016 }}</ref> While a native Linux client is neither released nor announced by Blizzard, in January 2011 [[Information technology|IT]] journalist [[Michael Larabel]] indicated in a [[Phoronix]] article that an internal Linux client might exist but is not released due to the non-[[standardization]] of the Linux [[Linux distribution|distro]] ecosystem.<ref name="linuxclient2011">{{cite web|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTA0NQ |title=Blizzard Still Has a World of Warcraft Linux Client |first=Michael |last=Larabel |publisher=[[Phoronix]] |date=January 26, 2011 |access-date=July 8, 2013 |quote=It turns out that this appears to still be the case that internally they have a Linux build of World of Warcraft but as of yet they have decided against releasing it to the public. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512083414/http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTA0NQ |archive-date=May 12, 2013 }}</ref>

===Regional variations===
In the United States, Canada, and Europe, Blizzard distributes ''World of Warcraft'' via [[retail software]] packages.<ref name="blizz_release_pr">{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/blizzard-entertainment-announces-world-of-warcraft-street-date-november-23-2004-6112390 |title=Blizzard Entertainment Announces World of Warcraft Street Date – November 23, 2004 |access-date=March 8, 2008 |date=November 4, 2004 |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707202249/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/blizzard-entertainment-announces-world-of-warcraft-street-date-november-23-2004-6112390 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 }}</ref> The software package includes 30 days of gameplay for no additional cost. To continue playing after the initial 30 days, additional play time must be purchased using a credit card or prepaid game card. The minimum gameplay duration that a player can purchase is 30 days using a credit card, or 60 using a prepaid game card. A player also has the option of purchasing three or six months of gameplay at once for a 6–15% discount.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowbilling/?id=abl01026p |title=Payment Options |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |year=2007 |access-date=April 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410020106/http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowbilling/?id=abl01026p |archive-date=April 10, 2007 }}</ref> In Australia, the United States, and many European countries, video game stores commonly stock the trial version of ''World of Warcraft'' in DVD form, which includes the game and 20 levels<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&tag=wowStarterEditionfaq&rhtml=true |title=World of Warcraft Starter Edition Account FAQ |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |year=2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128193416/http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&tag=wowStarterEditionfaq&rhtml=true |archive-date=November 28, 2011 }}</ref> of gameplay, after which the player would have to upgrade to a retail account by supplying a valid credit card, or purchasing a game card as well as a retail copy of the game.

In Brazil, ''World of Warcraft'' was released on December 6, 2011, via BattleNet. The first three expansions are currently available, fully translated, including voice acting, into [[Portuguese (language)|Brazilian Portuguese]].<ref name="brazilrelease">{{cite web|url=http://us.blizzard.com/pt-br/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=4030662 |title=Blizzard Entertainment: Comunicados à Imprensa |language=pt |publisher=Blizzard |access-date=December 7, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121073518/http://us.blizzard.com/pt-br/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=4030662 |archive-date=January 21, 2012 }}</ref>

In South Korea, there is no software package or CD key requirement to activate the account. However, to play the game, players must purchase time credits online. There are two kinds of time credits available: one where the player is billed based on the actual number of minutes that will be available, and one where the player can play the game for a number of days. In the former, time can be purchased in multiples of 5 hours or 30 hours, and in the latter, time can be purchased in multiples of 7 days, 1 month, or 3 months.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.co.kr/billing/ 
 |title=Billing Guide 
 |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] 
 |year=2006 
 |access-date=December 17, 2006 |url-status=live 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061217185951/http://www.worldofwarcraft.co.kr/billing/ 
 |archive-date=December 17, 2006 }}</ref> As software packages are not required, expansion pack contents are available to all players on launch day.

In ''World of Warcraft's'' initial Chinese release, players could purchase hourly and daily tokens, which were typically used to play at [[Internet café]]s.<ref name="Eyman">{{Cite book |last=Eyman |first=Douglas |title=Games & Play in Chinese & Sinophone Cultures |date=2024 |publisher=[[University of Washington Press]] |isbn=9780295752402 |editor-last=Guo |editor-first=Li |location=Seattle, WA |chapter=Translation and Chinese Culture in Video Games |editor-last2=Eyman |editor-first2=Douglas |editor-last3=Sun |editor-first3=Hongmei}}</ref>{{Rp|page=252}} The initial Chinese release was immensely popular, in part because many Chinese had already played the game on North American and European servers.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=253}}

The Chinese versions feature modifications of the game which places flesh on bare-boned skeletons and transforms dead character corpses into tidy graves. These changes were made, according to the regional licensee [[The9]], in an attempt to "promote a healthy and harmonious online game environment" in ''World of Warcraft''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/03/10136373.html |title=Censorship reaches internet skeletons |work=Gulf News |date=July 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315034355/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/03/10136373.html |archive-date=March 15, 2009 }}</ref><ref>July 10, 2007, [http://www.china.org.cn/english/entertainment/216622.htm Skeletons Banned in Chinese 'World of Warcraft'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122103837/http://www.china.org.cn/english/entertainment/216622.htm |date=January 22, 2016 }}, [[Xinhua News Agency]]</ref> Despite the belief that skeletons must be censored before publication in China, the Chinese government does not have regulations against the depiction of such elements and there are examples of such elements in many other games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Custer |first1=C. |title=China doesn’t censor skeletons: the truth about game censorship in the Middle Kingdom |url=https://www.techinasia.com/china-doesnt-censor-skeletons-the-truth-about-game-censorship-in-the-middle-kingdom |website=[[Tech In Asia]] |date=2 July 2014 |access-date=July 8, 2025 |archive-date=July 8, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708060401/https://www.techinasia.com/china-doesnt-censor-skeletons-the-truth-about-game-censorship-in-the-middle-kingdom |url-status=live }}</ref> NetEase took over licensing of ''World of Warcraft'' from [[The9]] in June 2009 following the expiration of The9's contract,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/16/blizzard_ditches_the9/ |title=Blizzard ditches long-time WoW operator |work=The Register |date=April 16, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174624/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/16/blizzard_ditches_the9/ |archive-date=March 3, 2016 }}</ref> and were able to secure a launch for ''[[Wrath of the Lich King]]'' on August 31, 2010, nearly two years after its Western release. Due to a contract dispute, these servers were shut down on January 23, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/chinese-wow-servers-shut-down-after-14-years-following-expiration-of-netease-agreement/1100-6510829/ |title=Chinese WoW Servers Shut Down After 14 Years Following Expiration Of NetEase Agreement |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |year=2023 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |archive-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124195347/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/chinese-wow-servers-shut-down-after-14-years-following-expiration-of-netease-agreement/1100-6510829/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2024, NetEase [https://ir.netease.com/news-releases/news-release-details/blizzard-entertainment-and-netease-renew-agreement-bring-beloved announced] that ''World of Warcraft'' services would be returning to China in the Summer of 2024, later leading to a [https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Vx4y187na/ livestream] on June 27, 2024, in which Blizzard team members outlined the release of the ''Wrath of the Lich King'' for ''World of Warcraft Classic'' and ''The War Within'' expansion for ''World of Warcraft'' for Chinese players.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archimtiros |title=NetEase Announces The War Within Begins in China on August 1st |url=https://www.wowhead.com/news/netease-announces-the-war-within-begins-in-china-on-august-1st-343644 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Wowhead |language=en |archive-date=June 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627155715/https://www.wowhead.com/news/netease-announces-the-war-within-begins-in-china-on-august-1st-343644 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Post-release content===
The ''World of Warcraft'' launcher (referred to in press releases and the menu bar as the "Blizzard Launcher") is a program designed to act as a starting point for ''World of Warcraft'' players. It provides a way to launch ''World of Warcraft'' and starts the Blizzard updater. It was first included with the version 1.8.3 patch. The 2.1.0 patch allowed for an option to bypass the use of the launcher. Features of the launcher include news and updates for ''World of Warcraft'' players, access to ''World of Warcraft''{{'}}s support website, access to the test version of ''World of Warcraft'' when it is available to test upcoming patches, updates to [[Warden (software)|Warden]],<ref name="warden_updates">{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/15/world_of_warcraft_warden_encryption/ |title=World of Warcraft spykit gets encrypted |access-date=March 8, 2008 |last=Modine |first=Austin |date=November 15, 2007 |work=The Register |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319042025/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/15/world_of_warcraft_warden_encryption/ |archive-date=March 19, 2008 }}</ref> and updates to the updater itself. The 3.0.8 patch redesigned the launcher and added the ability to change the game settings from the launcher itself. The launcher update from patch 4.0.1 also allows people to play the game while non-crucial pieces of the game are downloaded. This requires a high-speed broadband internet connection.

[[Patch (computing)|Patch]] 1.9.3 added native support for [[Apple–Intel architecture|Intel-powered Macs]], making ''World of Warcraft'' a [[Universal binary|universal application]]. As a result of this, the minimum supported Mac OS X version has been changed to 10.3.9; ''World of Warcraft'' version 1.9.3 and later will not launch on older versions of Mac OS X.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/patch1p9.html |title="World of Warcraft Client Patch 1.9.3 (7 February 2006)" patch notes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204052109/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/patch1p9.html |archive-date=December 4, 2010 }}</ref> [[PowerPC]] architecture Macs are no longer supported since version 4.0.1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wowpedia.org/Patch_4.0.1_(undocumented_changes)#Game_Engine |title=Patch 4.0.1 (undocumented changes) – Wowpedia – Your wiki guide to the World of Warcraft |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019232146/http://wowpedia.org/Patch_4.0.1_%28undocumented_changes%29 |archive-date=October 19, 2014 }}</ref>

When new content is added to the game, official system requirements may change. In version 1.12.0 the requirements for Windows were increased from requiring 256&nbsp;MB to 512&nbsp;MB of RAM. Official [[Windows 98]] technical support was dropped, but the game continued to run there until version 2.2.3.<ref>
{{cite web |title=Technology FAQ |work=World of Warcraft Game Guide |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/technology.html |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |year=2006 |access-date=September 6, 2006 |archive-date=November 13, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041113080257/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/technology.html}}</ref> Before Mists of Pandaria in 2012, ''World of Warcraft'' officially dropped support for [[Windows 2000]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/215608-wow-no-longer-compatible-with-windows-2000/ |title=WoW No Longer Compatible with Windows 2000 – MMO-Champion BlueTracker |publisher=Blue.mmo-champion.com |date=July 13, 2010 |access-date=May 6, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118175354/http://blue.mmo-champion.com/topic/215608-wow-no-longer-compatible-with-windows-2000/ |archive-date=January 18, 2012 }}</ref> followed by [[Windows XP]] and [[Windows Vista|Vista]] in October 2017, as well as all 32-bit support.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/blizzard-ending-support-for-windows-xp-and-vista|title=Blizzard Ending Support for Windows XP and Vista|last=Humphries|first=Matthew|work=[[PCMag]]|date=July 20, 2017|access-date=January 15, 2021|archive-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121230610/https://www.pcmag.com/news/blizzard-ending-support-for-windows-xp-and-vista|url-status=live}}</ref>

Starting with 4.3,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2555-64-Bit-Client-Healing-Blue-Posts-Holiday-Card-Contest-TCG-Art-Comics |title=64 Bit Client |publisher=Boubouille@MMO-Champion |date=November 16, 2011 |access-date=September 20, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929031207/http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2555-64-Bit-Client-Healing-Blue-Posts-Holiday-Card-Contest-TCG-Art-Comics |archive-date=September 29, 2012 }}</ref> players could try out an experimental [[64-bit]] version of the client, which required manual downloading and copying files into the installation folder. Since 5.0, the 64-bit client is automatically installed, and used by default. <!-- Hard to get proper written sources for this, well, the patcher simply installs 64-bit client now, and uses that by default -->

Since [[World IPv6 Day]], the client and most of the servers support [[IPv6]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2593008179 |title=World IPv6 Day |publisher=Bashiok@Blizzard |date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=September 20, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517064539/http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/2593008179 |archive-date=May 17, 2013 }}</ref>

===Expansions===

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible floatright"
|+Expansions for ''World of WarCraft''
|-
! Title !! Release date !! Level cap
|-
| data-sort-value="Burning Crusade"|''[[World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade|The Burning Crusade]]'' || {{dts|2007-01-16}} || 70
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King|Wrath of the Lich King]]'' || {{dts|2008-11-13}} || 80
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm|Cataclysm]]'' || {{dts|2010-12-07}} || 85
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria|Mists of Pandaria]]'' || {{dts|2012-09-25}} || 90
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor|Warlords of Draenor]]'' || {{dts|2014-11-13}} || 100
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Legion|Legion]]'' || {{dts|2016-08-30}} || 110
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth|Battle for Azeroth]]'' || {{dts|2018-08-13}} || 120
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Shadowlands|Shadowlands]]'' || {{dts|2020-11-23}} || 60
|-
| ''[[World of Warcraft: Dragonflight|Dragonflight]]'' || {{dts|2022-11-28}} || 70
|-
| data-sort-value="War Within"|''[[World of Warcraft: The War Within|The War Within]]'' || {{dts|2024-08-26}} || 80
|}

Ten [[expansion pack|expansions]] have been released: ''[[World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade|The Burning Crusade]]'', released in January 2007; ''[[World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King|Wrath of the Lich King]]'', released in November 2008; ''[[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm|Cataclysm]]'', released in December 2010; ''[[World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria|Mists of Pandaria]]'', released in September 2012; ''[[World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor|Warlords of Draenor]]'', released in November 2014; ''[[World of Warcraft: Legion|Legion]]'', released in August 2016; [[World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth|''Battle for Azeroth'']], released in August 2018; ''[[World of Warcraft: Shadowlands|Shadowlands]]'', released in November 2020; ''[[World of Warcraft: Dragonflight|Dragonflight]]'', released in November 2022 and ''[[World of Warcraft: The War Within|The War Within]]'', released in August 2024. Players are not required to purchase expansions in order to continue playing; however, new content and features such as higher level caps and new areas may not be available until they do so.

The fifth expansion, ''Warlords of Draenor'', was announced at [[BlizzCon#BlizzCon events|BlizzCon 2013]] on November 8, 2013,<ref>[http://www.marketwatch.com/story/world-of-warcraftr-warlords-of-draenortm-remakes-history-at-blizzconr-2013-2013-11-08 World of Warcraft(R): Warlords of Draenor(TM) Remakes History at BlizzCon(R) 2013] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109014843/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/world-of-warcraftr-warlords-of-draenortm-remakes-history-at-blizzconr-2013-2013-11-08 |date=November 9, 2013 }}. MarketWatch (November 8, 2013). Retrieved December 6, 2013.</ref><ref>Entertainment, Blizzard. (November 8, 2013) [http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/11514711/World_of_Warcraft_Warlords_of_Draenor_BlizzCon_2013_FAQ-10_30_2013 World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor BlizzCon 2013 FAQ – World of Warcraft] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108223413/http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/11514711/World_of_Warcraft_Warlords_of_Draenor_BlizzCon_2013_FAQ-10_30_2013 |date=November 8, 2013 }}. Us.battle.net. Retrieved December 6, 2013.</ref> and entered beta on June 27, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/14605867/world-of-warcraft®-warlords-of-draenor™-beta-test-begins-6-27-2014 |title=World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor Beta Test Begins! |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |date=June 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427210415/http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/14605867/world-of-warcraft%C2%AE-warlords-of-draenor%E2%84%A2-beta-test-begins-6-27-2014 |archive-date=April 27, 2016 }}</ref> ''Warlords of Draenor'' was released on November 13, 2014.<ref name="release">{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/world-warcraft-warlords-draenor-release-date-arrives-blizzard-releases-day-one-patch-1723425 |title='World Of Warcraft: Warlords Of Draenor' Release Date Arrives, Blizzard Releases Day One Patch |last=Elise |first=Abigail |website=[[International Business Times]] |date=November 13, 2014 |access-date=November 13, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117022846/http://www.ibtimes.com/world-warcraft-warlords-draenor-release-date-arrives-blizzard-releases-day-one-patch-1723425 |archive-date=November 17, 2014 }}</ref> On August 6, 2015, Blizzard announced the sixth expansion, ''[[World of Warcraft: Legion|Legion]]'', at [[Gamescom 2015]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/29/blizzard-to-announce-next-world-of-warcraft-expansion-at-gamescom |title=Blizzard to announce next World Of Warcraft expansion at Gamescom |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |last=Osborn |first=Alex |date=July 29, 2015 |access-date=July 29, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801005442/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/29/blizzard-to-announce-next-world-of-warcraft-expansion-at-gamescom |archive-date=August 1, 2015 }}</ref> In November 2015, the ''Legion''{{'s}} alpha testing started and in April 2016 the beta test started; the ''Legion'' expansion was released on August 30, 2016. The seventh expansion, ''Battle for Azeroth'', was released worldwide on August 13 and 14 (depending on location) in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Blizzard Entertainment |title=Battle for Azeroth™: One Launch to Rule Them All |url=https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/21849061/battle-for-azeroth-one-launch-to-rule-them-all |website=worldofwarcraft.com |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |access-date=August 13, 2018 |date=June 7, 2018 |archive-date=August 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814040102/https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/21849061/battle-for-azeroth-one-launch-to-rule-them-all |url-status=live }}</ref> The eighth expansion, ''Shadowlands'', was announced on November 1, 2019, and released on November 23, 2020.<ref name="PC GAMER">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-shadowlands/|title=World of Warcraft: Shadowlands: Release date, Covenants, pre-patch, and everything we know|website=PC Gamer|date=November 21, 2020|last1=Messner|first1=Steven|access-date=January 12, 2021|archive-date=November 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104094541/https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-shadowlands/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BlizzardPressRelease">{{cite web|url=https://blizzard.gamespress.com/Prepare-to-Cross-Into-the-Realm-of-the-Dead-in-World-of-Warcraft-Shado|title=Prepare to Cross Into the Realm of the Dead in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands|author=Blizzard Entertainment|date=November 1, 2019|author-link=Blizzard Entertainment|access-date=November 2, 2019|archive-date=November 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101203513/https://blizzard.gamespress.com/Prepare-to-Cross-Into-the-Realm-of-the-Dead-in-World-of-Warcraft-Shado|url-status=live}}</ref> The ninth expansion, ''Dragonflight'', was announced on April 19, 2022<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2022 |title=World of Warcraft Dragonflight Expansion Officially Revealed, Takes Players To The Dragon Isles |url=https://www.mmorpg.com/news/world-of-warcraft-dragonflight-expansion-officially-revealed-takes-players-to-the-dragon-isles-2000124831 |access-date=December 17, 2022 |website=MMORPG.com |language=en |archive-date=July 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712194628/https://www.mmorpg.com/news/world-of-warcraft-dragonflight-expansion-officially-revealed-takes-players-to-the-dragon-isles-2000124831 |url-status=live }}</ref> and was released on November 28, 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |author1=Sarah JamesContributions from Lauren Morton |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Everything we know about World of Warcraft: Dragonflight |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-wow-dragonflight-release-date/ |access-date=December 17, 2022 |archive-date=December 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217045759/https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-wow-dragonflight-release-date/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At [[BlizzCon]] 2023, Blizzard announced the ''Worldsoul Saga'', a story arc that would span the course of three expansions: ''The War Within'', ''Midnight'' and ''The Last Titan'', set to begin in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Rebekah |date=2023-11-03 |title=Blizzard Announces Next Three Expansions in World of Warcraft: The Worldsoul Saga - BlizzCon 2023 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/blizzard-announces-next-three-expansions-in-world-of-warcraft-the-worldsoul-saga-blizzcon-2023 |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106193629/https://www.ign.com/articles/blizzard-announces-next-three-expansions-in-world-of-warcraft-the-worldsoul-saga-blizzcon-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Blizzard routinely applies older expansions to all accounts as new expansions are released. On June 28, 2011, ''The Burning Crusade'' expansion was automatically applied to all previous ''Warcraft'' accounts at no cost. On September 19, 2012, the same thing was done with the ''Wrath of the Lich King'' expansion,<ref name="Entertainment">{{cite web |last=Entertainment |first=Blizzard |date=June 28, 2011 |title=World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade – Together at Last! – World of Warcraft |url=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/2993674#blog |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224041339/http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/2993674 |archive-date=December 24, 2011 |access-date=December 7, 2011 |publisher=Us.battle.net}}</ref> and on October 15, 2013, the ''Cataclysm'' expansion was also applied.<ref>{{cite web |last=Entertainment |first=Blizzard |date=October 15, 2013 |title=A New Age Has Begun—World of Warcraft Now Includes Cataclysm |url=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/11275287 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203012/http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/11275287 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |access-date=October 28, 2013 |publisher=Us.battle.net}}</ref> On October 15, 2014, ''Mists of Pandaria'' was applied to all accounts following the release of ''Warlords of Draenor''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Graham |date=October 15, 2014 |title=Black, White And Free All Over: Mists Of Pandaria |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/15/mists-of-pandaria-free/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110154103/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/15/mists-of-pandaria-free/ |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |access-date=November 14, 2014 |website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> On May 17, 2016, ''Warlords of Draenor'' was applied to all accounts to coincide with the release of the [[Warcraft (film)|''Warcraft'' movie]] that gives a 30-day trial of the game.<ref>[http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/5706-Warlords-of-Draenor-Added-to-the-Base-Game-Warcraft-Movie-Footage-and-Interview Warlords of Draenor Added to the Base Game, Warcraft Movie Footage and Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520061409/http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/5706-Warlords-of-Draenor-Added-to-the-Base-Game-Warcraft-Movie-Footage-and-Interview|date=May 20, 2016}} May 17, 2016</ref>
All ''The Burning Crusade'', ''Wrath of the Lich King'', ''Cataclysm'', ''Mists of Pandaria'' and ''Warlords of Draenor'' content is now effectively part of the original game, with all new ''World of Warcraft'' accounts automatically including these expansions upon creation.<ref name="Entertainment" /> As of the release of ''The War Within'' expansion in 2024, all expansions up to ''Dragonflight'' are included in the base game.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Expansions Are Included in World of Warcraft? |url=https://eu.battle.net/support/en/article/000015733 |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=Blizzard Support |language=en-gb |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203144446/https://eu.battle.net/support/en/article/000015733 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Music===
The soundtrack for the original release of ''World of Warcraft'' was composed and arranged by Jason Hayes, Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, and Glenn Stafford and conducted by [[Eímear Noone]]. Most of the music from the game and the cinematic trailers was released in the official album on November 23, 2004, together with the collector's edition of the game. It is sold separately on one CD in the MP3 format. More music was composed for each of the game's expansions, which were also given their own album releases.

On January 12, 2011, Alfred Publishing produced a sheet music series for vocalists, pianists, strings, and other instruments, ''World of Warcraft Sheet Music Anthology'' in solo and accompaniment formats with CD. These works include four pages of collectible artwork and vary by number of songs included.

In 2018, a remix of the song from the game, "Hymn of the Firstborn Son", was nominated for "Best Game Music Cover/Remix" at the 16th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.audiogang.org/2018-awards/ |title=2018 Awards |newspaper=Game Audio Network Guild |access-date=April 14, 2018 |archive-date=May 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190519045353/http://www.audiogang.org/2018-awards/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 93/100<ref name="metacritic_score" />
| 1UP = A<ref name="1up_review" />
| Edge = 9/10<ref name="gamespot_others">{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft – Other reviews |website=[[GameSpot]] |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/review.html?mode=web |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317110038/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/worldofwarcraft/review.html?mode=web |archive-date=March 17, 2009 }}</ref>
| EuroG = 8/10<ref name="eurogamer_review" />
| GI = 9.5/10<ref name="gameinformerreview">{{cite magazine |title=World of Warcraft Review |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200502/R05.0222.0955.59759.htm |author=Adam Biessner |date=February 15, 2005 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513221916/http://gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200502/R05.0222.0955.59759.htm |archive-date = May 13, 2008}}</ref>
| GamePro = 4.5/5<ref name="gamepro review">{{cite magazine | date=December 16, 2004 | author=Star Dingo | magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue= 195 | publisher=IDG Entertainment |title=ProReviews: World of Warcraft}}</ref>
| GMaster = 93%<ref name="gamespot_others" />
| GSpot = 9.5/10<ref name="gamespot_review" />
| GSpy = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="gamespy_review"/>
| IGN = 9.1/10<ref name="ign_review" />
| PCGUK = 94%<ref name="gamespot_others" />
| PCZone = 95%<ref name="gamespot_others" />
}}

''World of Warcraft'' received very positive reviews upon release,<ref name="metacritic_score">{{cite Metacritic|title=World of Warcraft |id=world-of-warcraft |type=game |vgtype=pc |access-date=February 14, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126012706/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/world-of-warcraft |archive-date=January 26, 2021 }}</ref> following a period of high anticipation before launch.<ref name="atrip_review">{{cite web |title=World of Warcraft Review |publisher=ActionTrip |url=http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/worldofwarcraft.phtml |author=Matt Leyendecker |date=December 1, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610144352/http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/worldofwarcraft.phtml |archive-date=June 10, 2008 }}</ref> Although the game follows a similar model to—and was noted for using many familiar concepts from—the role-playing genre,<ref name="gamespot_review" /><ref name="1up_review">{{cite web |title=reviews:World of Warcraft |website=[[1UP.com]] |url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3137027 |author=<!-- staff --> |date=December 3, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121206024729/http://www.1up.com/reviews/world-of-warcraft_2 |archive-date=December 6, 2012 }}</ref> the new approaches to reducing pauses between game encounters were well liked.<ref name="gamespy_review" /> A common example was the approach to character death. In some previous MMORPGs, a player would suffer a high penalty for character death; in ''World of Warcraft'', a player is able to recover and start playing quickly.<ref name="gamespot_review" /> Combat was another area where "downtime", or pauses between play, was reduced. By allowing all character types to recover from damage taken, players can return to combat quickly.<ref name="gamespy_review" /> Reviewers felt that these changes in pacing would make the genre more accessible to casual players—those who play for short periods of time<ref name="gamespy_review" />—while still having "deep" gameplay that would attract players of all levels of interest.<ref name="ign_review" /> The concept of a "rested bonus", or increasing the rate at which a player's character gains experience, was also welcomed as a way for players to quickly catch up with their friends in progression.<ref name="gamespot_review" />

[[Quest (gaming)|Questing]] was described as an integral part of the game, often being used to continue a storyline or lead the player through the game.<ref name="gamespy_review" /> The high number of quests in each location was popular, as well as the rewards for completing them.<ref name="gamespot_review" /> It was felt that the range of quests removed the need for a player to "grind", or carry out repetitive tasks, to advance their character.<ref name="ign_review" /> Quests also require players to explore every section of the game world, potentially causing problems for social gamers or roleplayers seeking somewhere quiet.<ref name="gamespy_review" /> Quests that required the player to collect items from the corpses of creatures they had killed were also unpopular; the low "drop rate", or chance of finding the items, makes them feel repetitive as a high number of creatures need to be killed to complete the quest.<ref name="ign_review" /> A large number of new players in a particular area meant that there were often no creatures to kill,<ref name="gamespy_review" /> or that players would have to wait and take turns to kill a particular creature to complete a quest.<ref name="gamespot_review" /> Some critics mentioned that the lack of quests that required players to group up made the game feel as if it were designed for solo play.<ref name="eurogamer_review">{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft |website=[[Eurogamer]] |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=57976 |author=Kieron Gillen |date=February 18, 2005 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408221157/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=57976 |archive-date=April 8, 2007 }}</ref> Others complained that some dungeon or instanced group quests were not friendly to new players, and could take several hours to complete.<ref name="ign_review" /> Upon release, a small number of quests had software [[Software bug|bugs]] that made them impossible to complete.<ref name="gamespot_review" />

Characters were felt to be implemented well, with each class appearing "viable and interesting", having unique and different mechanisms,<ref name="eurogamer_review" /> and each of the races having a distinct look and feel.<ref name="gamespot_review" /> Character development was also liked, with the talent mechanism offering choice to players,<ref name="1up_review" /> and profession options being praised.<ref name="gamespot_review" /> Character customization options were felt to be low,<ref name="ign_review" /> but the detail of character models was praised.<ref name="atrip_review" />

The appearance of the game world was praised by critics. Most popular was that a player could run from one end of the continent to the other without having to pause at a "loading screen" while part of the game is retrieved from storage.<ref name="atrip_review" /> The environment was described as "breathtaking". Players found it difficult to become lost, and each area in the game world had a distinct look that blended from one to the next.<ref name="gamespy_review" /> Critics described the environment as "a careful blend of cartoon, fantasy art, and realism".<ref name="1up_review" /> The game was found to run smoothly on a range of computer systems,<ref name="gamespot_review" /> although some described it as basic,<ref name="gamespy_review" /> and mentioned that the [[bloom (shader effect)|bloom]] light rendering effect can blur things.<ref name="ign_review" /> One reviewer described the ability to fly over long stretches of scenery as "very atmospheric".<ref name="eurogamer_review" /> The user interface was liked, being described as "simple", with [[tooltip]]s helping to get the player started.<ref name="gamespot_review" />

The game's audio was well received, particularly the background music. By assigning music to different areas of the game world, reviewers felt that the fantasy style added to the player's immersion,<ref name="1up_review" /> and that the replay value was increased.<ref name="ign_review" /> The sounds and voices used by characters and NPCs, as well as the overall sound effects, were felt to add a "personality" to the game.<ref name="1up_review" />

===Accolades===
''World of Warcraft'' won several awards from critics upon release, including ''Editor's Choice'' awards.<ref name="gamespot_review"/><ref name="ign_review" /> In addition, it won several annual awards from the media, being described as the best game in the role-playing and MMORPG genres.<ref name="gamespy_goty">{{cite web |title=Game of the Year Awards-PC Genre |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |url=http://goty.gamespy.com/2004/pc/index12.html |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511162839/http://goty.gamespy.com/2004/pc/index12.html |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> The graphics and audio were also praised in the annual awards, with the cartoonish style<ref name="gamespy_special">{{cite web |title=PC Special Awards |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |url=http://goty.gamespy.com/2004/pc/index16.html |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511154531/http://goty.gamespy.com/2004/pc/index16.html |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> and overall sound makeup being noted.<ref name="ve_audio">{{cite web|title=2004 PC Game of the Year Awards |publisher=Voodoo Extreme |url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/features/12150/2004-PC-Game-of-the-Year-Awards |author=Robert Howarth |date=December 24, 2004 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720022633/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/features/12150/2004-PC-Game-of-the-Year-Awards |archive-date=July 20, 2008 }}</ref> The game was also awarded ''Best Mac OS X Entertainment Product'' at the 2005 Apple Design Awards.<ref name="macworld_award">{{cite web|title=WWDC: Apple Design Award 2005 winners announced |work=[[MacWorld]] |url=http://www.macworld.com/article/45262/2005/06/design.html |author=Peter Cohen |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618111452/http://www.macworld.com/article/45262/2005/06/design.html |archive-date=June 18, 2008 |date=June 10, 2005 }}</ref> ''[[Computer Games Magazine]]'' named ''World of Warcraft'' the best computer game of 2004, and the magazine's Steve Bauman described his "feeling that Blizzard has analyzed every element of every existing game, pulled out the best ones, and then lovingly lavished an absurd amount of attention to their implementation". It also won the magazine's "Best Art Direction", "Best Original Music" and "Best Interface" awards.<ref name=cgm14th>{{cite journal | author=Staff | journal=[[Computer Games Magazine]] | title=The Best of 2004; The 14th Annual ''Computer Games'' Awards |date=March 2005 | issue=172 | pages=48–56 }}</ref>

''World of Warcraft'' was recognized at the 2005 [[Spike (TV channel)|Spike TV]] [[Spike Video Game Awards|Video Game Awards]] where it won ''Best PC Game'', ''Best Multiplayer Game'', ''Best RPG'', and ''Most Addictive Game''.<ref name="spike_awards">{{cite web|title=RE4 named Game of Year at Spike Awards |website=[[GameSpot]] |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140144.html |author=Brendan Sinclair |date=November 9, 2005 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222201750/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6140144.html |archive-date=February 22, 2009 }}</ref> During the [[8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards]], the [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] awarded ''World of Warcraft'' with "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Role-Playing Game of the Year|Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year]]", as well as nominations for "Computer Game of the Year" and "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Game of the Year|Game of the Year]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2005&idGame=105 |title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details World of Warcraft |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |website=interactive.org |access-date=28 September 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928181414/https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2005&idGame=105 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008, ''World of Warcraft'' was honoured—along with ''[[Neverwinter Nights (AOL game)|Neverwinter Nights]]'' and ''[[EverQuest]]''—at the 59th Annual [[Technology & Engineering Emmy Award]]s for advancing the art form of MMORPG games.<ref name="emmy">{{cite web |title=Winners of 59th Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards announced by National Television Academy at Consumer Electronics Show |url=http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/tech_2k7_winners.html |publisher=[[National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences]] |date=January 8, 2008 |access-date=June 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509070210/http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/tech_2k7_winners.html |archive-date=May 9, 2008 }}</ref> ''GameSpot'' named it the best massively multiplayer game of 2004, and nominated it for the publication's "Best Graphics, Artistic" award.<ref name=bestworst2004>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050307021607/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2004/ | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2004/ | title=Best and Worst of 2004 | author=((The ''GameSpot'' Editors)) | date=January 5, 2005 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=March 7, 2005 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2009, ''[[Game Informer]]'' ranked ''World of Warcraft'' 11th on their list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time".<ref name="gi_best">{{cite magazine|author=The ''Game Informer'' staff|title=The Top 200 Games of All Time|pages=44–79|issue=200| date=December 2009 |magazine=[[Game Informer]]|issn=1067-6392|oclc=27315596}}</ref> In 2015, the game placed 3rd on USgamer's The 15 Best Games Since 2000 list.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rignall|first1=Jaz|title=The 15 Best Games Since 2000, Number 3: World of Warcraft|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-15-best-games-since-2000-number-3-world-of-warcraft|website=USgamer|publisher=Gamer Network|access-date=August 7, 2015|date=August 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807112908/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-15-best-games-since-2000-number-3-world-of-warcraft|archive-date=August 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, [[The Strong National Museum of Play]] inducted ''World of Warcraft'' to its [[World Video Game Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=World of Warcraft |url=https://www.museumofplay.org/games/world-of-warcraft/ |website=[[The Strong National Museum of Play]] |publisher=[[The Strong]] |access-date=6 May 2022 |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514185315/https://www.museumofplay.org/games/world-of-warcraft/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Commercial performance===
''World of Warcraft'' was the [[List of best-selling video games#PC|best-selling PC game]] of 2005 and 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.com/press/070307.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803184659/http://eu.blizzard.com/en/press/070306.html |archive-date= August 3, 2008 |title=World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade continues record-breaking sales pace |date=March 7, 2007 |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment}}</ref> In the United States, it sold 1.4 million copies ($68.1 million) by August 2006. It was the country's third best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006.<ref name=edgesales>{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017165955/http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/top-100-pc-games-21st-century/ |title=The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century| author=''Edge'' Staff | date=August 25, 2006 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On January 22, 2008, ''World of Warcraft'' had more than 10 million subscribers worldwide, with more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and about 5.5 million in Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17062 |title=World of Warcraft Hits 10 Million Subscribers |access-date=January 22, 2008 |date=January 22, 2008 |website=[[Gamasutra]] |author=Leigh Alexander |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214123216/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17062 |archive-date=February 14, 2014 }}</ref> At its peak in October 2010 the game had 12 million subscribers.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://techland.time.com/2013/05/09/the-inexorable-decline-of-world-of-warcraft/ |title=The Inexorable Decline of World of Warcraft |last=Peckham |first=Matt |date=May 9, 2013 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=February 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301180830/http://techland.time.com/2013/05/09/the-inexorable-decline-of-world-of-warcraft/ |archive-date=March 1, 2014 }}</ref> As of November 2014 the game has over 10 million active subscribers.<ref name="November 2014">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/19/7250737/world-of-warcraft-warlords-draenor-10-million-subscribers |title=World of Warcraft hits over 10 million subscribers as Warlords of Draenor launches |last=Kollar |first=Philip |date=November 19, 2014 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |access-date=November 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121175629/http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/19/7250737/world-of-warcraft-warlords-draenor-10-million-subscribers |archive-date=November 21, 2014 }}</ref> On January 28, 2014, Blizzard announced that 100 million accounts have been created for the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/28/5354856/world-of-warcraft-100m-accounts-lifetime |title=Blizzard reaches 100M lifetime World of Warcraft accounts |last=Sarkar |first=Samit |date=January 28, 2014 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201230326/http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/28/5354856/world-of-warcraft-100m-accounts-lifetime |archive-date=February 1, 2014 }}</ref> On May 7, 2015, it was announced that there were 7.1 million active subscriptions.<ref name="figures1">{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/why-world-of-warcraft-lost-so-many-subscribers-1702814469 |title=Why World of Warcraft Lost So Many Subscribers |last=Vas |first=Gergo |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2015 |work=[[Kotaku]] |publisher=[[Gawker Media]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508151048/http://kotaku.com/why-world-of-warcraft-lost-so-many-subscribers-1702814469 |archive-date=May 8, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="figures2">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/world-of-warcraft-lost-three-million-subscribers-in-three-months-2015-5 |title=World of Warcraft lost three million subscribers in three months |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2015 |last=Weinberger |first=Matt |website=[[Business Insider]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509235027/http://www.businessinsider.com/world-of-warcraft-lost-three-million-subscribers-in-three-months-2015-5 |archive-date=May 9, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="figures3">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/05/07/world-of-warcraft-suffers-biggest-quarterly-subscriber-drop-ever |title=World of Warcraft Suffers Biggest Quarterly Subscriber Drop Ever |last=Karmali |first=Luke |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2015 |website=[[IGN]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510021213/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/05/07/world-of-warcraft-suffers-biggest-quarterly-subscriber-drop-ever |archive-date=May 10, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="figures4">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-sheds-3-million-subscribers/ |title=World of Warcraft sheds 3 million subscribers |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=May 8, 2015 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509013420/http://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-sheds-3-million-subscribers/ |archive-date=May 9, 2015 }}</ref> At the end of June 2015, subscriptions dropped down to 5.6 million, lowest since 2005.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Matulef |first1=Jeffrey |title=World of Warcraft subscriptions at nine-year low with 5.6 million |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-05-world-of-warcraft-subscriptions-at-nine-year-low-with-5-6-million |website=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=August 5, 2015 |date=August 5, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807021540/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-08-05-world-of-warcraft-subscriptions-at-nine-year-low-with-5-6-million |archive-date=August 7, 2015 }}</ref> By the end of September, subscribers were at 5.5 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/activision-stops-reporting-wow-subscriber-numbers-at-55-million |title=Activision Stops Reporting WoW Subscriber Numbers at 5.5 Million |date=October 11, 2015 |work=USgamer.net |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124112358/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/activision-stops-reporting-wow-subscriber-numbers-at-55-million |archive-date=November 24, 2015 }}</ref>

Less than two months after beginning operation of ''World of Warcraft'' in China on September 19, 2009, [[NetEase]] was ordered to immediately stop charging players and to cease accepting registrations.<ref name=gschn>{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6238638.html |title=World of Warcraft shut down in China |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |date=November 3, 2009 |publisher=gamespot.com |access-date=November 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107035926/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6238638.html |archive-date=November 7, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN0245010720091102 |title=China clamps down on Activision's top online game |last=Oreskovic |first=Alexei |date=November 2, 2009 |work=Reuters |access-date=November 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091105200711/https://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN0245010720091102 |archive-date=November 5, 2009 }}</ref> A press estimate indicated that if ''World of Warcraft'' were shut down in China, the loss of subscribers would have caused Activision Blizzard's earnings to fall from 65 cents per share to 60 cents per share.<ref name=gschn/> In April 2008, ''World of Warcraft'' was estimated to hold 62 percent of the MMORPG subscription market.<ref>{{cite web|title=MMOG Subscriptions Market Share April 2008 |publisher=mmogchart.com, [[Bruce Sterling Woodcock]] |url=http://www.mmogchart.com/Chart7.html |date=April 1, 2008 |access-date=September 24, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605194653/http://www.mmogchart.com/Chart7.html |archive-date=June 5, 2011 }}</ref> The game has grossed {{US$|9.23 billion|long=no}} in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing video games of all time, along with ''[[Space Invaders]]'', ''[[Pac-Man]]'' and ''[[Street Fighter II]]''.<ref name="gamerevolution">{{cite news|title=World of Warcraft Leads Industry With Nearly $10 Billion In Revenue|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/13510-world-of-warcraft-leads-industry-with-nearly-10-billion-in-revenue|work=[[Game Revolution]]|publisher=[[CraveOnline]]|date=January 26, 2017|access-date=June 13, 2018|archive-date=August 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818101110/https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/13510-world-of-warcraft-leads-industry-with-nearly-10-billion-in-revenue|url-status=live}}</ref> In early 2012, Blizzard started its own series of tournaments for ''World of Warcraft'' and ''[[StarCraft II]]'', known as the [[Battle.net World Championship Series]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gaudiosi |first1=John |title=Blizzard Entertainment Expands StarCraft II World Championship Series With Electronic Sports League |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/06/21/blizzard-entertainment-expands-starcraft-ii-world-championship-series-with-electronic-sports-league/#37fca6937094 |website=Forbes |date=June 21, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906014324/https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/06/21/blizzard-entertainment-expands-starcraft-ii-world-championship-series-with-electronic-sports-league/#37fca6937094 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Blizzard Entertainment |title=2012 Battle.net World Championship Event |url=https://blizzcon.com/en-us/news/4338369/2012_Battlenet_World_Championship_Event-1_25_2012 |website=BlizzCon |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |date=January 25, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613071036/https://blizzcon.com/en-us/news/4338369/2012_Battlenet_World_Championship_Event-1_25_2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Security concerns==
In September 2006, reports emerged of spoof ''World of Warcraft'' game advice websites that contained [[malware]]. Vulnerable computers would be infected through their [[web browser]]s, downloading a program that would then relay back account information. Blizzard's account support teams experienced high demand during this episode, stating that many users had been affected. Claims were also made that telephone support was closed for isolated periods due to the volume of calls and resulting queues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/29/warcraft_trojan_attack/ |work=The Register |title=Warcraft gamers locked out after Trojan attack |author=John Leyden |date=September 29, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919230519/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/29/warcraft_trojan_attack/ |archive-date=September 19, 2008 }}</ref> In April 2007, attacks evolved to take advantage of further exploits involving animated cursors, with multiple websites being used.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/10/wow_hijackings/ 
 |work=The Register 
 |title=WoW players learn value of Windows updates 
 |author=Dan Goodin 
 |date=April 10, 2007 |url-status=live 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906091904/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/10/wow_hijackings/ 
 |archive-date=September 6, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6526851.stm |work=BBC News |title=Cursor hackers target WoW players |date=April 5, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726182944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6526851.stm |archive-date=July 26, 2008 }}</ref> Security researcher group [[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] released a report stating that a compromised ''World of Warcraft'' account was worth US$10 on the [[black market]], compared to US$6 to US$12 for a compromised computer (correct as of March 2007).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://community.broadcom.com/symantecenterprise/communities/community-home/librarydocuments/viewdocument?DocumentKey=2a6b18d0-a99e-4752-aacb-ec08956ca2d6&CommunityKey=1ecf5f55-9545-44d6-b0f4-4e4a7f5f5e68&tab=librarydocuments |publisher=[[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] |title=HHOSR Roundup: March, 2007 |author=Ron Bowes |date=April 18, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714181032/http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/hhosr-roundup-march-2007 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref> In February 2008, [[phishing]] emails were distributed requesting that users validate their account information using a fake version of the ''World of Warcraft'' account management pages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/security_response/weblog/2008/02/world_of_phishcraft.html |publisher=[[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] |title=World of Phishcraft |author=Candid Wüest |date=February 15, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420121434/http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/security_response/weblog/2008/02/world_of_phishcraft.html |archive-date=April 20, 2008 }}</ref> In June 2008, Blizzard announced the ''Blizzard Authenticator'', available as a hardware [[security token]] or mobile application<ref name=mobileauthenticator>{{cite web|url=http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=26109 |title=Battle.net Mobile Authenticator |publisher=Us.blizzard.com |access-date=January 17, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104020658/http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=26109 |archive-date=November 4, 2011 }}</ref> that provides [[Two-factor authentication|two-factor]] security. The token generates a [[one-time password]] based code that the player supplies when logging on. The password, used in addition to the user's own password, is only valid for a couple of minutes, thus providing extra security against keylogging [[malware]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eu.blizzard.com/en/press/080626-ba.html |publisher=Blizzard |title=Blizzard Authenticator offers enhances security for World of Warcraft Accounts |date=June 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926121556/http://eu.blizzard.com/en/press/080626-ba.html |archive-date=September 26, 2009 }}</ref>

Blizzard makes use of a system known as [[Warden (software)|Warden]] on the Windows version of the game to detect [[Third-party software component|third-party]] programs, such as [[Internet bot|botting]] software, allowing ''World of Warcraft'' to be played unattended. There has been some controversy as to the legality of Warden. Warden uses techniques similar to [[anti-virus software]] to analyze other running software on the players' PCs, as well as the [[file system]]. However, unlike most anti-virus software, it sends a portion of this information back to Blizzard, which caused privacy advocates to accuse it of being [[spyware]].<ref>{{cite web |title=4.5 million copies of EULA-compliant spyware |author=Greg Hoglund |date=October 5, 2005 |access-date=October 21, 2006 |publisher=rootkit.com |url=http://www.rootkit.com/blog.php?newsid=358 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017020657/http://www.rootkit.com/blog.php?newsid=358 |archive-date=October 17, 2006 |author-link=Greg Hoglund }}</ref> One example of the information Warden collects is the title of every window open on the system while ''WoW'' is running.<ref>{{cite news|title=Warcraft game maker in spying row |author=Mark Ward |date=October 31, 2005 |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224200801/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |archive-date=December 24, 2008 }}</ref> On the other hand, many gamers responded positively to the development, stating that they supported the technology if it resulted in fewer cases of cheating. Blizzard's use of Warden was stated in the Terms of Agreement (TOA).<ref>{{cite web|title=World of Warcraft Terms of Use Agreement |date=January 11, 2007 |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511183010/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/legal/termsofuse.html |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref>

The Warden's existence was acknowledged in March 2008, during the opening legal proceedings against MDY Industries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Opening legal proceedings of MDY INDUSTRIES, LLC. vs. BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC |publisher=WoWGlider.com |url=http://www.wowglider.com/Legal/Feb_16_2007/AnswerAndCounterclaims.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810220214/http://www.wowglider.com/Legal/Feb_16_2007/AnswerAndCounterclaims.pdf |archive-date=August 10, 2008 }}</ref> The lawsuit was filed in federal court in [[Arizona]], and also listed Michael Donnelly as a defendant. Donnelly was included in the suit as the creator of [[Glider (bot)|MMO Glider]], software that can automatically play many tasks in the game. Blizzard claimed the software is an infringement of its [[copyright]] and [[software license agreement]], stating that "Glider use severely harms the WoW gaming experience for other players by altering the balance of play, disrupting the social and immersive aspects of the game, and undermining the in-game economy." Donnelly claims to have sold 100,000 copies of the $25 software.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/wow-declares-war/2008/03/28/1206207360290.html?s_cid=rss_technology |title=WoW declares war against automated play |date=March 28, 2008 |access-date=March 29, 2008 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330205450/http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/wow-declares-war/2008/03/28/1206207360290.html?s_cid=rss_technology |archive-date=March 30, 2008 }}</ref>

===Real ID===
{{Main|Battle.net#Privacy and Real ID}}

On July 6, 2010, Blizzard Entertainment announced that on its forums for all games, users' accounts would display the real names tied to their accounts.<ref>{{citation|url=http://us.battle.net/realid/faq.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717062641/http://us.battle.net/realid/faq.html |archive-date=July 17, 2010 |title=Real ID FAQ}}</ref> Blizzard announced the change following an agreement with Facebook to allow Facebook to connect persons who choose to become friends to share their real identity (Real ID, as Blizzard calls the feature). The integration of the feature into the forums on the Blizzard Entertainment site raised concerns amongst fans of the many game series Blizzard has created over the years.<ref>{{cite news|title=World of Warcraft maker to end anonymous forum logins |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543100 |work=BBC News |access-date=July 19, 2010 |date=July 7, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717130458/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543100 |archive-date=July 17, 2010 }}</ref>

In response to the concerns, Blizzard released an updated statement on July 9, 2010, announcing that the Real ID integration with the official forums was being canceled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25968987278&sid=1 |title=Forums – World of Warcraft |publisher=Forums.worldofwarcraft.com |date=November 29, 2011 |access-date=December 7, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712104342/http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25968987278&sid=1 |archive-date=July 12, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Blizzard backs down over gamers using real names |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8806623.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=July 19, 2010 |date=July 9, 2010 |first=Maggie |last=Shiels |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716002428/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8806623.stm |archive-date=July 16, 2010 }}</ref>

== Community and study of player interaction ==
{{See also|Social interaction via MMORPGs|emergent gameplay}}
In addition to playing the game itself and conversing on discussion forums provided by Blizzard, ''World of Warcraft'' players often participate in the [[virtual community]] in creative ways, including fan artwork<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blizzard.com/us/inblizz/fanart/ |title=Blizzard fan artwork web page |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |access-date=July 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010151703/http://www.blizzard.com/us/inblizz/fanart |archive-date=October 10, 2008 }}</ref> and comic strip style storytelling.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/community/comics.html |title=World of Warcraft comic strip site |publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]] |access-date=July 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810205228/https://www.worldofwarcraft.com/community/comics.html |archive-date=August 10, 2008 }}</ref>

Blizzard garnered criticism for its decision in January 2006 to ban guilds from advertising sexual orientation preferences. The incident occurred after several players were cited for "harassment" after advocating a group that was a gay-straight alliance.<ref>{{cite web
 |title       = Blizzard of GLBT gaming policy questions
 |publisher   = In Newsweekly
 |date        = February 2, 2006
|access-date  = October 21, 2006
|url         = http://www.innewsweekly.com/innews/?class_code=Ga&article_code=1172
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20061022162007/http://www.innewsweekly.com/innews/?class_code=Ga&article_code=1172
 |archive-date = October 22, 2006
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=World of Warcraft: Don't tell anyone you're queer |publisher=[[Boing Boing]] |date=January 27, 2006 |author=Cory Doctorow |url=http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/27/world_of_warcraft_do.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906002345/http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/27/world_of_warcraft_do.html |archive-date=September 6, 2008 |author-link=Cory Doctorow }}</ref> Blizzard later reversed the decision to issue warnings to players promoting [[LGBT]]-friendly guilds.

On October 7, 2010 ''World of Warcraft'' reached a subscriber base of over 12 million players.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=2847881 |title=World of Warcraft Subscriber Base Reaches 12 Million Worldwide |publisher=Blizzard |date=October 7, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809153328/http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/press/pressreleases.html?id=2847881 |archive-date=August 9, 2013 }}</ref> Since May 2011, the number of players playing had decreased by 10% from 11.4 million to 10.3 million. Blizzard's CEO Mike Morhaime said that the reason was probably due to a drop-off in the Eastern markets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5857733/world-of-warcraft-subscriptions-down-10 |title=World of Warcraft Subscriptions Down 10% |publisher=Kotaku |first=Luke |last=Plunkett |date=November 9, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111163736/http://kotaku.com/5857733/world-of-warcraft-subscriptions-down-10 |archive-date=November 11, 2011 }}</ref> In 2012, senior producer John Lagrave told [[Eurogamer]] that the drop in subscriptions may have also been attributed to the recent release of [[BioWare]]'s ''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-19-blizzard-acknowledges-star-wars-the-old-republics-impact-on-wow |title=Blizzard acknowledges Star Wars: The Old Republic's impact on WOW |website=[[Eurogamer]] |first=John |last=Bedford |date=March 20, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322205053/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-03-19-blizzard-acknowledges-star-wars-the-old-republics-impact-on-wow |archive-date=March 22, 2012 }}</ref>

''World of Warcraft'' has been the subject of academic study, particularly given its high profile and longevity.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=253}} Early academic analysis of the game focused on player collaboration (especially guilds) and was conducted primarily by researchers in fields like [[game studies]], [[Digital anthropology|anthropology]], psychology, and [[Communication studies|communications]].<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=243}} [[Bonnie Nardi]]'s ''My Life as a Night Elf Priest'' is one of the best-known ''World of Warcraft'' [[Online ethnography|ethnographies]].<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=253}} Over time, the game attracted researchers from other disciplines including economics, design, and philosophy.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=253}}

=== Sale of virtual goods in the real world ===
{{further|Virtual economy}}

As with other [[MMORPG]]s, companies have emerged offering to sell virtual gold and associated services. The practice of amassing gold and in-game items for financial profit is frequently referred to as [[gold farming]]. Friction resulted from U.S. players of the 2004 release finding themselves competing with Chinese-based players who were employed to generate in-game resources to be sold on trading sites.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=253}} In addition to these differences in play style, the game had no translation features for in-game chat and therefore there was little communication between English-speaking and non-English speaking players.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=254}} In her analysis of gold farming, media scholar [[Lisa Nakamura]] wrote that although "players cannot see each other's body while playing, specific forms of game labor, such as gold farming and selling, as well as specific styles of play, have become racialized as Chinese, producing new forms of networked [[Anti-Chinese sentiment|racism]] that are particularly easy for players to disavow."<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=255}}

After Blizzard started offering free trial gameplay accounts, players noticed an increase in [[spam (electronic)|spam]] from [[Computer game bot|bots]] advertising these services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gigaom.com/2006/11/26/world-of-warcraft-gold-farmers/ |title=Inside World of Warcraft Gold Farm, Future of Work |access-date=March 3, 2008 |author=Wagner James Au |date=November 26, 2006 |publisher=gigaom.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303175715/http://gigaom.com/2006/11/26/world-of-warcraft-gold-farmers/ |archive-date=March 3, 2008 }}</ref> One study shows that this problem is particularly prevalent on the European realms, with gold being over 14 times more expensive to buy on US realms than their European counterparts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerprice.com/wow-gold-study.html |title=WoW Gold Price research: A World of Warcraft economic study |access-date=March 3, 2008 |publisher=University of Sheffield |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705133500/http://www.gamerprice.com/wow-gold-study.html |archive-date=July 5, 2008 }}</ref>

In patch 2.1, Blizzard responded to this by adding additional anti-spam mechanics including whisper throttling and the report spam function. Additionally, trial accounts are prevented from speaking in the public chat channels (although they may speak to players within range or whisper to other players that have first whispered to them), participating in in-game trades, and using the Auction House and the mail feature, among other limitations.

In May 2007, Blizzard filed a complaint against in Game Dollar LLC (trading as peons4hire) in U.S. federal court. In February 2008, the parties filed a consent decree in which in Game Dollar agreed to refrain from using any ''World of Warcraft'' chat or communication to advertise any business or sell any services relating to ''World of Warcraft''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://virtuallyblind.com/files/Peons_Injunction.pdf |title=BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC. and VIVENDI GAMES, INC., vs. IN GAME DOLLAR, LLC and BENJAMIN LEE |access-date=March 3, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511183249/http://virtuallyblind.com/files/Peons_Injunction.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2008 }}</ref> In June 2007, ''World of Warcraft'' player Antonio Hernandez filed a class action lawsuit against [[IGE]] for interfering with the intended use of the game.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com">{{cite news|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/72346-IGE-Sued-By-World-Of-Warcraft-Player |work=EscapistMagazine |title=IGE Sued by World of Warcraft Player |date=June 1, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828085405/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/72346-IGE-Sued-By-World-Of-Warcraft-Player |archive-date=August 28, 2011 }}</ref>

As characters progress in ''World of Warcraft'' and take on some of the toughest challenges, many of the rewards received are bound to that character and cannot be traded, generating a market for the trading of accounts with well-equipped characters. The highest noted ''World of Warcraft'' account trade was for £5000 (€7000, US$9,900) in early September 2007. The high price was due to the character possessing items that at the time were owned by only a handful out of the millions of active players, due to the difficulty in acquiring them. However, Blizzard banned the account five days after the purchase.<ref name="zeuzo">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7007026.stm |title=The high cost of playing Warcraft |access-date=March 3, 2008 |author=Cristina Jimenez |date=September 24, 2007 |publisher=BBC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221132634/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7007026.stm |archive-date=December 21, 2008 }}</ref>

The practice of buying or selling gold in ''World of Warcraft'' has generated significant controversy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6592335.stm |title=The business end of playing games |access-date=March 3, 2008 |author=Richard Scott |date=September 24, 2007 |publisher=BBC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209213051/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6592335.stm |archive-date=February 9, 2008 }}</ref> On February 21, 2008, Blizzard released a statement concerning the consequences of buying gold. Blizzard reported that an "alarmingly high" proportion of all gold bought originates from "hacked" accounts. The article also stated that customers who had paid for character leveling services had found their accounts compromised months later, with all items stripped and sold for virtual gold. The article noted that leveling service companies often used "disruptive hacks ... which can cause realm performance and stability issues".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/faq/antigoldselling.html |title=Gold Selling: Effects and Consequences |access-date=March 3, 2008 |date=February 21, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229121759/http://www.wow-europe.com/en/info/faq/antigoldselling.html |archive-date=February 29, 2008 }}</ref> In April 2015, introduced a means to sell in-game gold for real money. A player may spend $20 on a one-month "game time token" that can be sold for in-game gold on the auction house.<ref name="bbcsubs" />

In December 2015, Blizzard sold an in-game battle pet named Brightpaw for $10 with all proceeds going to the [[Make-A-Wish Foundation]].<ref>[http://blizzardwatch.com/2015/12/02/brightpaw-the-mana-kitty-is-now-available-for-cash-purchase/ New Make-A-Wish battle pet Brightpaw is now available for cash purchase] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303004500/http://blizzardwatch.com/2015/12/02/brightpaw-the-mana-kitty-is-now-available-for-cash-purchase/ |date=March 3, 2016 }} December 2, 2015</ref> This resulted in a new Blizzard record donation of over $1.7 million to Make-A-Wish.<ref>[http://www.thestreet.com/story/13457657/7/activision-blizzard-atvi-earnings-report-q4-2015-conference-call-transcript.html Activision Blizzard (ATVI) Earnings Report: Q4 2015 Conference Call Transcript] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304140459/http://www.thestreet.com/story/13457657/7/activision-blizzard-atvi-earnings-report-q4-2015-conference-call-transcript.html |date=March 4, 2016 }} February 12, 2016</ref> In December 2016, Blizzard again sold a battle pet named Mischief for $10; it helped raise more than $2.5 million for Make-A-Wish.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/829390790690369537 World of Warcraft tweet] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222192607/https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/829390790690369537 |date=February 22, 2017 }} February 8, 2017</ref> In September 2017, Blizzard sold a battle pet named Shadow the fox for $10, with proceeds going to the [[American Red Cross|Red Cross]] to help with disaster relief.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/09/13/blizzard-offers-a-10-world-of-warcraft-pet-to-support-disaster-relief/|title=Blizzard Offers A $10 World of Warcraft Pet To Support Disaster Relief|first=Paul|last=Tassi|magazine=Forbes|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107031732/https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/09/13/blizzard-offers-a-10-world-of-warcraft-pet-to-support-disaster-relief/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Corrupted Blood plague incident ===
{{Main|Corrupted Blood incident}}

The Corrupted Blood plague incident was one of the first events to affect entire servers. Patch 1.7 saw the opening of Zul'Gurub, the game's first 20-player raid dungeon where players faced off against a tribe of trolls. Upon engaging the final boss, players were stricken by a [[Buff (computer gaming)#Debuffs|debuff]] called "Corrupted Blood" which would periodically sap their life. The disease was passed on to other players simply by being near infected players. Originally this malady was confined within the Zul'Gurub instance, but it made its way into the outside world by way of hunter pets or warlock minions that contracted the disease.

Within hours, Corrupted Blood had completely infected major cities because of their high player concentrations. Low-level players were killed in seconds by the high-damage disease. Eventually, Blizzard fixed the issue so that the plague could not exist outside of Zul'Gurub.

The Corrupted Blood plague so closely resembled the [[outbreak]] of real-world epidemics that scientists are currently looking at the ways MMORPGs or other massively distributed systems can model human behavior during outbreaks. The reaction of players to the plague closely resembled previously hard-to-model aspects of human behavior that may allow researchers to more accurately predict how diseases and outbreaks spread amongst a population.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6951918.stm |title=Health &#124; Virtual game is a 'disease model' |work=BBC News |date=August 21, 2007 |access-date=March 17, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090127003336/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6951918.stm |archive-date=January 27, 2009 }}</ref>

== Legacy ==

''World of Warcraft'' redefined the MMORPG genre. Its innovations were not necessarily original in isolation, but together they created a model for the genre as a theme park rather than a simulation. Its environment had tonal variety with serious lore and full characters but the intention to entertain. The game used quest completion for experience progression, making gameplay into a shopping list and encouraging mobility rather than dominating a location. Its use of instanced dungeons let players progress together without running into others, such that different areas of the game had different purposes, separating places for group challenges, mass challenges, and leveling. ''World of Warcraft''{{'s}} original talent system, which let players distribute points among upgrades, saw wide adoption, including by ''[[Star Wars: The Old Republic]]''. ''World of Warcraft'' also gave structure to the "raid" group activity, in which players needed a specific strategy. Emergent behavior from raid strategies were later built into the game.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Thursten |first1=Chris |title=Five ways World of Warcraft changed MMOs forever |work=[[PC Gamer]] |date=November 28, 2014 |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/five-ways-world-of-warcraft-changed-mmos-forever/ |language=en  }}</ref>

While not the first MMORPG to lead to hundreds of hours of commitment, ''World of Warcraft'' was the most successful one in its time. "Most people", wrote ''[[Vice (website)|Vice]]'' in 2019, "know someone who's said they were 'addicted' to ''World of Warcraft''". For some, the game became a near-total obsession taking precedent over basic necessities and relationships. The game's bountiful quests provided a sense of purpose or coping mechanism for many who were unfulfilled with their lives, even though that time investment resulted in little to no change to their life fulfillment. The game inspired Wowaholics Anonymous, a community for players seeking to quit playing. ''World of Warcraft'' also provided hope and purpose to players, some leading to in-person romance.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Klepek |first1=Patrick |title='World of Warcraft' Changed Video Games and Wrecked Lives |work=Vice Waypoint |date=November 11, 2019 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/world-of-warcraft-changed-video-games-and-wrecked-lives/ |language=en |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003020200/https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywaj4w/world-of-warcraft-changed-video-games-and-wrecked-lives |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first ''World of Warcraft''-[[Theme restaurant|themed restaurant]] opened in Beijing in 2008.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=254}} In 2011, the ''World of Warcraft''-inspired amusement park, World Joyland Play Valley opened in China.<ref name="Eyman" />{{Rp|page=254}}

Prior to running [[Breitbart News]] and joining the [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|Trump campaign]] and [[First presidency of Donald Trump|administration]], [[Steve Bannon]] found a political audience in ''World of Warcraft'' players. He was involved in [[Internet Gaming Entertainment]], a company that employed ''World of Warcraft'' "gold farmers" whose gold would be resold for real money, which introduced Bannon to what he saw as "rootless, white males" with "monster power" even prior to the rise of [[Reddit]]. He built Breitbart into a [[far-right]] news and entertainment website in part by hiring [[Milo Yiannopoulos]] to pursue disaffected gamers.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Swearingen |first1=Jake |title=Steve Bannon Learned How to Use Gamer Rage Via Gold Farming in World of Warcraft |work=[[Intelligencer (website)|Intelligencer]] |date=July 18, 2017 |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/07/steve-bannon-world-of-warcraft-gold-farming.html |language=en-us |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003014910/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/07/steve-bannon-world-of-warcraft-gold-farming.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Vitalik Buterin]], who later co-founded the [[cryptocurrency]] [[Ethereum]], was driven to pursue decentralized technologies following a 2010 patch that changed his ''World of Warcraft'' avatar's preferred spell.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Macgregor |first1=Jody |title=The creator of Ethereum got into crypto because Blizzard nerfed his character |work=[[PC Gamer]] |date=October 3, 2021 |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-creator-of-ethereum-got-into-crypto-because-blizzard-nerfed-his-character/ |language=en |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003014910/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-creator-of-ethereum-got-into-crypto-because-blizzard-nerfed-his-character/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Requests by ''World of Warcraft'' players also led [[Microsoft]] to alter how hotkeys work in their [[Windows]] operating system.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Harper |first1=Elizabeth |title=How World of Warcraft has influenced the development of Windows |work=[[Engadget]] |date=May 30, 2013 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2013-05-30-how-world-of-warcraft-has-influenced-the-development-of-windows.html |language=en-US |access-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-date=October 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003022421/https://www.engadget.com/2013-05-30-how-world-of-warcraft-has-influenced-the-development-of-windows.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

As part of the 20th anniversary of the release of the game, in 2024 Blizzard partnered with the [[University of Washington]], temporarily renaming [[Washington Huskies|that university's college football team]] "University of Warcraft".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-12 |title=World of Warcraft Makes NIL Debut with Washington Huskies |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/name-image-likeness/nil-news/world-of-warcraft-makes-nil-debut-with-washington-huskies |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=NIL Daily On SI |language=en-US |archive-date=November 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126023219/https://www.si.com/fannation/name-image-likeness/nil-news/world-of-warcraft-makes-nil-debut-with-washington-huskies |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-13 |title=Washington announces 'World of Warcraft' 20th anniversary NIL deal with Blizzard Entertainment |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/washington-announces-world-of-warcraft-20th-anniversary-nil-deal-with-blizzard-entertainment/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en |archive-date=December 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201184014/https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/washington-announces-world-of-warcraft-20th-anniversary-nil-deal-with-blizzard-entertainment/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== In other media ===
''World of Warcraft'' has inspired artists to satirize it and acknowledge its mark in popular culture. One example is the Emmy Award-winning ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[Make Love, Not Warcraft]]".<ref name="South Park Emmy">{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/2007pt/nominations_crtv.php?action=search_db#1 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211102855/http://www.emmys.com/awards/2007pt/nominations_crtv.php?action=search_db | archive-date=December 11, 2007| title = Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) | access-date =May 11, 2009 | publisher = Academy of Television Arts & Sciences}}</ref><ref name="SP10seasons">{{cite web|url=https://eu.blizzard.com/en/press/061002.html |title=South Park celebrates 10 groundbreaking seasons!!! |date=October 2, 2006 |publisher=eu.blizzard.com |access-date=May 12, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417235147/http://eu.blizzard.com/en/press/061002.html |archive-date=April 17, 2009 }}</ref> The game has been used to advertise unrelated products, such as [[Toyota]] trucks.<ref name="Crave">{{cite web|url=http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9792837-1.html |title=What level/class do I need to get a Tacoma in 'WoW'? |website=[[CNET]] |date=November 8, 2007 |access-date=January 4, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020194658/http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9792837-1.html |archive-date=October 20, 2007 }}</ref>

In late 2007, a series of television commercials for the game began airing featuring pop culture celebrities such as [[Mr. T]], [[William Shatner]], and [[Verne Troyer]] discussing the virtues of the character classes they play in the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/new-wow-ads-featuring-shatner-and-mr-t/ |title=New WoW ads featuring Shatner and Mr. T |publisher=Joystiq |date=November 20, 2007 |access-date=April 13, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511154059/http://wow.joystiq.com/2007/11/20/new-wow-ads-featuring-shatner-and-mr-t/ |archive-date=May 11, 2013 }}</ref> A Spanish commercial featuring [[Guillermo Toledo]], and a French commercial featuring [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]], were also televised.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wow-europe.com/en/downloads/commercials.html |title=World of Warcraft Europe – TV Commercials |publisher=Blizzard Entertainment |date=November 30, 2007 |access-date=July 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624032116/http://www.wow-europe.com/en/downloads/commercials.html |archive-date=June 24, 2010 }}</ref> Two more were shown in November 2008, featuring [[Ozzy Osbourne]] and [[Steve Van Zandt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml |title=section: ''New World of Warcraft TV Commercials'' |publisher=Worldofwarcraft.com |access-date=March 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309102730/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml |archive-date=March 9, 2009 }}</ref> Another commercial in the series, which began airing in November 2011, featured [[Chuck Norris]] and played on the Internet phenomenon of "[[Chuck Norris facts]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ingame.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/21/8937607-chuck-norris-lends-his-face-fists-to-world-of-warcraft |title=Chuck Norris lends his face, fists to 'World of Warcraft' |first=Winda |last=Benedetti |work=In-Game |publisher=MSNBC |date=November 21, 2011 |access-date=January 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219142855/http://ingame.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/21/8937607-chuck-norris-lends-his-face-fists-to-world-of-warcraft |archive-date=December 19, 2011 }}</ref>

''World of Warcraft'' has inspired three board games: ''[[World of Warcraft: The Board Game]]'' (including ''Shadow of War'' and ''The Burning Crusade'' expansions),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/worldofwarcraft_products.html |title=World of Warcraft: The Board Game |publisher=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |access-date=February 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012103912/http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/worldofwarcraft_products.html |archive-date=October 12, 2008 }}</ref> ''World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=20 |title=World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game |publisher=[[Fantasy Flight Games]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210050912/http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=20 |archive-date=February 10, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/news/rss-07-2008.xml |title=Fantasy Flight's World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game Out Now |date=July 28, 2008 |access-date=February 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204015256/http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/news/rss-07-2008.xml |archive-date=February 4, 2009 }}</ref> (produced by [[Fantasy Flight Games]]), and a ''World of Warcraft'' edition of ''[[Trivial Pursuit]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title = World of Warcraft: Trivial Pursuit|url = https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/11071841|date = September 27, 2013|author = [[Blizzard Entertainment]]|website = [[worldofwarcraft.com]]|publisher = [[Blizzard Entertainment]]|access-date = April 16, 2020|archive-date = July 12, 2024|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240712194635/https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/11071841/world-of-warcraft-trivial-pursuit-now-available|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Trivial Pursuit: World of Warcraft (2013)|url = http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/149332/trivial-pursuit-world-warcraft|website = [[boardgamegeek.com]]|publisher = [[BoardGameGeek, LLC.]]|access-date = April 16, 2020|archive-date = March 3, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232751/http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/149332/trivial-pursuit-world-warcraft|url-status = live}}</ref> There is also a [[World of Warcraft Trading Card Game|trading card game]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/ |title=World of Warcraft TCG |publisher=[[Upper Deck Entertainment]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819011405/http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/ |archive-date=August 19, 2006 }}</ref> and a collectible miniatures game<ref>{{cite news|title=World of Warcraft Miniatures Game |url=http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wowminis/en/news/default.aspx?aid=4954 |date=November 11, 2008 |publisher=[[Upper Deck Entertainment]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216085434/http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wowminis/en/news/default.aspx?aid=4954 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> on the market, both formerly produced by [[Upper Deck Entertainment]], now produced by [[Cryptozoic Entertainment]]. Cryptozoic released an "Archives" set which contains foil reproductions of older cards produced by Upper Deck. In August 2012, Megabloks launched a licensed line of ''World of Warcraft'' 'building block' toys based on the game scenes, scenarios and characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.megabloks.com/ |title=Megabloks World of Warcraft Sets |date=August 20, 2012 |publisher=[[Megabloks]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017213041/http://blog.megabloks.com/ |archive-date=October 17, 2012 }}</ref> In March 2014, ''[[Hearthstone]]'' was released, which is a [[free-to-play]] digital card game based on the ''Warcraft'' universe, using classes similar to ''World of Warcraft''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/13154923/welcome-to-the-hearthstone-launch-3-11-2014 |title=Welcome to the Hearthstone Launch! |author=Zeriyah |date=March 11, 2014 |access-date=March 11, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311200243/http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/13154923/welcome-to-the-hearthstone-launch-3-11-2014 |archive-date=March 11, 2014 }}</ref>

In November 2007, [[DC Comics]] published the first issue of the ''[[World of Warcraft (comics)|World of Warcraft]]'' comic under their [[WildStorm]] [[imprint (trade name)|imprint]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=8393 |title=''World of Warcraft'' #1 |publisher=[[Wildstorm Comics]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025002103/http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=8393 |archive-date=October 25, 2007 }}</ref>

In 2015, Blizzard released ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]'', a crossover [[multiplayer online battle arena]] video game, in which players can control over 35 heroes from ''Warcraft'' universe such as [[Arthas Menethil|Arthas]], Gul'dan, Kel'thuzad, Malfurion, Ragnaros, [[Sylvanas Windrunner|Sylvanas]], [[Thrall (Warcraft)|Thrall]] and Varian.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://heroesofthestorm.com/en-us/heroes/#/?game=warcraft|title=Warcraft heroes in Heroes of the Storm|publisher=Blizzard|access-date=July 16, 2018|archive-date=October 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008213340/https://heroesofthestorm.com/en-us/heroes/#/?game=warcraft|url-status=live}}</ref> The game features a ''Warcraft''-themed battleground named Alterac Pass.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=June 4, 2018|title=Heroes of the Storm celebrates all things Warcraft with Echoes of Alterac|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/4/17424102/heroes-of-the-storm-echoes-of-alterac-event-yrel-alterac-pass|access-date=November 11, 2021|website=Polygon|language=en-US|archive-date=July 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716053920/https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/4/17424102/heroes-of-the-storm-echoes-of-alterac-event-yrel-alterac-pass|url-status=live}}</ref> A number of ''Warcraft''-themed skins have been introduced for ''Heroes of the Storm'' in the "Echoes of Alterac" event in June 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Prell|first=Sam|date=June 12, 2018|title=Heroes of the Storm's Echoes of Alterac event may not be Warcraft 4, but it's the next best thing|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/heroes-of-the-storms-echoes-of-alterac-event-may-not-be-warcraft-4-but-its-the-next-best-thing/|access-date=November 11, 2021|website=gamesradar|language=en|archive-date=July 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712194632/https://www.gamesradar.com/heroes-of-the-storms-echoes-of-alterac-event-may-not-be-warcraft-4-but-its-the-next-best-thing/|url-status=live}}</ref> Various soundtracks from ''World of Warcraft'', such as ''Obsidian Sanctum'' from ''Wrath of the Lich King'', ''The Wandering Isle'' from ''Mists of Pandaria,'' and ''Stormwind'' theme, are present as background music in the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/games/music/|title=Blizzard Music|website=www.blizzard.com|language=en-us|access-date=September 21, 2019|archive-date=October 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008232703/https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/games/music/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Crossover promotions===

To mark the release of ''Hearthstone'', Blizzard released the Hearthsteed mount for ''World of Warcraft'' players. The mount is obtained through winning three games in Arena or Play mode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/13154922/ride-into-action-on-your-hearthsteed-3-11-2014 |title=Ride Into Action on Your Hearthsteed! |author=Zeriyah |date=March 11, 2014 |access-date=March 14, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314172415/http://us.battle.net/hearthstone/en/blog/13154922/ride-into-action-on-your-hearthsteed-3-11-2014 |archive-date=March 14, 2014 }}</ref> Widely advertised on various ''World of Warcraft'' websites, this promotion encourages ''World of Warcraft'' players to try ''Hearthstone'' and marked the first significant crossover implemented between Blizzard games.

Players who purchase ''Warlords of Draenor'' Collector's or Digital Deluxe Edition receive an Orc themed card back in ''Hearthstone''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/games/World-Warcraft-Warlords-Draenor-Collector-Edition-Includes-Hearthstone-Card-Back-66763.html |title=World Of Warcraft: Warlords Of Draenor Collector's Edition Includes Hearthstone Card Back |date=September 2014 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150510025951/http://www.cinemablend.com/games/World-Warcraft-Warlords-Draenor-Collector-Edition-Includes-Hearthstone-Card-Back-66763.html |archive-date=May 10, 2015 }}</ref> ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]'' players who reach level 20 receive the Grave Golem battle pet in ''World of Warcraft'' and after reaching level 100 in ''World of Warcraft'' receive an Ironside Dire Wolf mount in ''Heroes of the Storm''.<ref>[http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/blog/19529833/heroes-of-the-storm-patch-notes-june-2-2015-6-2-2015 Heroes of the Storm Patch Notes – June 2, 2015] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605233509/http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/blog/19529833/heroes-of-the-storm-patch-notes-june-2-2015-6-2-2015 |date=June 5, 2015 }} Retrieved June 5, 2015</ref> Starting on March 11, 2016, players who level a character to 20 in ''WoW'', which can be completed with the free starter edition, earn the alternate Paladin hero Lady Liadrin in ''Hearthstone''.<ref>[http://www.hearthhead.com/news%3D251829/lady-liadrin-and-fledgling-hero-of-warcraft-leveling-tips-tricks-for-old-and-new Lady Liadrin and Fledgling Hero of Warcraft: Leveling Tips for old and new players] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319063823/http://www.hearthhead.com/news%3D251829/lady-liadrin-and-fledgling-hero-of-warcraft-leveling-tips-tricks-for-old-and-new |date=March 19, 2016 }} Retrieved March 17, 2016.</ref>

Players who buy ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'' Origins, Game of the Year, or Collectors Edition are given the Baby Winston battle pet in ''WoW''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Alex |title='Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition': New version on sale and discounted now — here's what's inside |url=https://www.mic.com/articles/178010/overwatch-game-of-the-year-edition-new-version-on-sale-and-discounted-now-heres-whats-inside |website=Mic |publisher=Bustle Digital Group |date=May 24, 2017 |access-date=April 18, 2020 |archive-date=September 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919062735/https://www.mic.com/articles/178010/overwatch-game-of-the-year-edition-new-version-on-sale-and-discounted-now-heres-whats-inside |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kamen |first1=Matt |title=Overwatch, StarCraft II, Hearthstone: Blizzcon 2015's biggest announcements |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/blizzcon-2015-announcements |magazine=Wired UK |publisher=Condé Nast Publications |date=November 6, 2015 |access-date=April 18, 2020 |archive-date=November 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108015501/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/blizzcon-2015-announcements |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Frank |first1=Allegra |title=Overwatch anniversary event, Game of the Year edition could be on the way |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/5/11/15615146/overwatch-game-of-the-year-edition-anniversary-update |website=Polygon |publisher=Vox Media |date=May 11, 2017 |access-date=April 18, 2020 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111163911/https://www.polygon.com/2017/5/11/15615146/overwatch-game-of-the-year-edition-anniversary-update |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
<references/>

== Further reading ==

{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite web |last1=Gilliam |first1=Ryan |title=It's been a weird decade for Warcraft |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=November 11, 2019 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/11/20950708/world-of-warcraft-3-reforged-cataclysm-legion-azeroth-pandaria-warlords-blizzard-decade |language=en-US |access-date=November 13, 2019 |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112191919/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/11/20950708/world-of-warcraft-3-reforged-cataclysm-legion-azeroth-pandaria-warlords-blizzard-decade |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Schreier |first= Jason | title= Play Nice: The Rise, Fall and Future of Blizzard Entertainment |year=2024 |publisher=Grand Central Publishing |isbn=9781538725429}} 
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|World of Warcraft}}
* {{official website}}
* {{wowpedia|World of Warcraft}}

{{Warcraft universe}}
{{Blizzard Entertainment}}
{{Authority control}}

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