The game started little bit more than 10 years ago and has developed more and more due to the company called Blizzard that made this awesome game, and also due to us players giving feedback to Blizzard.
Since it has been going on for so long, there has been new “expansions” coming out from time to time. Tis is BIG upgrades of the game in which a big new content area has been added, new races has been added and changes of game play such as talents etc.
Within an expansion there are small upgrades called patches. Here we can also see new content (not as big as when an expansion comes out), game play changes and cool things added in the game (or bad things removed from the game).
Let’s go through the different expansions in general so you get a hang of it.
1st expansion: World of Warcraft (1.0) 2004
When WoW came out 2004 the world was Big even then. Today we call this expansion “vanilla” for some reason. If you as a Blizzard employed he/she wouldn’t call it that.
World: Azeroth (2 Continents: Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdom)
Max level: 60
Alliance Races: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome
Horde Races: Orc, Troll, Undead, Tauren
Classes: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, Warrior
Only Alliance: Paladin
Only Horde: Shaman
Final Boss: Kel'Thuzad
2nd Expansion: The Burning Crusade (2.0) 2007
Here we got a new world as content, called Outlands. A dark Portal was the gate way between the two worlds Azeroth and Outland.
World: Outland
Max level: 70
New Alliance Race: Dreanei
New Horde Race: Blood Elf
Also Alliance can be Shamans and Horde can be Paladins
Final Boss: Illidan Stormrage
3rd Expansion: Wrath of the Lich King (3.0) 2008
In this expansion we are back at Azeroth in which a new content was added in the north part of the world called Northrend.
World: Azeroth (Continent: Northrend)
Max level: 80
New Race: Death Knight (Alliance and Horde)
New Class: Death Knight (Alliance and Horde)
Final Boss: Lich King
4th Expansion: Cataclysm (4.0) 2010
In this expansion the big dragon Deathwing came up from the ground and his wrath changed the world. New contents were added within Azeroth (Kalimdor, The Eastern Kingdom) and entire Azeroth changed.
World: Azeroth (world changed)
Max level: 85
New Alliance Race: Worgen
New Horde Race: Goblin
Final Boss: Deathwing
5th expansion: Mist of Pandaria (5.0) 2011
We are still in Azeroth and found a new Continent called Pandaria, south part of Azeroth.
World: Azeroth (Continent: Pandaria)
Max level: 90
New Race: Pandaren (Alliance and Horde)
New Class: Monk (Alliance and Horde)
Final Boss: Garrosh Hellscream
6th expansion: Warlords of Draenor (6.0) 2014
We never kill Garrosh, instead we prison him. He escapes and travels back in time. So do we, to stop his plans to take over Azeroth. Garrosh travels back in time to Outland but back then it wasn’t destroyed and called Draenor.
World: Draenor
Max level: 100
Final Boss: Archimonde
This is where we are today 2015.
7th expansion: Legion (7.0) 2016
We are in Azeroth and the Legion has used portals to enter our world. The new content will be between Kalimdor and The Eastern Kingdom, called The Broken Isles.
World: Azeroth (The Broken Isles)
Max level: 110
New Race: Demon Hunter (Alliance and Horde)
New Class: Demon Hunter (Alliance and Horde)
Final Boss: ?
Other posts
- Guide: How to Obtain and Understand the Faceless Mask of the Nemesis in Revisited Horrific Vision
- 11.1.5 - DO THIS in 11.1.5 to FARM LOADS of GOLD
- Guide: How to Obtain and Understand the Faceless Mask of Multitudes in Revisited Horrific Vision
- Beware of Collaborating with MrGM: A Disturbing Pattern of Unethical Behavior
- Guide to Obtaining the Nesting Swarmite Mount in 11.1.5
- The Void-Crystal Panther is Warbound
- 11.1.5 Gold Farm Guide - PREP to bathe in Gold
- Step by step Guide: How to get the Void-Forged Stallion's Reins mount
- Blizzcon confirmed 2026, september 12-13
- Full Guide to Crafting the Void-Crystal Panther in patch 11.1.5