World of Warcraft: Legion Release Date Announced

The folks at Blizzard Entertainment are finally ready to announce when players will be able to purchase and play the latest upcoming expansion for World of Warcraft, Legion. The expansion will release on August 30th. I’ve embedded the press release, though, in case you need a reminder on the expansion’s featureset or simply can’t bear to read a short newspost:

THE LEGIONâ„¢ INVADES WORLD OF WARCRAFT® AUGUST 30

Master mythic Artifact weapons and do battle as the new Demon Hunter hero class in the sixth expansion for the acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game

IRVINE, Calif. April 18, 2016 The great enemy of Azeroth is back, and soon the kingdoms of the Horde and the Alliance will be consumed in a storm of fel fire. Starting August 30, realms will shatter, heroes will fall, and the world will stand on the brink of destruction with the launch of World of Warcraft®: Legionâ„¢, the sixth expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Defenders of the Alliance and the Horde can steel themselves for the return of the demonic armies of the Burning Legion by pre-purchasing World of Warcraft: Legion digitally at www.wowlegion.com. Players who pre-purchase will unlock an instant level-100 character boost, as well as early access to the Demon Hunter Legion’s dextrous and deadly new hero class prior to the expansion’s release.’ 

(Legion opens a dark and thrilling new chapter in one of the Warcraft series’ greatest conflicts, and things will never be the same for some of Azeroth’s most iconic heroes and villains,) said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. (This expansion is loaded with features and content that give players whole new ways to explore the world and customize their heroes. We’re looking forward to sending everyone into battle against the Burning Legion this August.)

In this expansion chronicling the events following Warlords of Draenor, all hellfire breaks loose when the warlock Gul’dan, betrayer of the orcs and twisted servant of the Burning Legion, unleashes a demonic invasion force upon Azeroth unlike any the Horde and the Alliance have ever faced. To save their world from annihilation, heroes must unlock the mysteries of the mythic Broken Isles, master powerful Artifact weapons, and strike a forbidden pact with the Demon Hunters of the Illidari vengeful disciples of the dreaded Illidan Stormrage.

Pre-purchase Now and Prepare for the Invasion

World of Warcraft: Legion will be available in a Standard Edition (physical and digital versions available; SRP $49.99). Players also have the option to upgrade their pre-purchase to the Digital Deluxe Edition (SRP $69.99), which contains a hoard of in-game bonuses for a variety of Blizzard games, including an Illidari Felstalker mount and pet for World of Warcraft, a Felstalker mount for Heroes of the Storm®, a helm transmog and wings for Diablo® III, and a pair of fel-infused StarCraft® II portraits.

Players who pre-purchase either the digital Standard Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition of Legion through www.wowlegion.com will be able to immediately’  boost one character to level 100, allowing them to experience the latest World of Warcraft content alongside their friends.’ ‘ 

Pre-purchasing Legion will also grant early access to the Demon Hunter prior to the expansion’s release.’  During the pre-launch early-access period, players will be able to complete the Demon Hunter’s unique starting experience on the shattered, Legion-corrupted world of Mardum and achieve level 100, leaving them fully prepared to join their allies on the Broken Isles the moment the expansion launches. Further details on the upcoming Demon Hunter early-access period, including the timing and duration, will be announced at a later date.

World of Warcraft: Legion will also be available in a retail-only Collector’s Edition (SRP $89.99), which includes the digital bonuses from the Digital Deluxe Edition along with a full-color hardcover art book, a behind-the-scenes two-disc Blu-ray/DVD set, a CD soundtrack, and a Legion mouse pad. Supplies are limited; players should check with their local retailer for preorder details and availability.

World of Warcraft: Legion Features

World of Warcraft: Legion is filled with features and content that will transform Azeroth’s heroes into Legion-slaying avatars of vengeance, including:

• New Hero Class: Demon Hunter Unleash the demon within as an all-new melee hero class gifted with preternatural mobility and the ability to metamorphose into hellish new forms.
• New Feature: Artifact Weapons Smite the Legion with class-specific weapons of lore. Unlock abilities and traits, and customize your weapon to suit your needs.
• New Continent: The Broken Isles Discover the fate of a lost night elf civilization, confront twisted fragments of the Emerald Nightmare, and hunt agents of the Legion in all-new zones. Forge your own path through the Broken Isles as you explore content that dynamically scales to your level.
• Boost to Level 100 Come fully prepared to battle the Legion with a level-100 character boost, and fight alongside your friends in this epic new chapter of World of Warcraft available immediately upon pre-purchase’ .
• New Feature: Class Hall Gather with fellow members of your class and unite followers of your order including iconic characters from Warcraft lore to carry out missions at your command.
• New PvP Honor System Fight for fame, glory, and a range of new PvP-specific powers as you face the opposing faction in Arenas and Battlegrounds.

For more information about World of Warcraft: Legion or to sign up for the upcoming beta test, visit www.wowlegion.com. For screenshots, videos, and other media, visit the Blizzard Entertainment press site at http://blizzard.gamespress.com/world-of-warcraft.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard has numerous positions currently available visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

‘  Players upgrading from World of Warcraft Starter Edition must wait for trial restrictions to be removed (up to 72 hours) before using character boost. Demon Hunter early access timing will be announced at a later date. Only one Demon Hunter per realm (per account); requires at least one level-70 character on realm.

‘ ‘  Corresponding World of Warcraft expansions required.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.