World of Warcraft has 11 released expansions, from The Burning Crusade in January 2007 to Midnight in March 2026, on top of the original game that launched in November 2004. A twelfth, The Last Titan, is announced for 2027 and will close out the three-part Worldsoul Saga that began with The War Within.
Below is every one of them in release order, with the date it came out, the level cap it launched with, where it is set and the features it is remembered for. Level caps are the ones each expansion launched with: a pre-launch update for Shadowlands in 2020 shrank every level in the game, so Battle for Azeroth’s 120 became 50, and today’s caps run on that newer scale. After the list, we cover where World of Warcraft: Forever, which launched on November 4, and Blizzard’s Classic servers fit, because neither is an expansion. The recent dates, caps and features come from Blizzard’s own announcements and pages, checked on November 2, 2026, and every guide we have for the game lives on our World of Warcraft hub.
1. World of Warcraft (2004)
Released: November 23, 2004, in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and February 11, 2005, in Europe. Level cap: 60. Setting: the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, the two continents of Azeroth, after the events of Warcraft III.
The original game had eight races, four for the Alliance (Human, Dwarf, Night Elf and Gnome) and four for the Horde (Orc, Troll, Tauren and Undead), and nine classes. Paladins were Alliance only and Shamans Horde only, a split that lasted until the first expansion. Endgame meant 40-player raids, starting with Molten Core and Onyxia’s Lair, and patches through 2005 and 2006 added Blackwing Lair, Ahn’Qiraj, Naxxramas, the honor system and the first battlegrounds: Warsong Gulch, Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley.
Where to play it today: Cataclysm rebuilt both continents in 2010, so the 2004 versions of these zones only exist on Blizzard’s Classic Era realms, which Blizzard describes as “a recreation of Azeroth as it first premiered over two decades ago.” WoW Forever, covered below, is a new take on the same world.
2. The Burning Crusade (2007)
Released: January 16, 2007. Level cap: 70. Setting: Outland, the shattered remains of the orc homeworld Draenor, reached through the Dark Portal, plus new starting zones for its two races in Quel’Thalas and on the Azuremyst Isles.
The first expansion added Blood Elves to the Horde and Draenei to the Alliance, which finally gave each faction both Paladins and Shamans. It brought flying mounts (Outland only, at level 70), the Jewelcrafting profession, rated Arenas in 2v2, 3v3 and 5v5 brackets, and Heroic difficulty for dungeons. Raids shrank from 40 players to 10 and 25, from Karazhan through Black Temple, where Illidan Stormrage was the final boss, to Sunwell Plateau.
Where to play it today: Outland is part of modern World of Warcraft. The original version returned on Blizzard’s Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition realms, which launched on February 5, 2026.
3. Wrath of the Lich King (2008)
Released: November 13, 2008. Level cap: 80. Setting: Northrend, the frozen northern continent ruled by Arthas Menethil, the Lich King.
Wrath introduced the Death Knight, the first hero class, which started at level 55 instead of level 1. Achievements and the Inscription profession arrived with it, along with vehicle combat and Wintergrasp, an open-world PvP zone fought over by both factions. The raid tier ran from Naxxramas (rebuilt for level 80) through Ulduar to Icecrown Citadel, where players finally faced Arthas, and a late patch in December 2009 added the cross-realm Dungeon Finder that changed how people grouped up for years.
Where to play it today: Northrend is in modern World of Warcraft. Blizzard’s Classic lineup does not currently include a Wrath version, because its Classic progression realms moved on to Cataclysm Classic in 2024.
4. Cataclysm (2010)
Released: December 7, 2010. Level cap: 85. Setting: Azeroth itself, torn apart by the black dragon Deathwing, plus five new zones: Mount Hyjal, Vashj’ir, Deepholm, Uldum and the Twilight Highlands.
Cataclysm remade the original continents, rewriting the questing in almost every 2004 zone, and let players fly over Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms for the first time. It added Worgen to the Alliance and Goblins to the Horde, the Archaeology profession, guild levels with perks, and rated battlegrounds. A late patch in 2011 brought Raid Finder and transmogrification, and the expansion ended in the Dragon Soul raid against Deathwing.
Where to play it today: The Cataclysm versions of the old continents are still modern World of Warcraft’s leveling world. Cataclysm Classic launched on May 20, 2024, and its realms moved on to Mists of Pandaria Classic in 2025.
5. Mists of Pandaria (2012)
Released: September 25, 2012. Level cap: 90. Setting: Pandaria, a continent hidden in mists for thousands of years, found when the war between the Alliance and the Horde spills onto its shores.
Mists added the Pandaren, the first race that could join either faction (players choose when they leave the Wandering Isle starting zone), and the Monk class. It also introduced pet battles, three-player Scenarios, timed Challenge Mode dungeons and a rebuilt talent system with one choice every 15 levels. Its last raid, Siege of Orgrimmar, ended with Warchief Garrosh Hellscream overthrown in his own capital.
Where to play it today: Pandaria is in modern World of Warcraft, and Mists of Pandaria Classic, which launched on July 21, 2025, is one of the Classic versions Blizzard runs today.
6. Warlords of Draenor (2014)
Released: November 13, 2014, six years to the day after Wrath. Level cap: 100. Setting: Draenor in the past, where the escaped Garrosh helps the orc clans build the Iron Horde instead of drinking demon blood.
Warlords gave every player a Garrison, a personal base with buildings and followers sent on missions, and it rebuilt the character models for the original races. Buying the expansion came with a boost that took one character straight to level 90, and raiding gained Mythic difficulty for fixed groups of 20. Its raids ran from Highmaul and Blackrock Foundry, where Blackhand was the final boss, to Hellfire Citadel.
Where to play it today: Draenor is part of modern World of Warcraft. Its story is a detour into an alternate past, but its events lead straight into Legion, so it still sits in the main order.
7. Legion (2016)
Released: August 30, 2016. Level cap: 110. Setting: the Broken Isles, where the Burning Legion launches its third invasion of Azeroth, and later Argus, the Legion’s homeworld.
Legion added the Demon Hunter, a second hero class, and handed every specialization an Artifact weapon that grew over the whole expansion. Each class got its own Class Hall and campaign, World Quests replaced most daily quests, and Mythic+ turned dungeons into timed keystone runs that scale ever higher, a mode still at the heart of the game. Its leveling zones also scaled to your level, so Azsuna, Val’sharah, Highmountain and Stormheim could be done in any order.
Where to play it today: The Broken Isles and Argus are in modern World of Warcraft.
8. Battle for Azeroth (2018)
Released: August 14, 2018. Level cap: 120, later rescaled to 50. Setting: Kul Tiras for the Alliance and Zandalar for the Horde, after the burning of the night elf city of Teldrassil reignites the faction war.
Battle for Azeroth gave each faction its own continent to level through, built gear progression around the Heart of Azeroth necklace and Azerite armor, and added Island Expeditions and large Warfronts. War Mode turned open-world PvP into a toggle you set in a capital instead of a realm type, and more Allied Races joined the roster. Later patches added Nazjatar and Mechagon, and the expansion ended with the Old God N’Zoth in Ny’alotha.
Where to play it today: Kul Tiras and Zandalar are part of modern World of Warcraft.
9. Shadowlands (2020)
Released: November 23, 2020. Level cap: 60, after its pre-launch update cut the old cap of 120 down to 50. Setting: the Shadowlands, the realm of the dead, reached after Sylvanas tears open the veil, with Oribos as the hub and the Maw as the prison of its villain, the Jailer.
Players chose one of four Covenants, the Kyrian of Bastion, the Necrolords of Maldraxxus, the Night Fae of Ardenweald or the Venthyr of Revendreth, each with its own abilities and story. Torghast, Tower of the Damned, was a roguelike dungeon that changed every run. The same pre-launch update added Exile’s Reach as a new starting zone for new players and let returning players level through the expansion of their choice.
Where to play it today: The Shadowlands zones are part of modern World of Warcraft.
10. Dragonflight (2022)
Released: November 28, 2022. Level cap: 70. Setting: the Dragon Isles, the ancestral home of Azeroth’s dragonflights, across the Waking Shores, the Ohn’ahran Plains, the Azure Span and Thaldraszus, with Valdrakken as the capital.
Dragonflight added the Dracthyr, a dragon race that plays as the Evoker class, and dragonriding, momentum-based flying now known as Skyriding (our mount guide covers how it works today). It brought back talent trees, rebuilt professions around specializations and crafting orders, and overhauled the interface so players can move every part of it.
Where to play it today: The Dragon Isles are part of modern World of Warcraft, and Blizzard’s Midnight page promises new and returning players “a streamlined leveling experience through Dragonflight” on the way to Midnight.
11. The War Within (2024)
Released: August 26, 2024. Level cap: 80. Setting: Khaz Algar, a continent that is mostly underground, through the Isle of Dorn, the Ringing Deeps, Hallowfall and the Nerubian kingdom of Azj-Kahet.
The first chapter of the Worldsoul Saga introduced Xal’atath as its villain and made characters part of an account-wide Warband that shares a bank, reputation and appearances. It added Delves, short adventures for one to five players, alongside Hero Talents for every class and the Earthen allied race, and later patches took players into the goblin city of Undermine and to K’aresh.
Where to play it today: The War Within is part of modern World of Warcraft, and a regular subscription covers every level up to 80, which our guide to what World of Warcraft costs each month breaks down.
12. Midnight (2026)
Released: March 2, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. PST, with Epic Edition early access from February 26. Level cap: 90. Setting: the elven kingdom of Quel’Thalas, as Xal’atath’s invasion begins and the Voidstorm threatens to cover the world in darkness.
Midnight is the current expansion and the second chapter of the Worldsoul Saga. Its four zones are Eversong Woods, Zul’Aman, Harandar and Voidstorm, with a redesigned Silvermoon City as the campaign hub. It finally added player housing, where Blizzard says “everyone gets a home” with no lotteries or upkeep, along with the Devourer, a ranged Void specialization for Demon Hunters, the Haranir allied race, and Prey, a system for hunting targets that can strike back. Blizzard launched it with eight dungeons, three raids and eleven Delves.
Since launch, the 12.1.5 update arrived on October 13, which we covered in our 12.1.5 story, and seasonal events like Hallow’s End now come with housing decor. Blizzard has named Eclipse as Midnight’s final major update, set in the worldcore. For day-to-day questions, see our guides on getting to Naigtal and how fishing works in Midnight.
Where to play it today: Midnight is sold separately from the subscription.
13. The Last Titan (2027)
Release: 2027, with no date yet. Level cap: not announced. Setting: Northrend, and in Blizzard’s words “more than a return to Northrend.”
Blizzard first named The Last Titan in 2023, when it announced The War Within, Midnight and The Last Titan together as the Worldsoul Saga. It showed the first teaser at BlizzCon 2026, where it put the expansion in 2027, and the teaser’s own description says “the snow-packed peaks of Northrend cower below the spreading shadow of a singular and thundering judgment.” Blizzard’s BlizzCon recap calls it “a reflection on generations of courage, sacrifice, and unforgettable deeds across Azeroth” and says more will be revealed “early next year, after the events of Midnight: Eclipse.” Until then, its features, new races or classes and level cap are unknown.
Where WoW Forever Fits
World of Warcraft: Forever is not an expansion, and it is not part of the list above. Blizzard calls it a new, full World of Warcraft game “set in a reimagined original Azeroth” and “a new permanent home alongside modern and Classic WoW.” It launched worldwide on Wednesday, November 4, at 3:00 p.m. PST (6:00 p.m. EST), and our launch time guide converts that for every region.
On the timeline, it sits right after the 2004 game began: Blizzard sets it after the events of Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom and before Molten Core. It will not continue the Worldsoul Saga, and you will not need Midnight to play it, because Blizzard includes it with a regular subscription or Game Time.
What it will have:
- A level 60 cap, with no increase announced (our level cap guide explains why).
- New and reimagined zones, including Mount Hyjal, Shen’dralas, the Riverglades and Zephras Isle, and more than 1,000 new quests.
- Nine new five-player dungeons for levels 13 to 60, and three raids (Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia’s Lair) opening on December 9.
- The Skyborne, a new race that comes with the paid upgrade packs; our Skyborne guide covers what unlocks it and our upgrade pack guide compares the packs.
- Rulesets instead of realms: Normal, PvP, Roleplay and Roleplay-PvP at launch, with Hardcore “sometime after launch”. Our guide to which ruleset to choose walks through them.
- The Legacy System, account-wide challenges and perks covered in our Legacy System story, plus six new class and race pairings such as Undead Paladin and Orc Mage.
Blizzard’s What’s Next panel recap promises “no flying mounts, no level scaling”, with combat that “remains rooted in the feel and pacing of World of Warcraft: Classic.” If you are picking a first character, our guide to the best class for new players is the place to start.
Where the Classic Servers Fit
WoW Classic is Blizzard’s line of original-version servers, and it runs separately from both modern World of Warcraft and WoW Forever. It started on August 26, 2019, with a recreation of the original game, and it has since replayed the expansions in order on progression realms: Burning Crusade Classic in 2021, Wrath Classic in 2022, Cataclysm Classic in 2024 and Mists of Pandaria Classic in 2025.
Blizzard’s Classic page lists five versions you can play now:
| Version | Launched | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Era | August 26, 2019, as WoW Classic | The original game at level 60, frozen before The Burning Crusade |
| Hardcore | August 2023 | Classic Era with one rule: “dead means dead” |
| Season of Discovery | November 30, 2023 | Classic with runes that break the usual class rules |
| Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition | February 5, 2026 | The Anniversary realms, fresh starts from November 2024, now in Outland |
| Mists of Pandaria Classic | July 21, 2025 | Where the original progression realms are now, at level 90 |
The simplest way to see how it all fits: modern World of Warcraft is the 2004 game plus every expansion in the list above, rolled into one continuing world on Midnight. Classic replays those same expansions one at a time, the way they first played. WoW Forever goes back to the 2004 world and rebuilds it as its own game with its own future. Blizzard lists WoW Forever separately from the Classic versions in what a subscription includes, and one subscription or Game Time covers all three, with only Midnight sold on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many World of Warcraft expansions are there? There are 11 released expansions, from The Burning Crusade in 2007 to Midnight in 2026. The Last Titan, announced for 2027, will be the twelfth. WoW Forever and the Classic versions are not expansions.
What is the newest WoW expansion? Midnight, released on March 2, 2026, is the current expansion. Its final major update, Eclipse, is next, followed by The Last Titan in 2027.
What is the max level in World of Warcraft right now? Level 90 in Midnight. The level cap is 60 in Classic Era and WoW Forever, 70 on the Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition realms and 90 in Mists of Pandaria Classic.
Do you have to buy the old expansions? No. A regular subscription or Game Time includes every expansion up to The War Within and all levels up to 80. Only Midnight is sold separately.
What order should you play the WoW expansions in? Release order is also story order for modern World of Warcraft, from the 2004 game through Midnight. Warlords of Draenor visits an alternate past, but its story still leads into Legion.
Is WoW Forever an expansion? No. Blizzard calls it a full new World of Warcraft game set in a reimagined original Azeroth, which launched on November 4, 2026, alongside modern and Classic WoW. It needs only a subscription or Game Time, not Midnight.