TWiW: The War Within Pre-Expansion is Now Live, Season of Discovery Phase 4, and More!
This Week in WoW (TWiW) delivers the latest World of Warcraft news from the last week!
The War Within™ Pre-Expansion Content Update is Now Live!
Big changes arrive with the introduction of Warbands, Skyriding, class and system updates, and more with the pre-expansion content update. Take your first steps into the continuing story that will take you into the unexplored depths of Azeroth.
Get the Band Together for Warbands
Expand the potential of all your World of Warcraft® characters with account-wide progression across your Battle.net® account, regardless of faction—including shared The War Within™ renown, a Warband bank, achievements, collections, and more!
Learn more about Warbands in our overview article.
Visions of Azeroth
Strange visions are calling to the heroes of Azeroth. Players who have reached level 70 and have completed the final chapter of the Dragonflight questline will be called to take their next steps into the story leading into The War Within with the first part of the "Visions of Azeroth" questline.
Take to the Skies with Skyriding
Dragonriding is here to stay and available for many flying mounts in all flyable areas. Players can also toggle between Skyriding (previously known as dynamic flight) or the flying style introduced originally in The Burning Crusade (TBC) which we’re calling Steady Flight. Learn more about Skyriding in our previously published article.
Answer the Call of the Radiant Echoes
Confront the memories of Azeroth during the new pre-expansion event and collect Residual Memories to purchase new items to add to your Warband collection.
When: 31 July – 27 August
Where: Dalaran (hub), Dragonblight, Dustwallow Marsh, and Searing Gorge
Currency: Residual Memories – Half forgotten memories can be glimpsed in the light playing across this iridescent powder.
Levels: 10-70
Players with and without The War Within™ will be able to take part in this event for its duration. Learn more about this event in our overview article.
The War Within Pre-Expansion Update Notes
Learn more about the changes in the pre-expansion content update in our update notes.
Get Bonus Content from The War Within Pre-Purchase
Gryphon Rider Sets Available
With the launch of the pre-expansion content update, players who have pre-purchased the Heroic or Epic Edition of The War Within will be able to accept the quest, "The Stormrider’s Bond" from Kurdran Wildhammer in Valdrakken.
Completing this quest will reward three new alternate color transmog armor sets: Frenzied Deep, Shocking Silver, and Sparking Champion Stormrider’s Attire.
After completing Kurden’s quest, he’ll have another quest for you called "A Sacred Connection." Completing this quest will provide upgraded versions of these sets: Frenzied Deep, Shocking Silver, and Sparking Champion’s Stormrider’s Attire.
Players who have not begun these quests before the launch of The War Within will be able to pick up a quest from Stormrider Bruelda in Dornogal.
Squally's Siblings
Players who have pre-ordered the Epic Editon of The War Within will be able to summon Squally from their collection to undertake the quest "Gryphons of a Feather" to seek out Squally’s three siblings—Flash, Gale, and Thundo— within the Dragon Isles to add to your battle pet collection.
The War Within goes live on 26 August at 23:00 BST globally. Players who have purchased the Epic Edition of The War Within will take part in Early Access beginning 22 August.
Season of Discovery Phase 4: Onyxia’s Lair and Molten Core Now Live!
It's time to put on your fire resist gear to face Onyxia in her lair and Ragnaros, the fire lord, in the Molten Core.
World Bosses Now Live
Experience Lord Kazzak and Azuregos as brand-new instanced versions of these encounters. These encounters can be experienced with up to 40 players but will be tuned as 20-player content, making them both pick-up-group-friendly with 40 players, but also giving players the option to maximize their rewards by attempting them with 20-players.
Onyxia's Lair and Molten Core Now Live
Experience Molten core as a 20-player dungeon with 10 classic bosses (+1,) revamped loot, redesigned Tier 1 sets, and more. Players will also be able to turn up the heat with a new variable difficulty mechanic allowing players to earn more rewards from undertaking a higher difficulty. Don’t forget your fire resist gear! You are going to need it. We’ll be adding one more surprise to this classic raid dungeon for intrepid adventurers to discover.
Onyxia will also be adjusted to accommodate 40 or fewer players along with some additional loot adjustments.
New Raid Lockout interval
Raid lockouts for Season of Discovery Phase 4 raids will occur regularly once a week for Molten Core and two times a week on static reset days for Onyxia’s Lair, Lord Kazzak, and Azuregos. Players in North America will have their resets for these bosses on Tuesdays and Saturdays, in Europe, on Wednesdays and Sundays, and in Asia on Thursdays and Mondays.
Gather your allies and go forth to battle!
The War Within™ Season 1 and Raid Schedule Overview
The War Within™ is almost upon us and with it, a new season will begin with new dungeons, new rewards, and new challenges.
Just the Facts
- 22/7: Dragonflight Season 4 PvP Ladder Closes and Mythic+ 0.1% title rating qualification ends.
- 23/7: Pre-Expansion Content Update Goes Live
- 30/7: Pre-Expansion Event Goes Live
- 20/8: PvP Pre-Season begins with weekly resets
- 22/8: The War Within Early Access begins, Normal Dungeons open
- 26/8: The War Within Goes Live Globally at 3:00 pm PDT with Heroic Dungeons and Dragonflight Season 4 PvE rewards are retired.
- 10/9: The War Within Season 1 Begins with Normal and Heroic raid difficulty, Raid Finder Wing 1, Mythic 0 Dungeons, Heroic Seasonal dungeons, a new World Boss, and PvP Season 1
- 17/9: Mythic raids and Mythic+ dungeons open, Raid Finder Wing 2 opens, raid Story Mode opens
- 24/9: Raid Finder Wing 3 Opens
Dragonflight™ Season 4 End Dates
The current season of PvP content will end at 10:00 pm PDT the night before maintenance in each region—22 July at 22:00 PDT for NA, 23 July at 22:00 CEST for EU, and 24 July at 22:00 in Korea and Taiwan.
With the season’s end, it will no longer be possible to earn PvP seasonal rewards, titles, or Dragonflight Season 4 rankings, and titles will be awarded in the weeks after the season ends:
- Draconic Gladiator: End Dragonflight PvP Season 4 in the top 0.1% of the 3v3 arena ladder (requires 150 games won in Dragonflight Season 4).
- Draconic Legend: End Dragonflight PvP Season 4 in the top 0.1% of the Solo Shuffle ladder (requires 50 games won in Dragonflight Season 4).
Players can still queue for rated PvP modes for Honor, Conquest, and progress toward the faction-themed Vicious Dreamtalon mount for Horde or Alliance.
Mythic+ 0.1% title rating qualification ends will also end on 23 July at the same time as the PvP season ends.
All PvE rewards currently available within Dragonflight Season 4 will no longer be available as of 26 August.
The War Within
With the start of Early Access on 22 August, Normal difficulty dungeons will become available.
Dungeons
- Ara-Kara, City of Echoes (Levels 70-80)
- Priory of the Sacred Flame (Levels 70-80)
- The Rookery (Levels 70-80)
- The Stonevault (Levels 70-80)
- Cinderbrew Meadery (Level 80)
- City of Threads (Level 80)
- Darkflame Cleft (level 80)
- The Dawnbreaker (Level 80)
With the launch of the expansion on 26 August, Heroic difficulty dungeons will be available to play.
On 11 September, The War Within Season 1 will begin with Heroic and Raid Finder Wing 1 of Nerub-ar Palace opening, Mythic 0 dungeons also become available along with Heroic Seasonal dungeons and the new World bosses.
World Bosses
- Kordac, the Dormant Protector
- Aggregation of Horrors
- Shurrai, Atrocity of the Undersea
- Orta, the Broken Mountain
On 18 September, Mythic raids, Raid Finder Wing 2, and Mythic+ dungeons will open and raid Story Mode opens.
On 25 September Raid Finder Wing 3 will open.
Stay tuned to the official site for more information on The War Within.
What to Tackle in Dragonflight Before the War Within
While soaring the skies in the land of dragons, you'll want to ensure you complete the activities from around the Dragon Isles before their rewards are no longer available (or not as easily obtained) when The War Within™ arrives on 26 August.
Dragonflight Season 4
Raids
- Raids will no longer be "Awakened" when The War Within launches, and the following rewards, achievements, and teleports tied to them will no longer be attainable:
- Voyaging Wilderling mount attained from Awakening the Dragonflight Raids.
- "Awakened Hero" title attained from Heroic: Awakening the Dragonflight Raids.
- Raid teleports Path of the Primal Prison, Path of the Bitter Legacy, and Path of the Scorching Dream earned from Mythic: Awakening the Dragonflight Raids.
- Season 4 Awakened Raid Achievements:
- After The War Within launches, the ability to obtain the Reins of Anu'relos, Flame's Guidance will become much more difficult. Learning the mount on any class also awards the Feather of the Blazing Somnowl and the Cinder of Companionship.
Dungeons
- Mythic+ Season 4 ends, and the Font of Power will no longer appear in the Dragonflight Season 4 Dungeons.
- All Season 4 Achievements and rewards will no longer be attainable:
- Dragonflight Keystone Conqueror: Season 4 achievement and "the Draconic" title: Attain a Mythic+ Rating of 1500 during Dragonflight Season 4.
- Dragonflight Keystone Master: Season 4 achievement and its Infinite Armoredon mount reward: Attain a Mythic+ Rating of 2000 during Dragonflight Season 4.
- Dragonflight Keystone Hero: Season 4 achievement: Attain a Mythic+ Rating of 2500 during Dragonflight Season 4.
See you in Azeroth!
Wield Otherworldly Weapons with the Cosmic Weapon Cache
Gain five armaments forged from the primal fabric of the cosmos when you procure the Cosmic Weapon Cache through 30 August 2024, from the in-game shop! Whoever assembled this collection and why remains a mystery, but wielding any one of these mystifying weapons will draw the eye of those who covet such power.
Add these otherworldly weapon Transmogs to your Collection through 30 August 2024:
- Taesavir, Sword of the Grand Design
- Seetheras, Broadsword of the Sunderer
- Gorridar, Darkblade of the Sunderer
- Voidsong, Stave of the Harbinger
- M’thos, Dagger of the Grand Design
Weapon Transmogs are not available as standalone purchases. This offer requires a World of Warcraft® subscription or Game Time and is not available in World of Warcraft Classic progression games.
The War Within™: Updated Character Screen and Character Services
With the release of the pre-expansion content update and Warbands, you’ll notice a difference in the character screen that will affect how you use Character Transfers, Level Boosts, Race Changes, and Faction Changes on your characters.
As the character selection screen shows all characters on the Battle.net account in one convenient location, some may show up as “gray” in the listing and are not available to select to use a Character Service on. To use a service for that character, you will need to select the realm that the character is from first by clicking on the “Realm” selection at the top of the screen and then apply the service to that character.
You can also hover your mouse cursor over a character listed on the right side of the screen to see additional information including the realm it is currently on.
Follow along on the official World of Warcraft news site for all the latest developments as we journey through the week together.