Going back to where it all started and the conflict that sparked one of the world's biggest franchises, World of Warcraft's upcoming seventh expansion, Battle for Azeroth, will see level cap bumps, new continents, races, armour and raids with a particular focus on the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde.

Whether you're for the Horde or for the Alliance, players will be given the opportunity to visit and occupy new lands such as the islands of Zandalar and nation of Kul Tiras, where the factions will hope to recruit new allied races to their cause.

We managed to speak to senior producer Ray Cobo and senior game designer Candice Thomas about the announcement.

Cobo told us that fans will have a lot to do with the new expansion, other than exploring new worlds.

He said: "It’s going to be an epic game, we continue to evolve the game and bring new life to it - the horde and alliance conflict is at an all-time high right now.

"This is a conflict that you’re going to experience throughout the whole expansion, whether you’re levelling up or doing dungeons, is always going to be present, you’re going to be fighting for your faction and trying to make sure that you come out ahead."

The conflict between the Horde and the Alliance takes centre stage. (
Image:
Blizzard Entertainment)

Release date

Blizzard has finally announced an exact date for Battle for Azeroth , it will be released at midnight August 14.

But a few weeks before the official release, game director Ion Hazzikostas revealed patch 8.0 will be introducing content allowing players to experience the Burning of Teldrassil and Battle of Lordaeron.

For example, there will be content in Darkshore - story-driven quest content and replayable outdoor skirmishes.

For those eager to get stuck into the next expansion sooner, fans can sign up for the beta version on the Warcraft site.

New places to explore

imilar to the scenario system Blizzard introduced in Mists of Pandaria, the developers announced new island expeditions, but this time players will team up in a party of three to explore areas where the enemies and situations you encounter can change each time.

It seems the MMO RPG has learned a lot of lessons from the Panda filled world and fans will no longer get a linear experience they can just play over and over again.

The graphics are, as usual, lovely. (
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Blizzard Entertainment)

For example the goal of an Island Expedition is to gain Azerite, a new crystal which can be used by the Alliance and Horde as a weapon of war as well as to power up your armour.

There is meant to be a sense of exploration - you are limited as to what you can see based on your visibility. There are hundreds of locations with many things which can show up. Be careful though, the hostile NPCs on the Islands are after the Azerite as well, such as the Naga and Elemental Lords.

You are also racing against the enemy faction, comprised of super-smart advanced NPCs.

They have more abilities than you expect from a creature in WoW, and have unique tactical elements--ranging from playing aggressively to very defensive.

There are four Island difficulties - Normal, Heroic, Mythic...and PvP. A lot of the creatures on the island are difficult to solo, but are killable using certain consumables and items found on the Island. This is role-agnostic content, you don't need a tank or a healer.

A Pandaren monk unleashes their power (
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Blizzard)

Exploring the lore

What's really interesting is that for the Alliance we have Kul Tiras, which is very important in the lore history especially in Warcraft 2.

Essentially as we moved on in time Jaina Proudmore is the daughter of their leader who died at the end of Warcraft 3 and that really is where she is likely to be coming in as a main character.

Tiragarde Sound is the main hub, populated by hearty monster hunters and vicious pirates. To the north of Tiragarde is Stormsong Valley, a lush, green land ruled by House Stormsong and a group of sea priests who build boats for the Kul Tiran navy.

For the horde, they will travel to Zandalar, the homeland of an ancient troll empire that has fallen into disarray since the events in Cataclysm. Designer Thomas was keen to tease fans about the new zone.

Check out the Lightforged Draenei Heritage Armour (
Image:
Blizzard)

"You’d be surprised, typically in WOW whenever you experience a troll zone that’s like a ruin of some sort, you’ve got the mummies, you’ve got the sand trolls and stuff like that.

"But whenever we lit the fire underneath the artists and we said this is going to be the pristine origin cradle of the Zandarian trolls, this is going to be the city’s gold, and they just went crazy with it," she said.

Thomas also let slip some more details to whet players appetites for their next adventure.

"I shouldn’t spoil but there’s an underground threat that lurks."

Allied races

Battle for Azeroth also reveals allied races are coming - for the horde, players can already access Highmountain tauren and Nightborne but at the start of the expansion they’ll be given Mag'har Orcs.

Zandalarian trolls are expected to be unlocked in a future patch.

For the alliance, Void elves and Lightforged dranei have already appeared on live servers Dark Iron Dwarf becoming available after completing the Battle for Azeroth war campaign.

If each new ally is leveled without using a boost to level 110, you will be rewarded with an exclusive 'heritage' armor set for that particular race.

You'll be able to pay to change your race to one of these once they're unlocked, and you can also pay to boost their level, so will have a little bit of a leg up there.

Allied races are on their way (
Image:
Blizzard Entertainment)

What's happening with artifacts

This arguably one of the biggest features in Legion, which gave players the chance to level up their artifact weapons during that expansions story.

But all good things come to an end eventually and these weapons will be replaced with a new system.

You can still keep them for aesthetics and use them as transmogs but their power will no longer be as great as they once were as Azeroth needs it.

Instead, players will be given a necklace called the Heart of Azeroth, which we're told will be the new focal point of your character's progression throughout the expansion.

Candice Thomas explained how the transition would be made: "Without spoiling too much there is going to be a story that unfolds for everyone on how we’re going to sunset your artefact."

The new amulet will also unlock bonuses in your armour as you power up your Azerite amulet through warfront and the island expeditions.

It's been suggested that this may become the most powerful thing we've seen in the game so far.

"You can’t imagine anything more powerful than Ashbringer until you find out what is the lifeblood behind Azerite armour," she said.

There is treasure to plunder. (
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Blizzard Entertainment)

Warfronts

The new expansion will also see the introduction of a Warfront game mode, where groups of 20 players forge together in your own kind of warcraft free style map where you as the alliance and stormguard build your base from nothing.

"You’re getting your wood, getting your lumber and then your deciding, am I fortifying my footmen or am I going to go the archer route and as a group, so it’s kind of like a lengthier experience as opposed to like the island experience," Thomas explains.

Since there’s three new zones for the Alliance and the Horde once you get to max level they all unlock, so players can have three new zones they’re going to have to infiltrate.

If you’re the alliance that means you’re going to have to go to Zandalar.

Changes to PVP system

Now, all servers will operate under the same rules of engagement, where players can opt-in for open-world PvP or choose to stay neutral.

Opting into PvP will fill your world with other players who have also opted in, keeping like-minded players together.

Like-minded players can stay together. (
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Blizzard Entertainment)

Those who choose to play with PvP on will also get bonuses like extra experience, to reward their added risk.

Battle For Azeroth is available for purchase digitally in a standard edition (£39.99 SRP) and Digital Deluxe (£59.99) edition.