



Contents show]

This page follows the in-game timeline from the release of World of Warcraft through present day as it applies to the players.

(After all, What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been!)

Important

Add proper references and/or citations when adding a timeline 'event'.

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TL;DR version

Vanilla (Content time: 26, 24, 23 months ) 2004-11-23 (November 23): North America, Australia and New Zealand. 2005-01-18 (January 18): Korea 2005-02-11 (February 11): Europe

(Content time: ) The Burning Crusade (Content time: 22 months ) 2007-01-16 (January 16): Global

(Content time: ) Wrath of the Lich King (Content time: 25 months ) 2008-11-13 (November 13): Global

(Content time: ) Cataclysm (Content time: 22 months ) 2010-12-07 (December 7, 2010): Global

(Content time: ) Mists of Pandaria (Content time: 26 months ) 2012-09-25 (September 25): North America and Europe 2012-09-27 (September 27): Korea and Taiwan

(Content time: ) Warlords of Draenor (Content time: 21 months ) 2014-11-13 (November 13, 2014): Global

(Content time: ) Legion (Content time: 22+ months ) 2016-08-30 (August 30, 2016): Global

(Content time: ) Battle for Azeroth (TBA) Announced at BlizzCon 2017 August 13, 2018: America August 14, 2018: Remaining Global

(TBA) Classic (TBA) Announced at BlizzCon 2017 ​​​​​​August 26, 2019 : Global

(TBA)



2001

September 2 - World of Warcraft announced at London ECTS 2001.[1][2]

2004

Early in the year - World of Warcraft Beta testing

November 4 - World of Warcraft Release Date announced. [1]

November 23 - World of Warcraft launches in North America, Australia and New Zealand.



November 24 - WoWWiki launched[3]

December 3 - WoWWiki first archived at Web.Archive.org (Internet Archive)

December 18 - Patch 1.2.0

Maraudon added

2005

January 18 - World of Warcraft launches in South Korea

February 11 - World of Warcraft launches in Europe

March 7 - Patch 1.3.0

Dire Maul added

Introduction of World Bosses : Azuregos Lord Kazzak



March 23 - The first legendary item ever to appear to players in the game drops, [Talisman of Binding Shard]. It is immediately hotfixed out of the game.

April 8 - Patch 1.4.0

PvP Honor System

May - The Leeroy Jenkins video becomes popular[4]

June 7 - Patch 1.5.0

July 12 - Patch 1.6.0

September 13 - Patch 1.7.0

October 28–29 - BlizzCon 2005 (the first BlizzCon)

Burning Crusade announced

October 10 - Patch 1.8.0

November 16 - World of Warcraft is featured in a question on the game show Jeopardy!

November 23 - WoW Insider launches.[6]

2006

January 3 - Patch 1.9.0

January 23 - Medivh-US becomes the first server to open the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj[7]

March 28 - Patch 1.10.0

April - The "-50 DKP/More dots" Onyxia Wipe Animation becomes popular.

June 20 - Patch 1.11.0

Keyring

Naxxramas added

July 7 - Wowhead website launched

August 22 - Patch 1.12.0

September 11 - Burning Crusade announced to be released on January 16, 2007

October

October 4 - The TV show South Park features a Warcraft-themed episode, Make Love, not Warcraft.

December 5 - Patch 2.0.1

Looking for Group Interface Tool

PvP Arenas

December 14 - Burning Crusade cinematic trailer released

2007

January 9 - Patch 2.0.3

Dark Portal Opens event Kruul begins attacking places in Azeroth



January 16 - The Burning Crusade expansion released

May 22 - Patch 2.1.0

The Black Temple added

August 3–4 BlizzCon 2007

Wrath of the Lich King expansion announced

September 27 - Patch 2.2.0

October - Toyota's Four Wheels of Fury commercial airs, featuring a fictional truck mount ingame.

November 13 - Patch 2.3.0

November 20 - Blizzard advertises World of Warcraft on television with ads featuring William Shatner and most notably Mr. T talking about his Night Elf Mohawk.

2008

January - World of Warcraft gets to 10 million subscribers globally[8]

March 25 - Patch 2.4.0

April 3 - Proudmoore-US becomes the first server to complete the Shattered Sun Offensive[9]

July - Beta begins for Wrath of the Lich King

August 21 - Wrath of the Lich King cinematic released.

September 15 - Wrath of the Lich King release date announced to be November 13, 2008

October 10 - 11 - BlizzCon 2008

October 14 - Patch 3.0.2

Achievements

Inscription

Barbershop

Several changes were made to the gameworld to prepare for Wrath of the Lich King : The original Naxxramas removed Dalaran removed Alliance boats rerouted Stormwind Harbor added New Horde Zeppelin Towers

:

October 23

The Zombie Infestation heralds the start of the Second Scourge Invasion

November 10

The Scourge begin regular attacks on Stormwind City and Orgrimmar

November 13 - Wrath of the Lich King expansion released

November 23 - All players logging in are awarded Baby Blizzard Bear and WoW's 4th Anniversary

2009

April 14 - Patch 3.1.0

Late April - a player is banned for exploiting the game after using a mistakenly-mailed Game Master artifact called [Martin Fury].[10]

May 15 - The Mountain Dew Game Fuel Choose Your Side promotion begins.

August 4 - Patch 3.2.0

August 20 - The Mountain Dew Choose Your Side promotion ends.

August 21–22 - BlizzCon 2009

Cataclysm expansion announced.

September 2 - Faction Change service offered.

September 22 - Patch 3.2.2

Onyxia's Lair revamped to level 80

October 12 - Announcement that all World of Warcraft accounts must be merged with Battle.net accounts.[11]

October 27 - Race Change service offered

November 11, 12 - The deadline passes for account mergers with Battle.net for US, EU players.

November 22 - All players logging in are awarded Onyxian Whelpling and WoW's 5th Anniversary

December 8 - Patch 3.3.0

2010

January 5 - The Plagueworks of Icecrown Citadel opens.

January 19 - The Crimson Hall of Icecrown Citadel opens.

February 2 - Patch 3.3.2

The Frostwing Halls, the final wing of Icecrown Citadel, opens.

The Lich King encounter is implemented.

February 12 - The People's Republic of China approves Burning Crusade for release.

May 3 - The Friends & Family phase of the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm alpha begins.[12]

June 22 - Patch 3.3.5 in North America.

Real ID is implemented.

June 30 - Closed Beta for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm begins.[13]

Patch 3.3.5 in Europe.

The Ruby Sanctum opens.

July 6 - Blizzard announces their intention to have Real ID names visible when posting on the official forums.[14] This resulted in a massive outcry against the idea, based primarily on concerns about privacy issues and potential harassment.

July 9 - Due the overwhelming flood of criticism, Blizzard rescinds their plan to put Real ID names on the official forums.[15]

August 10 - The People's Republic of China approves a heavily edited Wrath of the Lich King for release.[16]

September 7 - The first in-game events leading up into the Cataclysm expansion begin, with Operation: Gnomeregan ( Alliance) and Zalazane's Fall ( Horde).

October 4 - Cataclysm release date announced to be December 7, 2010[17]

October 7 - World of Warcraft reaches 12 million players[18]

October 12 - Patch 4.0.1

October 17 - World of Warcraft Cataclysm cinematic trailer released.

Parts of the trailer were aired on television in the second quarter of the Dallas Cowboys/Minnesota Vikings football game on the same day. The commercial asked "Where will you be when the Cataclysm begins"

October 22-23 - BlizzCon 2010

November 16 - Patch 4.0.3

Preparation for the Shattering

Few visible changes

November 23 - Patch 4.0.3a The Shattering

Hundreds of achievements, items, NPCs, and quests added or updated

Most Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor zones changed

New class and race combinations made available

December 7 - Cataclysm expansion released

2011

January 27 - Blizzard files complaints with the online service PayPal in an effort to make payment difficult for gold sellers. [19]

February 8 - Patch 4.0.6

Class balance changes

April 26 - Patch 4.1.0

Re-opening of Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub as level 85 heroics

Class design changes

Profession trainers filled out in capitals

June 28 - Patch 4.2.0

October 21-22 - BlizzCon 2011

Mists of Pandaria announced

November 20 - WoW's 7th Anniversary

Players receive a in-game mail with Celebration Package attached

November 29 - Patch 4.3.0

2012

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March 20 - Mists of Pandaria closed beta announced.

March 21 - Mists of Pandaria closed beta opens with Patch 5.0.1.

March 29 - First of several waves of beta invites to primarily Annual Pass subscribers.

May 24 - Non-Annual Pass players who expressed interest in Mists of Pandaria beta on their Battle.net account start getting beta invites.

July 25 - Mists of Pandaria release date announced to be September 25, 2012.

August 28 - Patch 5.0.4 on live servers. Systems pre-release patch and most of the expansion all in one.

Account-wide achievements, mounts, and pets

All races available to all players [20]

Area of Effect looting

BattleTag support

Massive class changes Specialization and talent revamp

Tons of new items

Some profession updates New battlegrounds and revamped dungeons

Cross-realm zones

September 13 - Patch 5.0.5 on live servers.

Technically the patch that will be running when the expansion is enabled, but mostly bug fixes.

September 17 - World Event: Attack on Theramore Isle[21]

Available to level 85 characters for 1 week before expansion release

September 25 - Mists of Pandaria expansion released in North America and Europe.

September 27 - Mists of Pandaria expansion released in Korea and Taiwan.

November 27 - Patch 5.1.0

2013

March 5 - Patch 5.2.0

May 21 - Patch 5.3.0

August 14 - Blizzard trademarks "The Dark Below".

The concept of "The Dark Below" is not new to WoW, previously mentioned here: http://www.wowwiki.com/Dark_Below. With speculation over the past few months about the possibility of a Burning Legion expansion, players are convinced we will soon be descending into the dark depths of Azeroth!

September 10 - Patch 5.4.0

November 2013 - Blizzard trademarks "Warlords of Draenor".

MMO Champion reported that "Warlords of Draenor" was trademarked in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, and EU! It is highly speculated that this will be the next expansion.

November 8 - World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor announced.

Blizzard announces at BlizzCon 2013 the next expansion for the series "Warlords of Draenor." (references in page) Announcement trailer is released revealing new zones, new character art, level cap raise to 100, one free level 90 to everyone, garrisons and much more. (references in page) No new races, classes or professions announced, reporters say Blizzard said there would be no new hero class, leaving speculation to a possible new regular class. [23]



December 10 - Patch 5.4.2

2014

August 14 - Warlords of Draenor release date announced to be November 13, 2014. [24]

October 14 - Patch 6.0.2 on live servers. [25]

November 7 - 8 - BlizzCon 2014

November 13 -

Warlords of Draenor expansion released in North America and Europe.

Level cap raised to 100.

Continent of Draenor added.

Garrisons added.

December 2 -

New Raid: Highmaul opens with Normal and Heroic difficulties available.

2015

February 3 -

New Raid: Blackrock Foundry opens with Normal and Heroic difficulties available.

and difficulties available. World boss Rukhmar becomes available in Spires of Arak.

June 23 -

New Raid: Hellfire Citadel opens with Normal and Heroic difficulties available.

and difficulties available. New Zone: The rest of Tanaan Jungle opens for exploration.

August 6 -

November 6 - 7 - BlizzCon 2015

2016

April 18 - Legion release date announced to be August 30, 2016. [27]

July 19 -

Legion systems pre-expansion, Patch 7.0.3 is released on US realms, implementing the new transmogrification system and abilities/talents revamp. [28] Legion Invasions happen around Azeroth

systems pre-expansion, Patch 7.0.3 is released on US realms, implementing the new transmogrification system and abilities/talents revamp.

August 30 -

October 25 -

2017

January 10

Legion interim patch, Patch 7.1.5 "The Nighthold" is released on US realms. The Nighthold raid opens Mists of Pandaria Timewalking Dungeons Return of Brawler's Guild Micro-holidays!

interim patch, Patch 7.1.5 "The Nighthold" is released on US realms.

March 28

June 13

August 29

... and more.

2018

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This section concerns content that is out-of-date . Reason: Needs patch info.

January 30

July 17

August 13 - 14

References

See also



