WoW: The War Within - Release date, UK launch time and latest news
Anticipation for The War Within heats up as early previews emerge.
World of Warcraft has been going on for almost 20 years now, and its longevity is in no small part owing to the huge expansion packs the game has seen over the years - with the latest being WoW: The War Within, which is fast approaching its early access release date.
Not to let the fact the game is two decades old slow it down at all, there are more expansions confirmed to be on the way, with this one marking the first in a new trilogy.
The last expansion pack was Dragonflight, which came out in November 2022. There have been new updates and additions since then, but this is the first proper meaty DLC WoW fans have had in some time.
But with so little time until early access and endless midnight raids ahead, let's get straight to it, shall we?
When is The War Within release date? UK launch time
World of Warcraft: The War Within is due to be released at 11pm BST on 26th August 2024.
Last year, the game’s developer, Blizzard Entertainment, released a World of Warcraft 2024 roadmap, which listed the War Within expansion as being released sometime in the middle of the summer and autumn, so the news that it is being released in August is no real surprise.
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When is The War Within early access UK launch time?
World of Warcraft: The War Within early access begins at 11pm BST on Thursday 22nd August in the UK.
That's four extra days in total to dive into the first expansion that makes up the trilogy WoW: Worldsoul Saga. In true WoW fashion, we're sure you won't mind staying up to the wee small hours playing it.
If you do, hopefully you don't feel too dead at work on Friday, but hey, at least it will be the weekend right after - where you will be able to catch up on sleep (or play even more WoW)!
What do we know about The War Within? Latest news
The War Within is World of Warcraft’s 10th expansion, and it marks the first chapter in the Worldsoul Saga, a new trilogy.
Early previews have just landed, and the consensus has been mostly positive, with Games Radar’s Josh West saying, "I’m almost certainly going to renew my subscription to the famed MMO later this year," after getting a hands-on with the alpha version of the expansion.
Elsewhere, IGN’s Rebekah Valentine was upbeat but more muted on it, writing: "Largely, it just feels like more World of Warcraft, which is fine."
It is set in a brand new subterranean world beneath Azeroth, where players will face the evil Harbinger of the Void - who has sinister plans for the land above.
Notable features include Delves, where players in groups of up to five can battle through treasure vaults for loot, and a new playable allied race called the Earthen. They are rock solid - quite literally, as they are made of stone.
The War Within beta is now open for registration, while several different editions of the expansion can be pre-purchased. For the first time in WoW history, any players who purchase the Epic Edition of the game will get both Beta and Early Access to the expansion.
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Authors
Joshua Lamb is a freelance writer at Radio Times Gaming, covering news and guides. He is also a games journalist and critic at The Times where he reviews the latest titles, having also previously reported on events such as Gamescom and the BAFTA Game Awards.
