Blizzard announces World of Warcraft's next three expansions, the Worldsoul Saga begins

World of Warcraft is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, which is an incredible milestone for a game that is still being played by millions and receiving new expansion content and regular updates, with WoW and Blizzard veteran Chris Metzen returning to shepherd "the next 20 years of adventure," World of Warcraft is set to kick off a major storyline called the Worldsoul Saga. And there was a heartfelt cinematic trailer with heroes Anduin and Thrall to set the scene.

"The Worldsoul saga is so epic it cannot be contained within any single expansion," Chris Metzen said, introducing three new World of Warcraft expansions. "It is built to play out over multiple expansions over the next few years. We are working on multiple ways to deliver this adventure to you a little faster than you're used to."

"We are moving with purpose," Chris Metzen added with Blizzard, confirming that World of Warcraft: The War Within, World of Warcraft: Midnight, and World of Warcraft: The Last Titan are the next three major expansions coming to the popular online role-playing game with The War Within launching in 2024.

As the first installment, The War Within will introduce the new continent of Khaz Algar. "You will be descending into the heart of Azeroth itself," Chris Metzen explains. "Exploring new subterranean kingdoms and engaging with ancient cultures, like the Earthen and the terrifying nerubians of Azj-kahet."

With new zones, a new race in the Earthen, and much more, here's a summary of what's coming in World of Warcraft: The War Within.

DESCEND INTO THE DEPTHS OF AZEROTH ITSELF - Journey to a new level cap of 80 as you explore the vast empires beneath the surface of Azeroth and discover ancient civilizations, both friendly and adversarial, in four new zones: the surface-level Isle of Dorn, the industrial Ringing Deeps, the unexpectedly bright and lush Hallowfall, and Azj-kahet, a pinnacle of nerubian society.

FORGE NEW BONDS WITH THE DENIZENS OF THE DEEP - As players progress through the main campaign, they'll meet the Earthen that have made the Isle of Dorn and the zones beneath it their home. The Earthen will be a new allied race available to both Alliance and Horde players.

NEW ENDGAME PILLAR FOR WORLD CONTENT PLAYERS - Opportunities abound for adventurers looking to explore the secrets below the surface in search of great treasure. Delves are scalable world instances for 1-5 players which provide meaningful gear progression that will contribute to a new reward track in the Great Vault for world content players.

LIVE OUT YOUR CLASS FANTASY - New Hero Talents for each class specialization will provide players a way to progress their characters with evergreen self-contained talent trees that also infuse class fantasy flavor inspired by iconic Warcraft universe archetypes such as a Mountain Thane for Warriors or a Dark Ranger for Hunters.

EXPAND THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR ALTS - With Warbands, players can enjoy account-wide progression with all characters in their Battle.net account, regardless of faction, that includes shared War Within renown, a warband bank, achievements, and more! Additionally, a new change to transmog collection will let players learn the appearance of any gear type, even if they cannot equip it!

Chris Metzen and Blizzard also dropped some details on what to expect with the second and third chapters of the new saga with Midnight and The Last Titan returning players to the Old Wor's with the finale having you "bear witness to the return of the Titans to Azeroth."