In anticipation of the tenth World of Warcraft expansion, “The War Within”, which is set to launch on 26th August 2024, early access will be available from 22nd August 2024. In the weeks leading up to the launch, the game will undergo updates and implement new systems in preparation for The War Within – this period is known as Pre-patch. During this time, players will have the opportunity to formally test these new systems before embarking on their journeys through Khaz Algar. This guide provides an overview of what players can expect during the pre-patch phase, including system changes, events, class adjustments, and more!
When is The War Within Pre-Patch?
The highly anticipated pre-patch for The War Within expansion, titled “Radiant Echoes”, is set to be released on the 23rd of July. Following this, the Radiant Echoes pre-patch event will be made available to players from the 30th of July onwards, giving them a chance to explore and test the new systems in place before the full expansion launches. Ensure that you mark these important dates in your calendar to stay up-to-date with the latest developments within the World of Warcraft universe!
What’s Coming with The War Within Pre-Patch?
As we gear up for the pre-patch release of “The War Within” on 26th of August, with early access available from 22nd of August, let’s take a look at some of the exciting changes and updates that players can anticipate during this transformative period. Scheduled for release on 23rd of July, the pre-patch titled “Radiant Echoes” will introduce several major improvements.
Firstly, there will be significant updates to the class talent trees, providing a fresh and more dynamic gameplay experience. In addition, the user interface will undergo substantial enhancements and improvements to provide a more intuitive and seamless interaction with the game. Warbands will now offer shared banks and reputation systems, adding new dimensions of collaboration among players.
Prepare for exhilarating skyriding adventures as you have access to an impressive 461 mounts designed for skyriding, significantly expanding your travel capabilities across the game world. The pre-patch event, “Radiant Echoes,” will commence on 30th of July, allowing players to experience these changes firsthand and provide valuable feedback in preparation for the full expansion.
Once “The War Within” goes live, players can expect a multitude of new features. The level cap will be raised to 80, opening up an entirely new range of challenges and opportunities. New Hero Talents will be introduced, adding depth and versatility to your characters. Explore the breathtaking new zone, Khaz Algar, along with fresh leveling content designed to immerse you in a rich storyline.
Discover hidden treasures and secrets within intriguing new outdoor content called “Delves”, which promises to deliver an engaging and rewarding exploration experience. The updated professions will offer more depth and strategy in the way players choose to craft and enhance their gear. Venture into brand-new dungeons, each with its unique challenges and rewards, or take on the mightiest opponents in a new raid, testing your skills and strategies against the most formidable foes the game has to offer.
All Dragonflight Raids are Awakened
As a crucial reminder for World of Warcraft players, with the arrival of The War Within’s pre-patch, all existing Dragonflight raids will undergo a significant transformation, becoming “Awakened”. This transformation is important to note for any players who are still pursuing rare mounts, unique transmogs, or other valuable rewards from previous raids.
Once all the Dragonflight raids reach their Awakened state, the process of farming these rewards will become considerably more challenging due to the increased item level requirements that accompany this change. Consequently, players are advised to complete any outstanding objectives in these raids before the transition takes place to avoid potential difficulties in acquiring desired items and achievements.
Pre-Patch Event: Radiant Echoes
Get ready for an immersive and exciting journey as the in-game pre-patch event for “The War Within” titled “Radiant Echoes” is set to launch on 30th July, 2024. This captivating event will lead players through a series of new quests and world events, as they revisit iconic zones across Azeroth, face the memories and enemies of the past, and prepare for the future that awaits in “The War Within”.
As part of the Radiant Echoes pre-patch event, several enticing rewards will be available:
- Radiant Echoes spawning at regular intervals every 30 minutes across Azeroth.
- Item Level 489, 1/8 Champion Catch-Up Gear to help players prepare for the new level cap of 80 and the challenges that lie ahead.
- A 32-slot Warband-bound bag, ideal for storing your equipment and essentials while adventuring with your fellow warband members.
- A 30-slot Warband-bound Reagent Bag to facilitate smoother crafting and enchanting processes during your expeditions.
- 3 Battle Pets, providing diverse and effective combat companions in your battles against the formidable forces you’ll face.
- Dalaran-themed Weapons, adding a touch of style and class to your arsenal as you explore the new expansions.
To delve deeper into the exciting details of the Radiant Echoes Pre-Patch event, be sure to check out our comprehensive guides below.
Warbands
The upcoming expansion, “The War Within”, introduces an innovative account-wide progression system called Warbands. This system allows players to experience progressive advancement with their characters in unison, irrespective of the specific World of Warcraft realm they are playing on. Through the Warbands system, players can enjoy a multitude of benefits and opportunities for growth that will be shared across all of their characters on their Battle.net account.
This new feature significantly enhances the gameplay experience by unifying progression and fostering a more seamless interaction between characters. Get ready to explore new possibilities with Warbands in “The War Within” as you embark on thrilling adventures with your allies, unlocking new rewards and achievements together across your entire account!
Converting to a Warband
As part of the new Warbands account-wide progression system introduced in “The War Within”, players can anticipate a straightforward conversion process that will commence upon their first log-in to the pre-patch version of the game. This means that you don’t need to individually log into each character to initiate the Warbands progression for all your characters on your Battle.net account.
However, please be aware that there might be a temporary waiting period while the system processes and allocates the Warbands progress for your accounts after the initial login. The developers aim to provide a fair and seamless experience for players, so it is essential to log in promptly during the pre-patch phase to ensure timely access to all the exciting features and benefits that Warbands has to offer across your entire account.
Warbands Features
The innovative Warbands system introduces a variety of enticing features for World of Warcraft players, offering significant improvements and unified progression across all your characters. Here are some of the key aspects that you can look forward to as part of this exciting development:
- Warbands Bank: This account-wide bank system allows for free transfer of items and reagents among your characters, streamlining your inventory management and resource sharing like never before.
- Warbound until Equipped Gear: A new type of gear will be introduced which can be easily transferred across all your characters. With this feature, you’ll no longer need to worry about equipping a piece of gear on one character before it becomes bound to your account.
- Transmog Collections: Now, as you adventure through the world of Azeroth, you’ll be able to loot transmogrification items regardless of armor type for your characters. This means that you can collect and utilize a wider range of visually appealing gear across all your characters.
- Achievements: Numerous achievements are now becoming account-wide unlocks, allowing you to progress and earn valuable accomplishments across all your characters simultaneously.
- Currencies: Various currencies will be transferable across all your characters, ensuring a more seamless gameplay experience and improved resource management.
With these exciting features, the Warbands system offers significant benefits for players with multiple characters, making it an attractive addition to the World of Warcraft universe in “The War Within” expansion!
Skyriding
In “The War Within”, the exhilarating world of Skyriding returns, providing players with an expansive and thrilling method of transportation across the breathtaking landscapes of Khaz Algar. This exciting feature was earlier introduced as Dragonriding in the Dragonflight expansion and has now evolved to stay, offering a diverse range of flying mounts with Skyriding capabilities in the flyable areas of the new expansion.
Moreover, players will have the option to toggle between Skyriding and Stable Flight, an alternative flying style originally introduced in The Burning Crusade expansion. This versatility in transportation methods ensures that players can tailor their adventures according to their preferences, making exploration more engaging and dynamic than ever before in World of Warcraft!
As you embark on your adventures in Khaz Algar with “The War Within”, take note of the following key points regarding the exhilarating world of Skyriding:
- Skyriding will be readily accessible for players shortly after they arrive in Khaz Algar, just a few quests into the expansion.
- The Skyriding Talent Tree is transitioning to an evergreen system, allowing players to continuously unlock new talents as they progress through the game.
- Excitingly, Skyriding Glyphs (previously known as Dragonriding Glyphs) will be scattered throughout Khaz Algar for you to discover and collect, adding another layer of engagement to your Skyriding experience.
- Players can earn Skyriding Proficiency as they level up, which can then be spent on unlocking new talents in the Skyriding Talent Tree, providing a unique customization aspect to your flights.
- For those who prefer a more stable flying style, the option of Steady Flight (originally introduced in The Burning Crusade expansion) will be available after completing The War Within Pathfinder. This allows you to switch between Skyriding and Steady Flight based on your personal preferences.
- With an impressive selection of 464 mounts, you’ll find that a vast majority of your current flying mounts are compatible with Skyriding in “The War Within”, elevating your travel experiences to new heights!
Cross-Realm Guilds
As “The War Within” approaches, Blizzard is set to introduce several highly anticipated improvements and enhancements to the World of Warcraft experience, including significant advancements in Guild functionality. One of these transformative changes includes the implementation of Cross-Realm Guilds with the pre-patch, allowing players from different realms to come together and form guilds in a more accessible and unified manner.
In addition to this monumental step towards enhanced community interaction, Blizzard has also removed the realms’ restrictions for Cross-Realm Mythic Raiding. This means that players across all realms will have the opportunity to participate in mythic raids together when “The War Within” goes live and enters its Season 1.
These exciting changes are set to foster a more connected and immersive environment within the World of Warcraft universe, offering players an enriched experience with their fellow adventurers, regardless of the realms they belong to.
What’s Being Removed?
As the World of Warcraft community prepares to transition from Dragonflight Season 4 to “The War Within” pre-patch, several achievements and associated perks will be phased out, making way for new opportunities and accomplishments in the upcoming season. The following achievements will no longer be attainable after the pre-patch:
- Season 4 Mythic+: All related Mythic+ keys from Dragonflight Season 4 will become invalid with the pre-patch, and you’ll need to explore the new content in “The War Within” for equivalent challenges and rewards.
- The %s the Draconic Title and its associated achievement: Dragonflight Keystone Master: Season Four will be retired with the pre-patch, marking the conclusion of Dragonflight Season 4 for keystone progression.
- Season 4 Rated PvP: As we transition to new PvP seasons, the achievements linked to Draconic Gladiator’s Drake Mount, Draconic Gladiator: Dragonflight Season 4, Draconic Legend: Dragonflight Season 4, and their respective titles will become unavailable.
- Bronze Infinite Weapon Illusion: With the pre-patch, this particular weapon illusion from Season 4 PvE content will no longer be obtainable, encouraging players to explore new options in “The War Within”.
- Season 4 PvP Elite Sets: As we look forward to new opportunities, the PvP elite sets from Dragonflight Season 4 will become obsolete and will need to be replaced with the upcoming season’s content.
As you prepare for the pre-patch and the thrilling adventures that await in “The War Within”, ensure that you have completed any outstanding objectives related to these achievements, so that you can carry forward your progress towards new accomplishments and a fresh set of challenges!
