Blizzard Entertainment announced the preorder availability of the next expansion for its massive multiplayer online (MMO) PC adventure game, World of Warcraft: Legion. The company is offering substantial incentives to preorder, with an instant character boost, in-game bonuses for other Blizzard game titles, and early access to the new Demon Hunter class before the game launches.
World of Warcraft: Legion was announced back in August, with Blizzard revealing a plethora of new features, including Artifact Weapons, Order Halls, a level cap of 110 and a new hero class: the Demon Hunter. This time around, it’s not for the horde or the alliance, but for all of Azeroth, as you fight to stop Gul’dan from summoning the Legion’s powerful overlord, the Dark Titan Sargeras.
The struggle to save Azeroth will bring you to the depths of Helheim (Vrykul hell) and immerse you in the Emerald Nightmare (about time). Plenty of familiar faces that were made popular in the fan-favorite Burning Crusade expansion return with new purpose and power, giving long-time World of Warcraft players chills at the mere mention of characters such as Illidan Stormrage, Alleria and Turalyon.
Blizzard didn’t skimp out on incentives for players to pay early for Legion. Preordering the standard edition of the new expansion will net Warcraft subscribers an instant boost to level 100 for any of their characters on any realm. If you missed out on Warlords of Draenor, the character boost is a great opportunity to catch up and enjoy the remainder of the current expansion while you get ready to rumble with the Legion next year.
In addition, preordering Legion will earn players early access to the Demon Hunter hero class prior to the game’s release (presumably in the final patch a few weeks before launch). The Demon Hunters of the Illidari will shape the events that will follow in the new chapter of World of Warcraft, and a head start to grinding experience and mastering their awesome abilities sounds like a decent perk.
The Digital Deluxe edition of Legion features in-game rewards such as an Illidari Felstalker mount and Nibbles – a hooved companion pet to tag along at your side as you explore the new zones of the Broken Isles. Digital Deluxe copies will also include additional bonus gifts for other Blizzard titles, including some Wings of the Betrayer (a set of Illidan’s wings to display on your character) for Diablo III, character portraits (Illidan and Gul’dan) for Starcraft II, and a felstalker mount for Heroes of the Storm.
Blizzard expects World of Warcraft: Legion to release on or before September 21, 2016, making some question why the game is available for preorder so early. Although the current expansion continues to receive patches (most recently with new Timewalker dungeons and cross-realm Mythic raid difficulty modes), some players also seem to feel it gets somewhat mundane, especially without any more raid content slated for the remainder of the current installment of the game.
Blizzard seems to be making a play for new and returning players with a pre-holiday bid to give you a max-level character instantly by preordering Legion. Early access to a new hero class sweetens the deal.
You can preorder World of Warcraft: Legion at Blizzard’s Battle.net store, with the standard edition priced at $49.99 and the Digital Deluxe edition available at $69.99.
