WoW

All World of Warcraft expansions in chronological order

All World of Warcraft expansions in chronological order
Images via Blizzard

Written by 

Tarran Stockton

Published 

18th Aug 2023 15:20

Contents

Whether you're a new or old player, you may need a reminder of all World of Warcraft expansions in chronological order, as there have been many since the game released nearly twenty years ago. 

World of Warcraft is one MMORPG game that has staying power like no other, and this is largely thanks to the consistent release cycle of expansions, which has seen the world of Azeroth grow larger and larger. 

For any player looking to jump into the game now, there is an overwhelming amount of content, from the vanilla game all the way up to the latest expansion that launched in 2022. So, if you need to know all of WoW's expansions in chronological order, read on. 

How many expansions are there in World of Warcraft?

World of Warcraft Dragonflight key art
Click to enlarge

There are currently nine expansions for World of Warcraft, all of which have provided tonnes of new content to the vanilla experience, with new areas, races, quests, items, and much more. 

The latest expansion, Dragonflight, adds a new race to the mix - the Dracthyr, alongside a whole new high-fantasy area to explore known as the Dragon Isles (go figure).

All World of Warcraft expansions in order

Here are all the current World of Warcraft expansions in chronological order, along with their release year:

  1. World of Warcraft vanilla (2004)
  2. Burning Crusade (2007)
  3. Wrath of the Lich King (2008)
  4. Cataclysm (2010)
  5. Mists of Pandaria (2012)
  6. Warlords of Draenor (2014)
  7. Legion (2016)
  8. Battle for Azeroth (2018)
  9. Shadowlands (2020)
  10. Dragonflight (2022)

The WoW expansion list is expected to continue growing as it's still one of the most popular games in the world, and Blizzard intends to continue supporting it for the foreseeable future. 

On top of all the expansions that have been developed for World of Warcraft, starting in 2019, Blizzard began launching classic servers, which preserved the state of the game in a particular time, free of all the new expansions and changes that came with them. 

All Classic versions of WoW

world of warcraft classic key art
Click to enlarge

Here is the list of classic versions of WoW:

  1. World of Warcraft Classic
  2. Burning Crusades Classic
  3. Wrath of the Lich King Classic

That's all for our explanation of the World of Warcraft expansions in chronological order, and now you know all nine expansions, along with the year they were released. 

For more WoW guides, stick with GGRecon.

Tarran Stockton
About the author
Tarran Stockton
Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.
Why trust GGRecon?

Established in 2019, we don’t just cover games - we live them. Our expert team is full of dedicated gamers, qualified journalists, and industry insiders who collectively boast decades of experience covering gaming and esports. This deep-rooted expertise allows us to provide authoritative and nuanced perspectives first-hand from a team who are playing, and researching every game covered on our website. 

Our foundation is built on a profound commitment to editorial independence, ensuring our content remains free from external influence and advertising pressures and is held to the highest level of editorial conduct, integrity, and quality. 

Every article on GGRecon comes from rigorous research, informed analysis, and a passion for gaming that resonates with our readers. We uphold these standards through a transparent editorial policy, accessible here, which governs our processes and maintains our accountability.

Trending
How to gain early access to The War Within WoW expansion & controversy explained
World of Warcraft patch 10.2 release date, new Raid, Mythic+ rotation & more
World of Warcraft Patch 10.2 Guardians of the Dream: PTR Release date, Dragonriding, Emerald Dream & more
World of Warcraft Tier List: Best Alliance & Horde races (2023)
Using the Ping System in World of Warcraft