World of Warcraft 2004

About

The main story takes about 4124 hours, doing everything about 14780 hours. It was nominated for 1 award.

World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) set in the Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world. Being "Massively Multiplayer," World of Warcraft allows thousands of players to interact within the same world. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory.

Story

Intent on settling the arid region of Durotar, Thrall's new Horde expanded its ranks, inviting the undead Forsaken to join orcs, tauren, and trolls. Meanwhile, dwarves, gnomes and the ancient night elves pledged their loyalties to a reinvigorated Alliance, guided by the human kingdom of Stormwind. After Stormwind's king, Varian Wrynn, mysteriously disappeared, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon served as Regent but his service was marred by the manipulations and mind control of the black dragon Onyxia, who ruled in disguise as a human noblewoman. As heroes investigated Onyxia's manipulations, ancient foes surfaced in lands throughout the world to menace Horde and Alliance alike.

What is happening now

World of Warcraft remains Blizzard's flagship MMO, now in its twenty-year tenure across PC and macOS. The long-running fantasy MMORPG continues to evolve with expansions and seasonal content, most recently the Midnight expansion which introduces significant changes to the game's UI and addon ecosystem. The expansion's overhaul of combat addons and modding features has proven divisive within the community, with Blizzard's leadership maintaining the changes are here to stay despite controversy. According to the game's director, the new UI approach aims to make the MMO more approachable, though he acknowledges the system remains a work in progress. Beyond mechanical updates, the game has expanded player housing features and leaned heavily into transmog customization across seasonal content. The community has also grappled with darker issues, including a popular addon creator stepping away from development following online harassment and a developer facing investigation for in-game cheating. Meanwhile, competitor RuneScape has publicly signaled ambitions to surpass WoW's position in the MMO landscape.