World of Warcraft’s 20-year anniversary will be a full patch of celebration

Every year, Blizzard celebrates the anniversary of World of Warcraft with quests and rewards, but this year is the MMO’s 20th anniversary — and the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise as a whole. The 20th anniversary coincides with the recent launch of The War Within, the first expansion in the Worldsoul Saga. The War Within has been well received by players, and there’s a lot to look forward to in the future — but before we head off on further adventures, players will have the chance to celebrate WoW’s big birthday via a new patch coming to the game.

One challenge will be a return to Blackrock Depths, as a 10-15 player raid with eight main bosses. This raid will come with Looking for Raid, Normal, and Heroic difficulties. Blackrock Depths was a massive, sprawling dungeon from the early days of World of Warcraft, and players will be able to fight through that familiar location once again.

One notable event in World of Warcraft was the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj, a massive event where players rallied to earn resources and break into a massive gate in the deserts of Silithus. The anniversary patch will revisit the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj, with an extra twist. Going back in time to revisit the Gates has spawned all sorts of timey-wimey nonsense throughout Silithus, and it’s up to the players to put down these echoes of the past.

Speaking of memorable trinkets from the past, Blizzard is releasing a new, overhauled version of the Tier 2 sets. These armor sets are still wildly popular, despite being very outdated compared to the brand new sets created for modern raids.

For those who are less interested in raiding and combat, Blizzard is setting up some new lower-pressure activities: an ice rink, a pet corner, an in-game cosplay booth, a small theatre staffed by Lorewalker Cho, and a mount competition. There’ll also be new rewards for players to unlock, like an icy phoenix inspired by the Ashes of Al’ar, and a baby Dreadlord pet. There will also be new transmog options based off the sword, ring, shield, and helm rewarded in real life to Blizzard employees at certain milestones.

The anniversary patch does not have an exact release date yet, but it will be a full patch cycle, which means it will run for more than two months. Players will have plenty of opportunity to hop in and earn these new rewards, as well as take a tour around the new content.