WoW: The War Within: Alpha Preview

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is celebrating its 20th anniversary with three epic expansions which will tie together to form, the first of which is coming later this year with the release of the expansion. While the overarching narrative will be one that looks at the greater picture of with Azeroth's history, Titans, and what is going on with the Sword of Sargeras, will have a more enclosed story going on in a new area.

is set to be released later in 2024 and, despite being part of a trilogy, will have a standalone story with its own satisfying conclusion and all the goodies that players have come to expect from new expansions, including a new allied race. The full launch is still many months off, however, which means that what alpha players are seeing currently is just an early sneak peek behind the curtain. Many things could still change between now and its release, but from what has been shown so far, it appears that Blizzard is off to a good start.

Understandably, this early alpha run of does not have all the bells and whistles applied, nor does it feature the entirety of the story that this expansion will hold. For the initial phase of testing, players saw a bit of the first zone, The Isle of Dorn, without any cutscenes or fanfare. The new Earthen allied race received its first introduction, and are already intriguing as a people. Earthen have a very different culture and life than the traditional dwarves, setting them apart as a truly unique set of characters and instantly squelching any fears that they would be too similar to what is already in the game.

In addition to meeting the Earthen race, this first alpha period included three Delves, two Dungeons, a look at the new Hero Talents as well as basic questing around the Isle of Dorn that gave a better look at some of the side quests, while keeping most of the main story a bit more hidden. Of the two dungeons, Cinderbrew Meadery is truly a delight. It offers an exciting and fun run that, thankfully, is not just a repetition of