Blizzard has shared a new official starter guide for players who are just getting into World of Warcraft.
If you have friends thinking about trying WoW for the first time, or if you are returning after a long break and feel a bit lost, this guide breaks down the basics in a simple way. It covers everything from Exile’s Reach to Dragonflight, Story Mode raids, and even how the Free Trial works.
It also explains realm types, Newcomer Chat, and what to expect when stepping into The War Within and the larger Worldsoul Saga.
You can read the full official post from Blizzard below.
New Players Starter Guide: Welcome to World of Warcraft
Beginning in Exile’s Reach
You’ll first begin your expedition aboard a ship where you’ll start to learn the basics of movement, interacting with non-player characters, and some starter class abilities. Key World of Warcraft figures will guide you through your first steps. As you progress through Exile’s Reach, you’ll learn more about your new world and hone your skills for your chosen class, gaining familiarity with its abilities and how to interact with your inventory.
After completing Exile’s Reach, you’ll move on to experience the entirety of the Dragonflight story including Story Mode raids leading you up to level 70 and the beginning of the first chapter of the Worldsoul Saga—The War Within.
What is Story Mode?
Experience the game’s rich storytelling without the challenges of traditional raid mechanics. Story Mode opens the opportunity to follow the questline and enter the raid to enjoy the narrative at your own pace—allowing you to face the final boss in the encounter either solo or with four other friends. This mode is available in Dragonflight and The War Within raid encounters only.
You’ll level up to 80 through the story in an accelerated play-through of the expansion. Within just a few hours of playtime, this experience will take you through the complete story, beginning on the Isle of Dorn and delivering you to the broken world of K’aresh. Along the way, you’ll view key cinematics and follow the story of The War Within’s main characters.
At the end of the experience, players with the Midnight expansion can join in the continuing story of the Worldsoul Saga.
Test the Waters with a Free Trial*
Begin the journey to a world filled with wonder and boundless adventure without needing a Subscription or Game Time. All playable content is free up to level 20, including level 20 Dungeons and quests, with a Free Trial. After the initial trek through Exile’s Reach, characters on fresh accounts will be directed to Dragonflight™ content to continue to level beyond 20; however, a Subscription or Game Time is necessary.
The Free Trial is available to all players with a new or existing Battle.net account or those with a pre-existing account but inactive Subscription or Game Time.
Once you upgrade your account with a WoW Subscription or Game Time, all game content beyond level 20 and up to level 80 become available, including higher-level Dungeons, Raids, and social features like guilds, unrestricted in-game chat, and the Auction House.
More details about the World of Warcraft Free Trial, including frequently asked questions, can be read on WorldofWarcraft.Blizzard.com/start.
Getting Started
- Download the Battle.net desktop app for Windows or Mac and create your account.
- Open the Battle.net desktop app and select World of Warcraft from the menu.
- Under the Version menu, select World of Warcraft. You’ll see a second dropdown for each account if you have more than one World of Warcraft account. Select the active account you wish to play on from that column.
- Click the Install button. The progress bar will show you when the game is available to play.
- Once the installation is complete, click the Play button.
You’ll need to select the realm you want to play on from the available realm types. Make sure you pick the same one your friends play on—in World of Warcraft Classic, characters can only group with others on the same realm!
If you’re looking for a group of like-minded players, you can head to the New Guild Listings forum to begin your search. Or you can check out the new Ambassador Program to find helpful Discords communities.
Realm Types
There are several different realm types to choose from. Choose carefully, as each one has a distinct play style.
- Normal—All zones are considered contested except enemy faction cities, where players will be automatically flagged for PvP. Players won’t be able to attack each other in contested areas unless they turn on War Mode, allowing players on any realm to participate in open-world PvP with like-minded players. The toggle for War Mode can be found at the bottom of the Talents interface once a character reaches level 20. It can only be activated in a Faction or Capital City and can be deactivated at any rest location.
- RP (Role-Play)—This realm type is best for those who wish to participate in role-play with others. This realm type uses the Normal ruleset and does not have open-world PvP.
/New Player Has Joined the Chat
After creating your new character and beginning your journey into World of Warcraft for the first time, you will automatically be added to a Newcomer Chat channel, where you can talk with other new players and seek advice from experienced players on the same faction who will be your guides as you level through the new starting zone of Exile’s Reach. New players and guides will be able to recognize one another in the chat channels and by icons above their characters’ heads that only they can see. Upon reaching level 50, new players will continue the journey independently and no longer have access to the Newcomer Chat.
If you’re a veteran player and interested in guiding new players as they experience World of Warcraft for the first time, head over to Stormwind to speak with guide recruiter Celeste Periwinkle at the Stormwind Embassy or Orgrimmar to speak with guide recruiter Eyla Pathfinder at the Orgrimmar Embassy once you’ve met the following criteria:
- Have an account in good standing
- Reach level 80
- Complete 3,000 quests
If you no longer wish to be a guide, you can speak to the guide recruiter once again.
Pre-purchase Midnight from the Blizzard Shop today to join in the next chapter of our journey. Learn more about the new expansion in our information round up. Adventure is calling you home!
*Free Trial not available for WoW Classic games.
For more news all around World of Warcraft, make sure to visit our main WoW news hub.
