World of Warcraft’s The War Within Launches with Strong Storytelling and Controversial Early Access
Blizzard’s latest World of Warcraft expansion, The War Within, has officially launched, though those willing to pay for early access have been adventuring through its zones for a few days now. Early impressions are positive, with players praising the game’s new storytelling direction, richer worldbuilding, and more dynamic villains. In a shift from past expansions, The War Within aims to make much of its content accessible to solo players, even including raids.
Despite some skepticism, the early vibes on the game’s subreddit and in the community have been glowing. Players are particularly taken with The War Within’s zones, including Hallowfall, which has been lauded for its atmosphere and emotional side quests. Even the less visually appealing zones, such as the Ringing Deeps, have won over players with strong worldbuilding and clever narrative hooks.
The story, which some say has been inconsistent in recent expansions, seems to have found a new emotional depth. Long-time WoW YouTuber Preach has encouraged players to pay attention to the story for what he describes as one of the best World of Warcraft experiences ever.
However, The War Within‘s early access model has sparked controversy. Unlike Final Fantasy XIV‘s early access, which is typically granted to anyone who pre-orders the game, The War Within restricted early access to those who purchased the $90 Epic Edition—$40 more than the base game. While the extra content bundled with this edition lessens the sting for some, others argue that this decision undermines the community aspect of the game’s launch, creating unnecessary social friction and feelings of FOMO.
Despite this, the controversy surrounding early access has mostly blown over now that the expansion is fully available to everyone. Blizzard’s latest offering is off to a strong start, and players are hopeful that the studio has learned from its mistakes as the Worldsoul Saga unfolds.
