In its role as the most popular MMO in history, World of Warcraft has been through some significant ups and downs throughout its near-20-year history. Here, we rank every single expansion to date.
The relentless march of progression in an ever-changing landscape is a difficult path to navigate successfully, and, at times, that has shown. Conversely, there have been some incredible peaks, offering experiences to players that have scarcely been equaled in this game or any other.
The semi-recent return to the old-school formula, starting with the immensely popular release of Classic in 2019, was the first sign that the community was struggling with the mainline game. Blizzard leaned into this further with official Hardcore servers and seasonal experiences, completing the return to an old-school version of the game.
With Cataclysm Classic set to release in the middle of 2024, Dexerto is taking a look back at all nine WoW expansions so far to see which comes out on top.
Complete list of WoW expansions from worst to best
Shadowlands
Of all the World of Warcraft expansions to release so far, Shadowlands really does feel like a distant last. There were some positive ideas within it, but their execution fell miles short of anything approaching acceptable. The Covenant system seemed cool on paper but ended up being another prescriptive chore that didn’t amount to a choice when you needed to be with a specific faction to get accepted into endgame groups.
The content itself felt limited, and the story was about as convoluted as WoW has ever been, with the feel of playing a role in high-stakes, earth-shattering events almost entirely lost. The raids were deeply forgettable, and Blizzard seemed to give up rescuing the expansion around halfway through. Torghast remains a monument to missed potential in an experience utterly devoid of anything to truly love.
Warlords of Draenor
What should have been a triumphant expedition to the homeworld of the Orcs quickly turned into a nightmare when fans got their hands on Warlords of Draenor. Starting with the positives, the zones on offer were fun and varied enough during the leveling process, but from there, it became difficult to complement the expansion in any way.
WoD was the first of the objectively lousy WoW expansions, seemingly forgetting what made the game great in the first place. An insane level of importance was placed on the Garrison system, and it took precedence over the experiences that players were desperate for when a new expansion released. Of all the bad World of Warcraft chapters, this is the one that feels the most disappointing.
Battle for Azeroth
Though Battle for Azeroth will inevitably be remembered as a poor effort overall, it should be said that it improved as time passed. On launch, it was a mess, and the new zones and areas to explore felt uninspired and drab. Some solid dungeons were on offer (Freehold in particular), and some engaging new activities were available to participate in.
A lot of BfA’s poor reputation comes from its storytelling, which is a valid criticism, but the expansion was, all things considered, decent. Ny’Alotha was objectively one of the best raids in recent years and did a lot to rescue the final portion of the expansion, alongside the continuing secrets of Mechagon (flawed though it may have been).
Dragonflight
The most recent World of Warcraft expansion feels like it deserves a middling ranking in almost every area. The new central hub of Valdrakken is well put together, and the verticality of the new zones and the introduction of Dragonriding make for a combination that feels like a win in the first instance.
Both Aberrus and Amirdrassil have proved to be enjoyable raid experiences, and the Dawn of the Infinite megadungeon is a fun, well-executed alteration to the formula. That said, the story remains significantly muddied, and the game is suffering from bloat, with many things to do but not much direction as to why we’re supposed to as players.
Cataclysm
Easily the most controversial expansion release of all time, Cataclysm quite literally changed everything about the World of Warcraft. As the great dragon Deathwing burned his way across the game’s original two continents, the land that players had grown up in was irrevocably altered. At the time, this drew massive criticism, but in retrospect, it was a fair choice for a world that needed refreshing.
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Dragon Soul was a solid raid overall, sadly chiefly remembered for the immensely stupid Spine of Deathwing encounter. With Cataclysm set to return as part of the latest round of Classic offerings, those who did enjoy the vast swathes of change it brought with it will be able to jump in once again.
Mists of Pandaria
For some reason, Mists of Pandaria seems to split people in two and force them to extremes. Those who do like MoP tend to see it as one of the best expansions of all time, while others think it’s among the worst. In reality, this probably points towards it being somewhere in the middle of the pack. The change of story direction actually worked well, even if Pandarens did feel like an odd choice for a playable race.
The new zones were breathtaking at the time, and Blizzard generally did a solid job with the significant experiences. In particular, the raids proved to be a real tonic, providing spectacular and varied experiences, even if there were some issues with settings like Siege of Orgrimmar. It’s arguably one of the most stark changes of direction in WoW history, and the team behind it essentially pulled it off.
The War Within
WoW’s latest expansion has had some time to percolate and, so far, the signs are looking genuinely impressive. Delves are a spectacular addition to the game, despite the initial balancing issues, offering a great outlet for solo players and a new form of progression that sums up everything Torghast should have been. The story has been majorly refocused and the potential is finally there for a cohesive and forward thinking narrative that’s rooted in the wider lore of Azeroth and beyond.
There have been some issues with difficulty and the overall feeling around Mythic+, but the new dungeons and raid are some of the better additions in recent expansions. The emphasis on underground zones could have quickly proved repetitive, but the art team has done a remarkable job with lighting and variation, to the point where Hallowfall is one of the most beautiful areas in the game’s entire history. As the first expansion in a three part saga, there’s a long way to go, but The War Within serves as an immensely positive first step and players can be deservedly optimistic after the game’s realignment during Dragonflight.
The Burning Crusade
The first of the expansions is also one of the strongest. Blood Elves have arguably become the most iconic race in WoW despite not being playable in the game’s Vanilla version. Despite being dwarfed by later expansions, as a contemporary release, it really felt like the developer had hit the mark in almost every regard.
All of the new locations felt like they had been a part of the game from the beginning, and the raids and dungeons on offer were all vastly more ambitious than anything the player base had seen up to that point. It’s also the expansion that gave us Ashes of Al’ar, and that’s arguably the coolest mount of all time.
Legion
After the immense disappointment of Warlords of Draenor, few could have seen the tremendous successes that Legion would bring. It helps that the developer was able to fall back on an enemy as iconic as the Burning Legion, but this expansion had real strength under the hood. Each area of the Broken Shore was wildly varied, and Argus was like nothing in the game before or since.
The addition of pseudo-science fiction could have been a grave misstep, but the whole thing worked as an overall package. The story had a clear direction, while both Tomb of Sargeras and Antorus, the Burning Throne are some of the best raids ever introduced into the game. A return to a formula of the same ilk could work in correcting course as we head towards The War Within and beyond.
Wrath of the Lich King
Standing alone at the very top of the tree and in a choice that will surprise few, The Wrath of the Lich King remains the most remarkable expansion in World of Warcraft history. With the titular antagonist the promised prize at the end of the journey, every step along the way was a pleasure to take. The early days of the Death Knight were some of the most poorly balanced, but the whole thing felt fun regardless.
Northrend had its issues, but there was plenty across the ten(or so) zones to enjoy from the very start of the expansion all the way through to its last throes. It was the last of the golden eras for PvP, and the PvE scene thrived alongside it. Refreshed Naxxramas was a nice hark back to a simpler time, and Icecrown Citadel is arguably the most extraordinary raid experience ever. Simply, the best.
That’s the complete list! Though many of the expansions above are relics of a bygone era, there are more ways to play WoW than ever. With Season of Discovery a thriving take on the Classic formula, it’s a fantastic time to adventure in Azeroth.
