World of Warcraft: The best expansion to level through

World of Warcraft Shadowlands logo with text stating 'which expansion to level through'Blizzard Entertainment

With World of Warcraft: Shadowlands finally released and peeling back the veil on what lies beyond, players new and old are heading back to the MMORPG. We’ve compiled a list of our recommendations for the expansion pack to level through, depending on your personal needs.

At the beginning of October, fans were shocked when Blizzard announced that the newest expansion, Shadowlands, was to be delayed. Citing reasons as the need for “additional polish, and to balance and iterate on some interlocking pieces,” content creator Asmongold stated that this was ultimately a positive outcome.

Article continues after ad

One of the new, upcoming features of Shadowlands is Chromie Time. This is a way for players to pick which expansion pack they want to level through. For new players, Battle for Azeroth is the only option.

world of warcraft shadowlandsBlizzard Entertainment
Shadowlands is now set to release for fans on November 23, 2020.

For any further alts created, however, or for veteran players looking for a shake-up of the level experience, utilizing Chromie Time will allow you to experience past expansions of the World of Warcraft lore.

So, which expansion pack should you level in? We’ve compiled our top picks to help you choose, depending upon what it is that you’re looking for.

Article continues after ad

Warlords of Draenor

Looking to hit level-cap quickly? You’ll most likely want to utilize Warlords of Draenor.

Mainly due to this expansion’s addition of ‘Bonus Ojectives’ in each zone, Wowhead reports that with the changes in Shadowlands, players can expect to hit max level in an astonishing 12 hours.

Player character fighting an enemy in Warlords of DraenorBlizzard Entertainment
Will Warlords of Draenor be your expansion of choice for Chromie Time?

Reddit user AGoodChoice0 created a post back on October 19, stating that the “system of ‘level through whichever expansion you want” is the best thing to happen to WoW in a very long time.”

Article continues after ad

The post gained over 4,300 upvotes. Reddit user Trevorjrt6 stated that they hit level-cap in only 2 and a half zones of WoD, which is quite impressive.

Wrath of The Lich King

Chromie atop an hourglass in the Orgrimmar EmbassyBlizzard Entertainment
Visit Chromie at the embassy in Ogrimmar or Stormwind to choose what expansion to level through.

For those who are looking for a slower-paced, more immersive approach to their leveling experience, or those fresh off of leveling their first character through Battle for Azeroth, Wrath might be the perfect choice for you.

Taking much longer to hit max-level at Wowhead’s report of 24 hours, you will get swept up in the story of this fantastic expansion.

Article continues after ad

Players will experience a much darker story than the aforementioned Battle for Azeroth. It’s objectively one of the best stories World of Warcraft has seen.

The expansion takes players on a trip to Northrend. It’s described as, “The tragic fall of Arthas Menethil and his ascension to the throne as the Lich King is a moment in history that has permanently left a lingering scar across all of Azeroth.”


So, those are our recommended choices for what would be the best to play during Shadowlands’ 10-50 leveling experience. It will be interesting to see if these recommendations change over time. If they do, we will be sure to update you.

Article continues after ad