World of Warcraft (WoW) is a 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created and released by Blizzard Entertainment for Windows and macOS. The game is set in the Warcraft fantasy world on the fictional planet Azeroth, about four years after the events of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. It was first announced in 2001 and released on November 23, 2004, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft series. Since its launch, World of Warcraft has received eleven major expansion packs: The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), Warlords of Draenor (2014), Legion (2016), Battle for Azeroth (2018), Shadowlands (2020), Dragonflight (2022), The War Within (2024), and Midnight (2026). An additional expansion called The Last Titan was announced in 2023.

Inspired by other MMORPGs, such as EverQuest, World of Warcraft lets players create a character and explore an open game world in third-person or first-person views. Players can fight monsters, complete quests, and interact with non-player characters (NPCs) or other players. The game encourages teamwork for quests, dungeons, and player versus player (PvP) battles, but it can also be played alone. The game focuses on improving characters by earning experience points to level up, defeating enemies to get better equipment, and using in-game money to buy or sell items.

World of Warcraft was very successful when it was first released in 2004 and quickly became the most popular MMORPG. It reached 12 million subscribers in 2010. By 2014, the game had over 100 million registered accounts, and by 2017, it had made over $9.23 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-selling video game franchises. Gaming journalists have called it one of the greatest MMORPGs and video games of all time. The game has continued to receive updates and expansions for over 20 years. In 2019, a version of the game called World of Warcraft Classic was released, allowing players to experience the original game before any expansions were added. Later, additional content for Classic was released, including versions of some expansions.

Gameplay

In World of Warcraft, players control a character within a game world, either from a third-person or first-person view. They explore the environment, fight monsters, complete tasks called quests, and interact with other players or non-player characters (NPCs). Like other MMORPGs, players must pay a subscription fee using a credit or debit card, prepaid game cards, or in-game items called WoW Tokens. Players without a subscription can use a trial account that allows their character to reach level 20, but some features are not available.

To begin playing, players choose a server, which the game calls a "realm." Each realm is a separate copy of the game world and falls into one of two categories:

• Normal – A standard realm where the main focus is defeating monsters and completing quests. Player-versus-player (PvP) combat and roleplaying are optional.
• RP (Roleplay) – Similar to a Normal realm, but players are encouraged to act as their characters and follow roleplaying rules.

Before the "Battle for Azeroth" expansion, Normal and RP realms were split into PvE (player-versus-environment) and PvP (player-versus-player) servers. This system was later replaced by "War Mode," which lets players on any server choose whether to participate in PvP combat.

Realms are also grouped by language, and the game supports the language of the realm. Players can create new characters on any realm within their region or move existing characters between realms for a fee.

When creating a character, players choose between two factions: the Alliance or the Horde. Pandaren characters, added in the "Mists of Pandaria" expansion, do not pick a faction until after completing their starting zone. Characters from opposing factions can team up for most challenges, such as raids and dungeons. Starting in patch 10.1, characters can also join guilds from the opposite faction. Players select a race (like orcs or trolls for the Horde, or humans or dwarves for the Alliance) and a class (such as mage, warrior, or priest). Most classes are limited to specific races.

As characters grow stronger, they gain new skills and abilities. Players can choose two main professions, such as tailoring or mining, or learn three secondary skills: archaeology, cooking, and fishing. Characters can join guilds, which provide features like a shared chat channel, guild bank, and access to special items.

Many parts of the game involve completing quests. Quests are usually given by NPCs and reward players with experience points, items, or in-game money. Completing quests unlocks new abilities and areas, and helps tell the game's story through text and NPC actions. Quests are often linked in chains, where each quest leads to the next. Common tasks include killing enemies, gathering resources, finding objects, or delivering items.

While players can play alone, most challenging content requires teamwork. Characters work together in groups, with each class fulfilling specific roles. The game has a "rested bonus" system that gives extra experience points when a player returns after taking a break. If a character dies, it becomes a ghost near a graveyard and can be revived by others or by moving back to where it died. If a character is above level 10 and is revived at a graveyard, their gear weakens, requiring money and a special NPC to repair it. If the character's body is unreachable, a "spirit healer" NPC can revive them, but this causes further gear damage and a temporary weakness called "resurrection sickness."

World of Warcraft includes many ways to play against other players. On PvE servers, players can choose to enable "War Mode" to become attackable by opponents. PvP combat can happen almost anywhere except starting zones, where it must be manually activated. Special areas like battlegrounds allow free-for-all combat. Battlegrounds have specific goals, like capturing flags or defeating enemies, and reward players with items that help in other parts of the game.

World of Warcraft takes place in a 3D version of the Warcraft universe, which includes continents like Azeroth, Outland, Draenor, Northrend, and Pandaria. As players explore, they discover new areas, creatures, and stories. The game blends fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction elements, such as gryphons, dragons, steam-powered machines, and alien worlds.

Plot

Thrall's Horde aimed to settle in Durotar and invited the undead Forsaken to join the orcs, tauren, and trolls. At the same time, the dwarves, gnomes, and ancient night elves pledged their support to the Alliance, led by the human kingdom of Stormwind. After Stormwind's king, Varian Wrynn, disappeared without explanation, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon became Regent. However, his leadership was disrupted by the mind control of the black dragon Onyxia, who secretly acted as a human noblewoman. As heroes uncovered Onyxia's schemes, the ancient elemental lord Ragnaros reemerged, threatening both the Horde and Alliance. Heroes from both factions defeated Onyxia and forced Ragnaros back to the Elemental Plane.

Deep inside Blackrock Mountain, the black dragon Nefarian performed cruel experiments using the blood of other dragons. Seeking to claim the mountain for himself, Nefarian gathered the remaining Dark Horde, a rogue group that embraced the violent nature of the old Horde. These corrupted orcs, trolls, and other races fought against Ragnaros and the Dark Iron dwarves for control of the mountain. Nefarian created monstrous chromatic dragons and other strange creatures to build an army strong enough to rule Azeroth and continue the legacy of his infamous father, Deathwing the Destroyer. Heroes from the Horde and Alliance defeated Nefarian.

Years ago, in the ruined temple of Atal'Hakkar, priests of the Blood God Hakkar the Soulflayer tried to summon the god's powerful form into the world. However, the Atal'ai priesthood discovered that Hakkar could only be summoned in the ancient capital of the Gurubashi tribe, Zul'Gurub. Reborn in this jungle fortress, Hakkar took control of the Gurubashi tribe and the trolls' champions who honored their animal gods. The Soulflayer's influence was stopped when the Zandalari tribe recruited heroes and attacked Zul'Gurub.

The great desert fortress of Ahn'Qiraj, long blocked by the Scarab Wall, was home to the insect-like qiraji, a fierce race that once attacked Kalimdor. However, a far more dangerous force existed within Ahn'Qiraj: the Old God C'Thun, an ancient evil that had spread darkness across Azeroth for centuries. As C'Thun drove the qiraji to madness, both the Alliance and Horde prepared for a large battle. A combined force of Alliance and Horde soldiers, called the Might of Kalimdor, opened the gates of Ahn'Qiraj under the leadership of the orc Varok Saurfang. The heroes attacked the ruins and temples of Ahn'Qiraj and defeated C'Thun.

In his rush to spread the plague of undeath across Azeroth, the Lich King gave his powerful servant, the lich Kel'Thuzad, the flying citadel of Naxxramas as a base for the Scourge. Attacks by the Scarlet Crusade and Argent Dawn weakened Naxxramas's defenses, allowing heroes to invade and defeat Kel'Thuzad. However, a traitor in the Argent Dawn took Kel'Thuzad's cursed remains and fled to Northrend, where the fallen lich could be brought back to life.

Development

After releasing StarCraft in 1998, Blizzard started working on its next game. At first, this project was called Nomad, which was based on a tabletop game called Necromunda. This game took place in a world after a major disaster. During the first year of development, Nomad did not have a clear direction. Many Blizzard developers had become fans of EverQuest, an MMORPG released in 1999 by Verant Interactive. Interest in Nomad decreased as Blizzard discussed creating its own MMORPG based on the Warcraft series. This idea improved on parts of EverQuest that Blizzard felt were not working well. In a vote, all developers except Duane Stinnett, the lead of Nomad, supported the shift. Work on Nomad stopped by the end of 1999 as World of Warcraft began development.

World of Warcraft was first announced by Blizzard at the ECTS trade show in September 2001. The game was released in 2004 and took about 4–5 years to develop, including testing. The 3D graphics in World of Warcraft use parts of the special graphics system from Warcraft III. The game was designed to let players explore freely. Quests are not required but help guide players, develop characters, and spread players across different areas to avoid too many players meeting in the same place. The game allows players to change character appearance and controls, and to install add-ons and other modifications.

World of Warcraft runs on both Mac and Windows computers. Boxed copies use a hybrid CD to install the game, so separate Mac and Windows versions are not needed. Players can join games with others using different operating systems. Although there is no official version for other platforms, the game can be played on Linux and FreeBSD using tools like Wine and CrossOver. Blizzard has not released or announced a native Linux version. In 2011, a journalist reported that an internal Linux version might exist but is not released due to differences in Linux systems.

In the United States, Canada, and Europe, Blizzard sells World of Warcraft through retail software packages. These packages include 30 days of free gameplay. To continue playing after 30 days, players must buy additional time with a credit card or prepaid card. The minimum time that can be purchased is 30 days with a credit card or 60 days with a prepaid card. Players can also buy 3 or 6 months of gameplay at a discount. In Australia, the United States, and parts of Europe, stores sell a trial version of World of Warcraft on DVD, which includes the game and 20 levels of gameplay. After reaching level 20, players must upgrade to a retail account by providing a credit card or buying a game card and a retail copy.

In Brazil, World of Warcraft was released on December 6, 2011, through BattleNet. The first three expansions are available in Brazilian Portuguese, including voice acting.

In South Korea, players do not need a software package or CD key to activate their account. To play, they must buy time credits online. Two types of time credits are available: one based on the number of minutes played, and one based on days. Time can be purchased in 5-hour, 30-hour, 7-day, 1-month, or 3-month increments. Since software packages are not required, expansion content is available to all players on launch day.

In the initial Chinese release of World of Warcraft, players could buy hourly and daily tokens used at Internet cafes. The game was very popular in China because many players had already played it on North American and European servers.

Chinese versions of the game include changes that cover skeletons and turn dead character bodies into tidy graves. These changes were made by the regional licensee, The9, to "promote a healthy and harmonious online game environment." Despite some belief that skeletons must be censored in China, the Chinese government does not restrict such content, as it appears in other games. NetEase took over licensing from The9 in 2009 and launched Wrath of the Lich King in 2010, two years after its Western release. Due to a contract dispute, these servers were closed in 2023. In 2024, NetEase announced that World of Warcraft would return to China in the summer, with a livestream on June 27, 2024, where Blizzard outlined the release of Wrath of the Lich King for World of Warcraft Classic and The War Within expansion for Chinese players.

The World of Warcraft launcher, called the "Blizzard Launcher," is a program that starts the game and updates it. It was first included with the 1.8.3 patch. The 2.1.0 patch allowed players to skip the launcher. Features include news, updates, access to the support website, test versions of the game, Warden updates, and updater updates. The 3.0.8 patch redesigned the launcher and let players change game settings from it. The 4.0.1 patch update allows players to play the game while non-essential files are downloaded, requiring a high-speed internet connection.

Patch 1.9.3 added support for Intel-powered Macs, making World of Warcraft a universal application. This changed the minimum supported Mac OS X version to 10.3.9, and older versions are no longer supported. PowerPC Macs are not supported since version 4.0.1.

When new content is added, official system requirements may change. In version 1.12.0, Windows requirements increased from 256 MB to 512 MB of RAM. Support for Windows 98 was dropped, but the game continued to run on it until version 2.2.3. Before Mists of Pandaria in 2012, support for Windows 2000 was dropped, followed by Windows XP and Vista in 2017, and all 32-bit support.

Starting with version 4.3, players could try an experimental 64-bit version of the client, which required manual installation. Since version 5.0, the 64-bit client is automatically used by default.

Since World IPv6 Day, the client and most servers support IPv6.

Eleven expansions have been released: The Burning Crusade (January 2007); Wrath of the Lich King (November 2008); Cataclysm (December 2010); Mists of Pandaria (September 2012); Warlords of Draenor (November 2014); Legion (August 2016); Battle for Azeroth (August 2018); Shadowlands (November 2020); Dragonflight (October 2022); The War Within (November 2023); and The Last Kingdom (2024).

Reception

World of Warcraft received very good reviews when it was first released, after many people were excited about it before it came out. Even though the game uses ideas from the role-playing genre, it introduced new ways to make the game faster and more enjoyable. For example, when a character dies in the game, players do not face heavy penalties like in some other MMORPGs. Instead, they can quickly recover and continue playing. Combat was also improved by allowing all character types to heal quickly after taking damage, so players can return to fighting without long breaks. These changes helped make the game easier for casual players who play for short periods, while still offering deep gameplay for others. A feature called the "rested bonus" helped players gain experience faster, allowing them to catch up with friends who had played longer.

Quests were an important part of the game, often used to tell stories or guide players through the world. Many quests were available in each area, and players enjoyed the rewards they received for completing them. The variety of quests reduced the need for repetitive tasks, which some players called "grinding." However, some quests required players to collect items from dead creatures, which was unpopular because the chance of finding these items was low. This made the quests feel repetitive, especially if there were too many players in the same area. Some critics noted that the game had few quests that required teamwork, making it seem more suited for solo play. Others mentioned that some group quests were difficult for new players and could take a long time to finish. A few quests had technical problems when the game first released, making them impossible to complete.

Characters in the game were well-designed, with each class having unique abilities and each race looking and feeling different. Players liked the way characters could grow and develop, with choices in skills and professions. However, some felt there were not enough options for customizing a character's appearance, even though the details of the character models were praised.

The game world was highly praised for its visuals. Players could travel across large areas without seeing loading screens, and the environment was described as beautiful. Each area had a unique look that connected smoothly with others. The game ran well on many computers, though some said the graphics were simple. A visual effect called "bloom light" could sometimes blur parts of the screen. The user interface was simple and easy to use, with helpful tips for new players.

The game's audio was well-received, especially the background music. Different areas had music that matched their themes, helping players feel more immersed in the game world. The sounds and voices of characters and NPCs added personality to the game.

World of Warcraft won many awards when it was first released, including Editor's Choice awards. It was also named the best game in the role-playing and MMORPG genres by several media outlets. The game's graphics and music were praised, and it won the Best Mac OS X Entertainment Product award at the 2005 Apple Design Awards. Computer Games Magazine called it the best computer game of 2004 and gave it awards for art direction, music, and interface design.

At the 2005 Spike TV Video Game Awards, the game won Best PC Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Best RPG, and Most Addictive Game. It also received the "Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year" award at the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. In 2008, it was honored at the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing MMORPG games. GameSpot named it the best massively multiplayer game of 2004, and Game Informer ranked it 11th on its list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time" in 2009. In 2015, it was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

World of Warcraft was the best-selling PC game in 2005 and 2006. In the United States, it sold 1.4 million copies ($68.1 million) by August 2006. By January 2008, it had more than 10 million subscribers worldwide, with over 2 million in Europe, 2.5 million in North America, and 5.5 million in Asia. At its peak in 2010, the game had 12 million subscribers. As of November 2014, it had over 10 million active subscribers. In 2014, Blizzard announced that 100 million accounts had been created for the game. By 2015, active subscriptions had dropped to 5.6 million.

In China, the game was temporarily shut down in 2009, which could have affected Activision Blizzard's earnings. At one point, the game held 62% of the MMORPG subscription market. It has earned $9.23 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing video games ever. In 2012, Blizzard started tournaments for World of Warcraft and StarCraft II.

Security concerns

In September 2006, reports appeared about fake World of Warcraft game advice websites that contained harmful software. These websites infected computers through web browsers, downloading a program that sent account information back to attackers. Blizzard's support teams had many requests during this time, as many users were affected. Some claimed that phone support was temporarily closed because of the large number of calls and long wait times. In April 2007, attacks changed to use new methods involving animated cursors, with several websites involved. A security research group called Symantec reported that a stolen World of Warcraft account was worth US$10 on the black market, compared to US$6 to US$12 for a stolen computer (as of March 2007). In February 2008, phishing emails were sent to users, asking them to confirm their account details using a fake version of the World of Warcraft account management page. In June 2008, Blizzard introduced the Blizzard Authenticator, a security tool that can be used as a hardware device or mobile app. This tool provides two-step security by generating a one-time password that players enter when logging in. The password, used with the user's own password, is only valid for a few minutes, making it harder for keylogging malware to steal information.

Blizzard uses a system called Warden on the Windows version of the game to find third-party programs, such as botting software, that allow the game to be played without active user input. There has been debate about whether Warden is legal. Warden uses methods similar to anti-virus software to check other programs running on players' computers and their file systems. However, unlike most anti-virus software, it sends some of this information back to Blizzard, which some privacy advocates called spyware. For example, Warden collects the titles of all open windows on a computer while the game is running. Some gamers supported Warden, saying they approved of the technology if it reduced cheating. Blizzard's use of Warden was explained in the Terms of Agreement (TOA).

The existence of Warden was mentioned in March 2008 during a legal case against MDY Industries. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Arizona and included Michael Donnelly as a defendant. Donnelly was part of the case because he created MMO Glider, a program that automatically performs tasks in the game. Blizzard claimed the software violated its copyright and software license agreement, stating that "Glider use harms the World of Warcraft experience for other players by changing the game's balance, disrupting the social and immersive parts of the game, and weakening the in-game economy." Donnelly said he sold 100,000 copies of the $25 software.

On July 6, 2010, Blizzard Entertainment announced that user accounts on its game forums would show real names linked to those accounts. This change followed an agreement with Facebook to allow users who become friends on Facebook to share their real identities (called Real ID by Blizzard). Adding Real ID to the forums caused concerns among fans of Blizzard's games.

In response to these concerns, Blizzard released a new statement on July 9, 2010, saying the Real ID feature would no longer be added to the official forums.

Community and study of player interaction

World of Warcraft players often engage in the virtual community in creative ways, such as creating fan artwork or telling stories in a comic strip style. They also play the game and discuss it on forums provided by Blizzard.

In January 2006, Blizzard faced criticism for banning guilds that promoted sexual orientation preferences. This happened after some players were accused of harassment for supporting a group that promoted a gay-straight alliance. Later, Blizzard changed its decision and stopped warning players about LGBT-friendly guilds.

In October 2010, World of Warcraft had over 12 million players. By May 2011, the number had dropped by 10%, from 11.4 million to 10.3 million. Blizzard's CEO said the drop might be due to fewer players in Eastern markets. In 2012, a senior producer mentioned that the drop could also be linked to the release of BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic.

World of Warcraft has been studied by academics because of its popularity and long history. Early studies focused on how players work together, especially in groups called guilds. Researchers from fields like game studies, anthropology, psychology, and communications did much of this work. One well-known study is Bonnie Nardi's My Life as a Night Elf Priest. Over time, other fields like economics, design, and philosophy also began studying the game.

Like other online games, some companies sell virtual gold and services. This is called gold farming. In 2004, U.S. players faced competition from Chinese players who were paid to collect in-game resources to sell. The game did not have translation features, so English-speaking and non-English-speaking players had little communication. Lisa Nakamura, a media scholar, noted that gold farming and certain play styles were often linked to Chinese players, leading to racial stereotypes in the game.

After Blizzard offered free trial accounts, players saw more spam from bots. A study found that this was common in European game areas, where gold was 14 times more expensive than in the U.S. To address this, Blizzard added features like whisper throttling and a spam report function. Trial accounts cannot use public chat, trade, or the Auction House.

In May 2007, Blizzard sued a company called in Game Dollar LLC for advertising services in the game. In February 2008, the company agreed to stop using the game's chat to advertise. In June 2007, a player named Antonio Hernandez filed a lawsuit against IGE for interfering with the game's intended use.

As players advance, some rewards can't be traded, leading to a market for selling accounts with strong characters. The highest recorded sale was £5,000 in 2007 for a character with rare items. However, Blizzard banned the account five days later.

Buying or selling gold has caused controversy. In 2008, Blizzard reported that many gold sales came from hacked accounts. Players who bought leveling services often found their accounts hacked later. In 2015, Blizzard introduced a way to sell in-game gold for real money, allowing players to buy tokens for $20 that could be sold for gold.

In December 2015, Blizzard sold a battle pet named Brightpaw for $10, raising over $1.7 million for Make-A-Wish. In 2016, they sold Mischief for $10, raising $2.5 million. In 2

Legacy

World of Warcraft changed how MMORPG games were made. Its ideas were not completely new, but together they created a model for the genre that focused more on fun and variety than on realism. The game had a mix of serious stories and well-developed characters, but the main goal was to entertain. Players gained experience by completing quests, which made the game feel like a list of tasks to complete. This encouraged players to move around the game world instead of staying in one place for long. The use of instanced dungeons allowed groups to play together without interfering with other players, so different areas of the game had different purposes, such as places for group challenges, large challenges, and leveling up. World of Warcraft's original talent system, which let players choose upgrades for their characters, was later used in other games like Star Wars: The Old Republic. The game also created a clear structure for "raid" activities, where players needed to work together using specific strategies. These strategies led to new gameplay features that were later added to the game.

Although not the first MMORPG to make players spend hundreds of hours, World of Warcraft was the most successful one during its time. A 2019 article by Vice said, "Most people know someone who said they were 'addicted' to World of Warcraft." For some players, the game became a major part of their lives, taking priority over basic needs and relationships. The game's many quests gave some players a sense of purpose or a way to cope with feelings of emptiness, even though spending so much time playing did not improve their happiness. The game inspired a group called Wowaholics Anonymous, which helps players who want to stop playing. It also gave some players hope and helped them form real-life relationships.

The first restaurant based on World of Warcraft opened in Beijing in 2008. In 2011, an amusement park called World Joyland Play Valley, inspired by the game, opened in China.

Before working at Breitbart News and joining the Trump campaign and administration, Steve Bannon connected with World of Warcraft players. He was involved with Internet Gaming Entertainment, a company that employed "gold farmers" who sold in-game currency for real money. This experience introduced him to a group of players he described as "rootless, white males" with "monster power," even before the rise of Reddit. He later helped build Breitbart into a far-right news and entertainment website by hiring Milo Yiannopoulos to target disaffected gamers.

Vitalik Buterin, who later co-founded the cryptocurrency Ethereum, was inspired to work on decentralized technologies after a 2010 game update changed his character's preferred spell. Requests from World of Warcraft players also led Microsoft to change how hotkeys work in their Windows operating system.

To celebrate the game's 20th anniversary in 2024, Blizzard partnered with the University of Washington, temporarily renaming the university's college football team "University of Warcraft."

World of Warcraft has inspired artists to create satirical works and recognize its influence in popular culture. One example is the Emmy Award-winning South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft." The game has also been used to advertise unrelated products, such as Toyota trucks.

In late 2007, television commercials for the game began airing with pop culture celebrities like Mr. T, William Shatner, and Verne Troyer discussing the strengths of the character classes they play. Similar ads were made in Spanish with Guillermo Toledo and in French with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Additional ads featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Van Zandt aired in 2008, and another ad with Chuck Norris, playing on the "Chuck Norris facts" internet trend, began in 2011.

World of Warcraft has inspired three board games: World of Warcraft: The Board Game (including expansions), World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game, and a version of Trivial Pursuit. There is also a trading card game and a collectible miniatures game, both now produced by Cryptozoic Entertainment. In 2012, Megabloks released a line of building block toys based on the game. In 2014, Hearthstone, a free-to-play digital card game based on the Warcraft universe, was released.

In 2007, DC Comics published the first issue of a World of Warcraft comic under their WildStorm imprint.

In 2015, Blizzard released Heroes of the Storm, a crossover multiplayer online battle arena game where players can control characters from the Warcraft universe, such as Arthas, Gul'dan, and Sylvanas. The game includes a battleground named Alterac Pass and features Warcraft-themed skins during events like "Echoes of Alterac." Soundtracks from World of Warcraft, such as "Obsidian Sanctum" and "Stormwind theme," are used in the game.

To celebrate Hearthstone's release, Blizzard gave players a special mount called Hearthsteed, which can be earned by winning three games in Arena or Play mode. This promotion encouraged World of Warcraft players to try Hearthstone and marked the first major crossover between Blizzard games.

Players who buy the Warlords of Draenor Collector's or Digital Deluxe Edition of World of Warcraft receive an Orc-themed card back in Hearthstone. Heroes of the Storm players who reach level 20 earn the Grave Golem battle pet in World of Warcraft, and World of Warcraft players who reach level 100 earn the Ironside Dire Wolf mount in Heroes of the Storm. Starting in March 2016, players who level a character to 20 in World of Warcraft (using the free starter edition) earn the alternate Paladin hero Lady Liadrin in Hearthstone.

Players who buy Overwatch Origins, Game of the Year, or Collector's Edition receive the Baby Winston battle pet in World of Warcraft.