World of Warcraft (WoW) is a 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by Blizzard Entertainment for Windows and macOS. The game is set in the Warcraft fantasy universe 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, the game 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, The Last Titan, was announced in 2023.

Inspired by other MMORPGs like EverQuest, World of Warcraft lets players create a character and explore an open game world from a third- or first-person view. 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. Players gain experience points to level up their characters, earn better equipment by defeating enemies, and use in-game money to buy or sell items.

World of Warcraft became a major success when it was first released in 2004 and quickly became the most popular MMORPG. It reached a high of 12 million players in 2010. By 2014, the game had over 100 million registered accounts, and by 2017, it had earned more than $9.23 billion in revenue, making it one of the most profitable video game franchises. The game is often called the greatest MMORPG and one of the greatest video games of all time. It has continued to receive updates and expansion packs for over 20 years. In 2019, a version of the original game called World of Warcraft Classic was released, allowing players to experience the game as it was before any expansions. Later, some expansion content was added to the Classic version.

Gameplay

In World of Warcraft, players control a character, called an avatar, in a game world. They can see the world from a third-person view (like watching a movie) or a first-person view (like looking through the character's eyes). Players explore the game world, fight monsters, complete tasks called quests, and interact with other players or non-player characters (NPCs). Like other online games, players must pay to play World of Warcraft. They can use a credit or debit card, a prepaid Blizzard card, or a game token bought inside the game. Players without a subscription can try the game for free, but their character can only reach level 20, and some features are not available.

To start playing, players choose a server, called a "realm" in the game. Each realm is a separate copy of the game world and falls into one of two types:

• Normal – A regular realm where the main focus is on defeating monsters and completing quests. Player-versus-player (PvP) battles and roleplaying are optional.
• RP (Roleplay) – A realm where players act as their characters, following the game's story and rules more strictly.

Before the game's seventh expansion, "Battle for Azeroth," Normal and RP realms were divided into PvE (player versus environment) and PvP (player versus player) servers. This division was removed after the "War Mode" feature was added. War Mode lets players aged 20 or older choose whether they want to fight other players by enabling it in two major cities.

Realms are also grouped by language, and the game supports the language of the realm. Players can create new characters on any realm in their region, and they can move existing characters to a different realm for a fee.

When creating a new character, players choose between two groups, the Alliance or the Horde. Pandaren, added later, do not pick a group until after completing their starting area. Characters from different groups can team up for most challenges, like raids and dungeons. As of a recent update, characters can also join guilds from the opposite group. Players select a race (like orcs or trolls for the Horde, or humans or dwarves for the Alliance) and a class (like mages, warriors, or priests). Most classes are limited to specific races.

As characters grow stronger, they learn new skills and abilities. Players can choose two main professions, such as tailoring or mining, and learn three secondary skills, like cooking or fishing. Characters can join guilds, which allow group communication, shared resources, and special features like a guild bank or repairs.

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. Quests help characters gain new abilities and access new areas. They also tell parts of the game's story through text and NPC actions. Quests are linked in chains, where each quest starts after the previous one is completed. Common tasks include killing enemies, gathering resources, finding hidden objects, or delivering items.

Players can play alone, but many challenges require teamwork. End-game content is designed to be completed in groups, with each class having a specific role. The game has a "rested bonus" system, which gives more experience points when a player returns after taking a break. If a character dies, they become a ghost near a graveyard and can be revived by others or by moving back to where they died. If a character is above level 10 and is revived at a graveyard, their items lose some strength and need money and a special NPC to fix. If the character's body is unreachable, a "spirit healer" NPC can revive them, but their items lose more strength, and they become weaker for up to 10 minutes.

World of Warcraft includes many ways to play against other players. On PvE servers, players can choose to enable "War Mode," making them attackable by players from the opposite group. PvP can happen almost anywhere except starting zones, where players must enable the "PvP flag." Special areas, like battlegrounds, allow free-for-all combat. Battlegrounds have goals, like capturing flags or defeating enemies, and reward players with items and points. Winning gives more rewards than losing. Players also earn points for killing enemies in these areas.

Some challenges require groups to complete them, like dungeons (called "instances"). Each group has its own copy of the dungeon, with its own enemies and rewards. This prevents other groups from interfering. Dungeons are spread across the game world and are designed for players of different skill levels. A typical dungeon allows up to five players, while some require larger groups called "raids" with up to 40 players to face tough challenges.

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, Bolvar was controlled by magic from the black dragon Onyxia, who disguised herself as a human noblewoman. As heroes uncovered Onyxia's actions, the ancient elemental lord Ragnaros returned, threatening both the Horde and Alliance. Heroes from both sides defeated Onyxia and sent Ragnaros back to the Elemental Plane.

In Blackrock Mountain, the black dragon Nefarian performed dangerous experiments using the blood of other dragons. Determined to claim the mountain for himself, Nefarian gathered the remaining Dark Horde, a 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 mutated chromatic dragons and other strange creatures to build an army strong enough to control Azeroth and continue the legacy of his 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 trolls who worshipped animal gods. The Soulflayer's influence was stopped when the Zandalari tribe recruited heroes and attacked Zul'Gurub.

The desert fortress of Ahn'Qiraj, long sealed behind the Scarab Wall, was home to the qiraji, a fierce race that once attacked Kalimdor. However, the Old God C'Thun, a powerful and evil entity that has existed since ancient times, was hidden within Ahn'Qiraj. C'Thun caused the qiraji to become violent, prompting the Alliance and Horde to prepare for war. 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 fortress and defeated C'Thun.

In his rush to spread the plague of undeath across Azeroth, the Lich King gave his servant 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 enter 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, inspired by the tabletop game Necromunda, which was set in a post-apocalyptic world. During the first year of development, Nomad lacked a clear direction. At the same time, many Blizzard developers became fans of EverQuest, an MMORPG released in 1999 by Verant Interactive. Interest in Nomad decreased as Blizzard discussed creating their own MMORPG based on the Warcraft series and improving parts of EverQuest that they felt were not working well. In a vote, all developers except Duane Stinnett, the Nomad project lead, supported shifting focus to the Warcraft-based MMORPG. By the end of 1999, work on Nomad stopped, and 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 extensive testing. The 3D graphics in World of Warcraft use elements from the special graphics system originally used in Warcraft III. The game was designed to allow players freedom to explore and choose their own paths. Quests are optional and were created to help guide players, support character growth, and spread players across different areas to avoid what developers called "player collision." The game interface lets players customize their appearance, controls, and install add-ons or other modifications.

World of Warcraft runs on both Mac and Windows computers. Boxed versions of the game use a single CD that works for both operating systems, eliminating the need for separate Mac and Windows retail copies. The game allows all users to play together, regardless of their computer type. While there is no official version for other platforms, the game can be played on Linux and FreeBSD using tools like Wine and CrossOver. Although Blizzard has not released a native Linux version, a report in 2011 suggested an internal Linux client might exist but was not released due to challenges with the Linux ecosystem.

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 the initial 30 days, players must purchase additional time using a credit card or prepaid game card. The minimum time players can buy is 30 days with a credit card or 60 days with a prepaid card. Players can also buy three or six months of gameplay at once for a 6–15% discount. In Australia, the United States, and parts of Europe, stores often 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 fully translated Brazilian Portuguese, including voice acting.

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

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

Chinese versions of the game include changes, such as replacing bare skeletons with flesh and turning dead character corpses into tidy graves. These changes, made by the regional licensee The9, aimed to "promote a healthy and harmonious online game environment." Despite some belief that skeletons must be censored in China, the Chinese government does not ban such elements, as they appear in other games. NetEase took over licensing from The9 in 2009 and launched Wrath of the Lich King in August 2010, nearly two years after its Western release. Due to a contract dispute, these servers were closed on January 23, 2023. In April 2024, NetEase announced that World of Warcraft would return to China in the summer of 2024. A livestream on June 27, 2024, confirmed 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, also called the "Blizzard Launcher," is a program that helps players start the game and update it. It was first included with version 1.8.3. Version 2.1.0 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. Version 3.0.8 redesigned the launcher and added the ability to change game settings from the launcher. The 4.0.1 update lets players 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; 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, the Windows requirement for RAM increased from 256 MB to 512 MB. Support for Windows 98 was dropped, though 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 October 2017, and all 32-bit support was removed.

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

Since World IPv6 Day, the game 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

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 more continuous. For example, when a character dies, players can quickly recover and continue playing, unlike some older games where dying had a big penalty. Combat was also improved by reducing pauses between battles. All character types can heal quickly, letting players return to fighting without long breaks. Reviewers believed these changes made the game easier for casual players who play for short periods, while still offering deep gameplay for more serious players. A feature called the "rested bonus," which lets players gain experience faster, was also praised for helping players catch up with friends.

Quests were an important part of the game, often used to continue storylines or guide players through the world. Many quests were available in each area, and the rewards for completing them were popular. Players appreciated that the variety of quests reduced the need to do repetitive tasks, called "grinding." However, some quests required collecting items from creature corpses, which were hard to find because of a low "drop rate." This made these quests feel repetitive, especially when many players were in the same area. Some critics said the lack of quests that required teamwork made the game feel more suited for solo play. Others noted that some group quests were difficult for new players and could take hours to complete. A few quests had software bugs that made them impossible to finish when the game first launched.

Characters were well-designed, with each class having unique abilities and each race looking and feeling different. Players liked the character development system, which gave choices through a talent mechanism and praised the variety of profession options. While customization options were limited, the detailed character models were appreciated.

The game world was praised for its visuals. Players could travel across continents without encountering loading screens, which are pauses while the game loads data. The environment was described as "breathtaking," with each area having a distinct look that blended smoothly into the next. Critics called it a mix of cartoon, fantasy art, and realism. The game ran smoothly on many computer systems, though some said the graphics were basic. The bloom light effect, which can blur parts of the screen, was noted as a minor issue. The user interface was simple and easy to use, with helpful tooltips for new players.

The game's audio was well-received, especially the background music. Reviewers felt that music assigned to different areas added to the game's immersive experience and increased replay value. The sounds and voices of characters and NPCs, along with other sound effects, were praised for giving the game a sense of personality.

World of Warcraft won several awards upon release, including Editor's Choice awards. It was also named the best game in the role-playing and MMORPG genres by media outlets. The game's graphics and audio were highlighted in annual awards, with its cartoonish style and sound design being noted. It won Best Mac OS X Entertainment Product at the 2005 Apple Design Awards. Computer Games Magazine named it the best computer game of 2004 and gave it awards for art direction, original music, and interface design.

At the 2005 Spike TV Video Game Awards, World of Warcraft won Best PC Game, Best Multiplayer Game, Best RPG, and Most Addictive Game. During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, it was named "Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year" and was nominated for "Computer Game of the Year" and "Game of the Year." In 2008, it was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing MMORPGs. GameSpot named it the best massively multiplayer game of 2004 and nominated it for "Best Graphics, Artistic." In 2009, Game Informer ranked it 11th on its list of "The Top 200 Games of All Time." In 2015, it placed 3rd on USgamer's list of "The 15 Best Games Since 2000" and 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, making it the third best-selling computer game between 2000 and 2006. By January 2008, it had over 10 million subscribers worldwide, with 2 million in Europe, 2.5 million in North America, and 5.5 million in Asia. At its peak in October 2010, it had 12 million subscribers. As of November 2014, it had over 10 million active subscribers. On January 28, 2014, Blizzard announced that 100 million accounts had been created for the game. By May 2015, it had 7.1 million active subscriptions, but by September 2015, that number dropped to 5.5 million, the lowest since 2005.

In China, World of Warcraft was shut down in 2009 after being ordered to stop charging players. This was expected to reduce Activision Blizzard's earnings. In 2008, 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 of all time. In 2012, Blizzard started tournaments for World of Warcraft and StarCraft II, called the Battle.net World Championship Series.

Security concerns

In September 2006, reports appeared about fake websites that looked like real World of Warcraft game advice sites but contained harmful software. These websites infected computers through web browsers, downloading a program that sent account information back to the attackers. Blizzard’s support teams had to help many users who were affected. Some reports said telephone support was temporarily closed because of the large number of calls. In April 2007, attacks changed to use animated cursors, with multiple websites involved. A security research group called Symantec reported that a stolen World of Warcraft account was worth $10 on the black market, compared to $6 to $12 for a stolen computer (as of March 2007). In February 2008, phishing emails were sent to users, asking them to verify their account details on fake World of Warcraft login pages. In June 2008, Blizzard introduced the Blizzard Authenticator, a security tool that works as a hardware token or mobile app. This tool provides two-factor authentication by generating a temporary password that users enter when logging in. The password, used with the user’s regular password, is only valid for a few minutes, making it harder for keylogging malware to steal information.

Blizzard uses a system called Warden in the Windows version of the game to detect third-party programs, such as botting software, that allow players to automate tasks. This helps ensure the game is played by humans. Some people questioned whether Warden was legal. Warden uses methods similar to antivirus software to check other programs and files on players’ computers. However, unlike most antivirus software, it sends some information back to Blizzard, which led some to call it spyware. For example, Warden collects the titles of all open windows on a computer while the game is running. Many gamers supported Warden if it helped reduce cheating. Blizzard’s use of Warden was outlined in the Terms of Agreement (TOA).

The existence of Warden was revealed in March 2008 during a legal case against MDY Industries. The lawsuit, filed in Arizona federal court, also named Michael Donnelly as a defendant. Donnelly created MMO Glider, a program that automatically performs tasks in the game. Blizzard claimed the software violated its copyright and license agreement, saying it harmed the game experience for other players by unfair advantages, disrupting the game’s balance and economy. Donnelly claimed he sold 100,000 copies of the $25 software.

On July 6, 2010, Blizzard announced that users’ accounts on its game forums would display their real names. This change followed an agreement with Facebook to let users share their real identities (called Real ID by Blizzard) with friends. The feature raised concerns among fans of Blizzard’s games. In response, Blizzard canceled the Real ID integration on July 9, 2010, after receiving feedback.

Community and study of player interaction

In addition to playing the game and using discussion forums provided by Blizzard, World of Warcraft players often join the virtual community by creating fan artwork or telling stories in comic strip style.

Blizzard faced criticism in January 2006 for banning guilds from advertising preferences about sexual orientation. This happened after some players were warned for "harassment" after supporting a group that promoted a gay-straight alliance. Later, Blizzard changed its decision and stopped giving warnings to players who promoted groups friendly to the LGBT community.

On October 7, 2010, World of Warcraft had more than 12 million players. By May 2011, the number of players had dropped by 10%, from 11.4 million to 10.3 million. Blizzard’s CEO, Mike Morhaime, said the drop was likely because of fewer players in Eastern markets. In 2012, senior producer John Lagrave told Eurogamer that the decline might 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 research focused on how players work together, especially in groups called guilds, and was led by researchers in fields like game studies, anthropology, psychology, and communications. One well-known study is My Life as a Night Elf Priest by Bonnie Nardi. Over time, researchers from other areas, such as economics, design, and philosophy, also began studying the game.

Like other MMORPGs, companies have sold virtual gold and in-game items for real money. This practice, called gold farming, caused problems when U.S. players competed with Chinese players who were paid to generate resources to sell online. The game did not support translations for in-game chat, so English-speaking and non-English-speaking players rarely communicated. Media scholar Lisa Nakamura wrote that gold farming and certain play styles were sometimes unfairly linked to Chinese players, leading to online racism.

After Blizzard offered free trial accounts, players noticed more spam from bots advertising services. A study found that spam was especially common on European servers, where gold cost 14 times more than on U.S. servers.

In patch 2.1, Blizzard added new tools to stop spam, such as limiting private messages and letting players report spam. Trial accounts could not use public chat, trade items, or access the Auction House or mail system.

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 promote its services. In June 2007, a player named Antonio Hernandez filed a lawsuit against IGE for interfering with the game’s intended use.

As players in World of Warcraft complete difficult challenges, some rewards are tied to their characters and cannot be traded. This created a market for selling accounts with powerful characters. The most expensive account trade was for £5,000 in September 2007. The high price was because the character had rare items that few players owned. However, Blizzard banned the account five days after the sale.

Buying or selling gold in the game has caused controversy. In February 2008, Blizzard warned that most gold sold came from hacked accounts. Players who paid for leveling services often found their accounts stolen, with items sold for virtual gold. Some companies used harmful hacks that slowed the game. In April 2015, Blizzard added a feature allowing players to spend $20 on a one-month "game time token" that could be sold for in-game gold.

In December 2015, Blizzard sold a battle pet named Brightpaw for $10, with all money going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This raised over $1.7 million. In December 2016, a battle pet named Mischief raised $2.5 million for the same cause. In September 2017, a battle pet named Shadow the fox raised money for the Red Cross to help with disaster relief.

The Corrupted Blood plague was one of the first events to affect all servers. Patch 1.7 introduced Zul’Gurub, a 20-player raid dungeon where players fought trolls. After defeating the final boss, players were infected with a debuff called "Corrupted Blood," which damaged their health. The disease spread to other players simply by being near infected players.

The plague escaped the dungeon through hunter pets or warlock minions that carried it. Within hours, major cities were infected because of large crowds of players. Low-level players died quickly from the disease. Blizzard fixed the issue by preventing the plague from leaving Zul’Gurub.

The Corrupted Blood plague closely resembled real-world disease outbreaks. Scientists are studying how games like World of Warcraft can model human behavior during epidemics. Players’ reactions to the plague helped researchers better understand how diseases spread in real life.

Legacy

World of Warcraft changed how MMORPG games are designed. While some of its ideas were not completely new, together they created a model for the genre that focused more on fun and variety than on realistic simulations. The game’s world had serious stories and well-developed characters, but its main goal was to entertain. Players earned experience points by completing quests, which made gameplay feel like a list of tasks and encouraged players to move around the game world instead of staying in one place for long. The use of instanced dungeons allowed groups of players to play together without being interrupted by others, helping to separate areas of the game for different types of activities, such as group challenges, large battles, and leveling up. The game’s original talent system, which let players choose upgrades, was later used in other games like Star Wars: The Old Republic. World of Warcraft also created a structured way for players to work together in "raid" events, where specific strategies were needed. These strategies led to new features being added to the game over time.

Although it was not the first MMORPG to keep players engaged for hundreds of hours, World of Warcraft was the most successful game of its time. In 2019, Vice wrote that many people knew someone who said they were "addicted" to the game. For some players, the game became a major focus 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 real-life happiness. The game also inspired a support group called Wowaholics Anonymous, which helps players who want to stop playing. For others, the game provided a way to connect with others, including forming real-life relationships.

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

Before working at Breitbart News and joining the Trump campaign, Steve Bannon found a group of supporters among World of Warcraft players. He was involved with a company that employed "gold farmers" who sold in-game currency for real money, which introduced him to a group of players he described as "rootless, white males" with "monster power." This experience influenced his later work with Breitbart, which became a far-right news and entertainment website.

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

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the game’s release 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, featuring celebrities like Mr. T, William Shatner, and Verne Troyer discussing the strengths of different character classes. Similar commercials were made in Spain and France, featuring Guillermo Toledo and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Additional commercials later included Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Van Zandt in 2008 and Chuck Norris in 2011, using the "Chuck Norris facts" internet trend.

World of Warcraft has inspired three board games: World of Warcraft: The Board Game (with 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 building block toys based on the game. In 2014, Hearthstone was launched as a free-to-play digital card game inspired by the Warcraft universe.

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 multiplayer 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 has introduced Warcraft-themed items in events like "Echoes of Alterac." Music from World of Warcraft, such as the "Obsidian Sanctum" and "Stormwind" themes, is used in the game.

To celebrate Hearthstone’s release, Blizzard gave players a special mount called Hearthsteed, which could be earned by winning three games in certain modes. This promotion encouraged players to try Hearthstone and marked the first major crossover between Blizzard games.

Players who bought certain editions of Warlords of Draenor received an Orc-themed card back in Hearthstone. Heroes of the Storm players who reached level 20 earned a battle pet in World of Warcraft, and players who reached level 100 in World of Warcraft earned a mount in Heroes of the Storm. In 2016, players who leveled a character to level 20 in World of Warcraft (using the free starter edition) earned an alternate hero named Lady Liadrin in Hearthstone.

Players who purchased certain editions of Overwatch received a Baby Winston battle pet in World of Warcraft.