Warcraft is a cult MMORPG game with millions of fans and players around the world. Its first expansion — The Burning Crusade — was released in 2007 and introduced the iconic new world of Outland and memorable antagonists — Illidan Stormrage and Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider. After The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King (WotLK) went live and made the game one of the most popular MMORPG games of our time.
World of Warcraft has become more than just a hobby for many. Nowadays, there are many WoW boosting platforms where professional players make money by helping other players get the best items, mounts, achievements, etc. After WotLK, the popularity of WoW, as well as the MMORPG genre as a whole, began to decline. But Blizzard did not despair and regularly released new expansions in the hope of reviving the game's former popularity. So let’s take a look at how IMDb rated each addition and what was prominent there.
#10 — Shadowlands (6.4)
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands initially sold well and was genuinely thrilling. However, there was one small issue with Shadowlands — it failed to bring any compelling upgrades to the broader game. The expansion didn't feel all that different from its forerunner, Battle for Azeroth. Moreover, the expansion felt overly long.
For new fans, the expansion wasn't too bad. It introduced the game to those who have never played it and piqued fan's interest with its gameplay. The zones are likewise well-designed, with a mix of inspiration from gothic horror and traditional fantasy ideas of heaven and hell.
#9 — Battle For Azeroth (7.0)
Battle For Azeroth became successful largely due to the new implementation of the main idea of the game — the confrontation between the Horde and the Alliance. The expansion also introduces new allied races that have been well thought out and added something fresh to the game's story. The final content, including dungeons, raids, and Warfronts, was also praised for its fun and variety. However, the expansion was not without its flaws, and some players criticized the lack of new abilities or talents for classes once they reached level 120. They needed to farm a lot in order to make their characters stronger. Overall, Battle for Azeroth received “generally favorable” reviews, according to IMDb.
#8 — Warlords Of Draenor (7.3)
A far higher rating of 7.3 was given by IMDb to the fifth expansion, Warlords of Draenor. The creators of this extension did a great job of making the orcs seem like a real menace while also inviting players' memories. This expansion introduced the world of Draenor, where Garrosh Hellscream gets back to wreak havoc by traveling through time, along with the return of the Burning Legion.
A standout feature in Warlords of Draenor was the creation of garrisons. This gave players the ability to assemble a diverse group of followers and send them on missions to earn rewards such as resources, new equipment, and mounts. Another cool feature that made the player feel like an Alliance or Horde general was the ability to construct buildings in a manner akin to the classic Real-Time Strategy games.
#7 — Mists Of Pandaria (7.5)
Mists of Pandaria is the fourth World of Warcraft expansion where a new race — Pandaren and a new class — Monk — were introduced. The expansion's story was praised by IMDB for the design of the zones that was eye-catching with its East Asian influence, clearly visible in the architecture, mountains, and trees, which wonderfully conveyed the mystical atmosphere of Pandaria. In the end, it was recognized as one of the most powerful expansions of World of Warcraft.
#6 — Cataclysm (7.6)
While Cataclysm wasn't destined to surpass Wrath of the Lich King in popularity, there were a lot of new things implemented in this expansion that breathed a breath of fresh air into the game. This is how the transmogrification function was added. This is a feature that allows players to change the appearance of their characters to the appearance of other collected equipable items. This feature essentially became a new branch in the game, where casual players spent all their gaming time in search of the most beautiful, compatible, and, most importantly, rare sets.
There are many websites and tools available today to help players plan and create the perfect transmog set. One of the best in this regard is the WowVendor platform, where you can buy the transmog set farm service to complete any dungeon from the current expansion and get the necessary items. Another great resource where you can learn more about transmog is Wowhead.
A new additional profession, Archeology, was also added to the game, which invited players to search for rare artifacts throughout Azeroth. Two new races, worgen and goblins, were also added, which also freshened up the game. The main bosses of the latest patches of this add-on deserve special attention. Ragnaros is still considered one of the most difficult and iconic bosses after more than 12 years. The idea of the final raid boss against Deathwing was also brilliant, where players had to fight first on his back and then against its claws and head.
#5 — Dragonflight (7.7)
Dragonflight is the best expansion in years, with Blizzard adding some cool new features like professions upgrades and everyone's favorite Dragonriding ability, which can be used in the Dragon Isles and Old World continent. Dracthyr Evoker, the new race-class, has become very popular and in demand among players during the farming of Mythic+ keystones and raids such as Abberus, Amirdrassil, and others.
#4 — Legion (8.2)
This expansion is remembered primarily for the most epic cinematics the franchise has ever offered. In addition, Legion successfully implemented the Demon Hunter Hero class, which gave players the opportunity to feel like Illidan himself. Overall, Legion received an excellent IMDB score of 8.2, which suggests that Blizzard was able to create one of the best expansions in recent years.
#3 — Vanilla (8.4)
The original World of Warcraft, known as Vanilla, comes with some of the greatest gaming content ever made for an MMORPG, even though it is frequently overshadowed by the content that is constantly being added. New players can now realize that World of Warcraft is a video game that truly lives up to the hype, thanks to the game's Classic relaunch.
#2 — The Burning Crusade (8.5)
The Burning Crusade stands at the top of all WoW expansions, along with WotLK. In BC, Illidan Stormrage, Lady Vashj, and Kael'thas Sunstrider were revealed to their full potential as the main raid bosses. The architecture of the instances and the appearance of wearable gear in this extension are still considered one of the most beautiful. Most transmogrification fans still farm equipable items in Black Temple, such as Warglaive of Azzinoth, which drops from Illidan.
#1 — Wrath Of The Lich King (8.8)
Wrath of the Lich King received the highest rating from IMDB — 8.8. WotLK brought World of Warcraft the status of one, if not the best MMORPG in history. The cinematics of WotLK still remain one of the most epic; many former WoW players who have not played this game for a long time often watch these cinematics, which evoke nostalgia for the best years spent in ICC, Ulduar, and the the Ruby Sanctum. Fans especially remember the final battle with the Lich King himself. It's this fulfilling experience that has attracted so many players to the game and retained so many others. WotLK boasts a big fan base both on official and private servers.
Choose the Best WoW Expansion
The "best" World of Warcraft (WoW) expansion is a highly subjective matter and can vary depending on the personal preferences of a player. As you can see, the expansion offers different content, storylines, features, and ratings. So what one player considers the best might not be the same for someone else.
This article was written in cooperation with WowVendor.com