World of Warcraft: Shadowlands expansion delayed to later this year

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The delay was announced on the official World of Warcraft Twitter

WoW Shadowlands
(Image credit: Blizzard)

The World of Warcraft: Shadowlands expansion has officially been delayed to sometime later this year, according to an announcement from executive producer John Hight. 

Shadowlands was meant to release on October 27, and while there's no new date for yet, it's still due to drop later in 2020. According to the announcement, the team is "in the process of determining the right new date to launch" but wanted to announce the delay right away. 

"Over the past several months of testing, we've made significant progress iterating on and polishing the core features and gameplay of Shadowlands," the statement reads. "We're at a point where the zones, the campaign, the level-up questing experience, and the story we have to tell are essentially ready to share." However, the team behind World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has been listening to feedback and requires more time to polish, balance, and iterate on interlocking pieces - especially ones related to the endgame. 

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Hight also announced that a Shadowlands pre-patch will be coming October 13, which "lays a lot of the groundwork for the expansion and includes our revamped character levelling, new-player experience on Exile's Reach, and a host of new character customization options."

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands will introduce four new zones: Revendreth, Ardenweald, Maldraxxus, and Bastion, and follow the story of Sylvanas taking the power from the Lich King and opening a portal to the afterlife. 

We'll make sure to update you accordingly when a new World of Warcraft: Shadowlands release date is made available.

See where World of Warcraft currently ranks on our list of the best MMORPGs to play in 2020. 

Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante
Former Features Writer

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.