You can now sign up for beta access to World of Warcraft: The War Within, offering the chance to play the game ahead of release.
Announced during 2023’s BlizzCon in November, World of Warcraft: The War Within is a new subterranean expansion for the franchise. It will be the first installment in a new three-part Worldsoul Saga, released over the next few years.
Players will be able to journey into the heart of Azeroth to explore new underground kingdoms, including ancient cultures that are new to fans of the franchise, such as the new Allied race of the Earthen Dwarves and the Nerubians of Azj-Kahet.
Other upcoming features include stripped-back modes for between one and five players dubbed Delves, Warbands that allow players to share their bank and reputation among their alts, new flight possibilities for winged mounts, updated dungeons and raids, fresh Hero Talents, and more.
How to sign up for World of Warcraft: The War Within’s beta access
World of Warcraft: The War Within is expected to come out between August and October this year, but beta sign-ups are now open, offering the chance for a lucky few to play the game early. It’s worth noting that the nature of beta access means that it might have a few bugs and glitches to work through but it’s still an exciting opportunity to play a part in the release of a new game update.
Interested parties can now sign up for a chance to participate via game developer Blizzard‘s website. The company has stated that more invitations will go out regularly throughout the testing period, so even if you don’t get a positive response immediately, it sounds like there will be multiple batches of acceptances.
If selected, your Battle.net account will be automatically granted access and then you’ll need to complete the following tasks:
- Make sure your graphics drivers are up to date
- Run the Battle.net desktop app—it may need to update itself if you haven’t run it recently
- Once Battle.net is installed and updated, select World of Warcraft from the list of games
- In the Game Version drop-down menu above the Play button, choose The War Within (listed under In Development), and click Install
- Allow installation to complete, click Play, and select any available Test Servers
- Create a new test character or use the character copy to import your existing Dragonflight character
- Enter the game and test the available content
Gamers who are up for testing out games in beta form should also keep their eyes peeled for Frostpunk 2 sign-ups, reportedly coming this month.
Featured image: Blizzard
