World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary is going to be a big party

Every year Blizzard celebrates the anniversary of World of Warcraft with quests and rewards, but this year marks the 20th anniversary of the MMO — and the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise as a whole. The 20th anniversary coincides with the recent launch of The war withinthe first expansion in the Worldsoul Saga. The war within has been well received by players and there is a lot to look forward to in the future – but before we head off on further adventures, players will be given the chance to Wow‘s big birthday via a new patch for the game.

One challenge will be a return to Blackrock Depths, as a 10-15 player raid with eight main bosses. This raid will come in Looking for Raid, Normal, and Heroic difficulty modes. Blackrock Depths was a huge, sprawling dungeon from the early days of World of Warcraftand players can fight again in that familiar location.

A remarkable event in World of Warcraft was the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj, a massive event where players came together to earn resources and break through a massive gate in the deserts of Silithus. The anniversary patch will revisit the Gates of Ahn’Qiraj, with an added twist. Going back in time to revisit the Gates has caused all sorts of time-wimey nonsense in Silithus, and it’s up to players to cleanse these echoes of the past.

Speaking of memorable trinkets from the past, Blizzard is releasing a new, improved version of the Tier 2 sets. These armor sets are still incredibly popular, despite being incredibly outdated compared to the brand new sets made for modern raids.

For those less interested in raids and battles, Blizzard is introducing a number of new, lower-pressure activities: an ice skating rink, a pet corner, an in-game cosplay booth, a small theater staffed by Lorewalker Cho, and a mount competition. There will also be new rewards for players to unlock, like an icy phoenix inspired by the Ashes of Al’ar and a baby Dreadlord pet. There will also be new transmog options based on the sword, ring, shield and helmet are rewarded in real life to Blizzard employees at certain milestones.

The anniversary patch doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but it will be a full patch cycle, meaning it will last over two months. Players will have plenty of opportunity to jump in and earn these new rewards, as well as take a tour of the new content.