World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-expansion update official patch notes revealed

World of Warcraft is an MMORPG developed by Blizzard Entertainment. It is one of the oldest MMORPGs that the community is playing to date. World of Warcraft initially released on 23rd November 2004, across platforms including PC and macOS. The game still receives new expansions, updates, patches and general quality of life improvements.

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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is the latest expansion of the original game, and is scheduled for release on 27th October 2020. Before the expansion arrives, the game is going to receive a massive update which will bring about various changes.

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World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-expansion update official patch notes

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

World of Warcraft shadowlands pre-expansion patch will arrive next month. The update is mainly focused on changing the experience for newer players of the game. As we know, World of Warcraft is an MMO game with more than 200k online players at any given point during the day. It boasts a large viewership on twitch and other streaming platforms as well.

World of Warcraft might be popular within the MMO game community, but for new players, it was never a good experience(legacy content and others). However, with the upcoming World of Warcraft shadowlands pre-expansion patch, all that is going to change. Here is a summary of the upcoming update.

• Character levels will get a boost.
• New changes coming to levels, stats and items.
• New starting location: Exile's Reach.
• A brand new chat system for new players, where they will be grouped with similarly skilled players and experienced guides.
• Time walking campaigns.
• Changes in 'recruiting a friend' system. It is now more rewarding.
• Appearance change service is retiring soon.
• Changes to recruiting allied races.
• Battle for Azeroth PVP season 4 ends and, the postseason begins.
• Faction-Based Rewards.
• Jump Into Post-Season before the launch of shadowlands expansion.
• Leaderboards will temporarily go offline.

Below we have mentioned the original patch notes which went live on September 21, 2020. It includes all the new changes coming to the world of warcraft with the pre-season patch.

Disclaimer: We haven't changed any value or text in the official patch notes. Everything mentioned below is official and authentic. [Source: worldofwarcraft]

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World of Warcraft: Character boost changes

With the upcoming character-level conversions in Shadowlands, Character Boosts will also change once the pre-expansion patch is live. You’ll want to plan for how you want to use your boosts.

• Level 120 Character Boosts will boost characters to level 50 after the pre-expansion patch.
• Level 110 Character Boosts will boost characters to level 48 after the pre-expansion patch.

For information on level, stats and items adjusted values, click here.

World of Warcraft: New starting experience: Exile's Reach

Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

Exile's Reach is an all-new starting experience that will take you on an excursion to a faraway island and introduce you to the fundamentals of playing World of Warcraft and your chosen class. If you’re new to World of Warcraft and have never created or levelled a character, you will automatically begin your journey into Azeroth with the starting experience. If you’re a veteran player or you’ve levelled a character before, you can choose to opt-out of the starting experience and begin instead at level 1 in the starting area for your race.

Upon reaching level 10, new players will continue their journey through Battle for Azeroth and into Shadowlands.

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World of Warcraft: New Chat System

Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

After creating your new character and beginning your journey into World of Warcraft for the first time, you will automatically be added to a Newcomer Chat channel, where you can talk with other new players and seek advice from experienced players on the same faction who will be your guides as you level through the new starting zone of Exile's Reach.

New players and guides will be able to recognize one another in the chat channels and by icons above their characters' heads that only they can see. Upon reaching level 20, new players will continue the journey ahead on their own and will no longer have access to the Newcomer Chat.

If you're a veteran player and interested in guiding new players as they experience World of Warcraft for the first time, head over to Stormwind or Orgrimmar and speak to the guide recruiter once you've met the following criteria:

• Have an account in good standing
• Reach level 50
• Complete 3,000 quests
• Earn at least two of the following achievements: Terrific Trio, Rival: Battle for Azeroth Season Four, Battle for Azeroth Keystone Conqueror: Season Four, The Waking Dream, or We Have the Technology.
• If you no longer wish to be a guide, you can speak to guide recruiter once again.

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World of Warcraft: Time Walking Campaigns

Players who have already experienced Battle for Azeroth and reached level 50 on at least one character can choose to level any subsequent characters in a different expansion using Timewalking Campaigns.

This new feature allows content from locations like Northrend or Pandaria to scale to a player’s level, so they can adventure from level 10 all the way to 50 and experience the stories of these areas at their originally intended pacing.

Visit Chromie near the embassies in Stormwind or Orgrimmar to select your expansion levelling experience. If you'd like to select a different expansion to level through, simply speak to Chromie again.

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World of Warcraft: Recruit a friend: updates

Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

With the upcoming release of Shadowlands and the levelling adjustments that come with it, we’re making a few changes to Recruit A Friend. Beginning with the release of the pre-expansion patch, characters who are created by a recruited friend* will receive a unique 30-slot bag—the Extra-Spacious Knapsack—upon completing their adventure in Exile’s Reach as a part of the new player experience.

The additional experience boost that currently exists for recruited players and recruiters who party together will be phased out before the launch of Shadowlands. All other rewards available with the Recruit A Friend program will continue to be available for recruiters.

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World of Warcraft: Appearance change service for shadowlands is retiring soon

With the release of the pre-expansion patch, players will be able to seek out a Barber Shop for a variety of character customization options, including the ability to change your character’s gender, hair, facial features, and more. Due to this upcoming new in-game option, the Appearance Change service for Shadowlands will be retired from the Blizzard Shop before the release of the pre-patch.

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World of Warcraft: Recruiting allied races

Players who are seeking to recruit a new Allied Race to their side will no longer need to earn Exalted reputation with their associated faction once the pre-expansion patch goes live. Players will still need to complete any achievements and story quests associated with the Allied Race to gain access, however.

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World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth PVP season 4 ends and the postseason begins

The gates will soon close on Battle for Azeroth PvP Season 4 with the release of the Shadowlands pre-expansion patch. Don’t worry though, you’ll still be able to take part in competitive PvP in a special post-season, which will end with the launch of the expansion. The new Shadowlands Season 1 will then go live shortly after the launch of Shadowlands.

If you participated in Season 4, to ensure you receive the rewards that you’re due, please keep the following in mind:

• Refrain from transferring your character(s) to another realm or faction until after Battle for Azeroth Season 4 has ended.
• Battle for Azeroth Season 4 titles and mounts will be awarded approximately two weeks after the season ends.

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World of Warcraft: Faction-Based Rewards

Don’t forget—end-of-season rewards are based on your faction. If you transfer your character to the other faction, you must have 50 wins after your transfer to receive the reward and 150 wins after your transfer to earn Gladiator and Corrupted Gladiator.

Jump Into Post-Season

Once the pre-expansion patch is live, we’ll be kicking off a special post-season that last until the launch of Shadowlands. While placement on the season ladder is locked for any end-of-season rewards such as the Gladiator mount or title, players will be able to continue to earn Conquest towards the Conquest Schedule, gain random PvP loot, and collect catch-up gear rewarded from strongboxes. Players will also be able to purchase Corrupted Aspirant gear from vendors located in Stormwind and Ogrimmar.

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World of Warcraft: Leaderboards Temporarily Offline

Please note that PvP Leaderboards will not be available once the pre-expansion patch goes live but will become available again with the start of the new Shadowlands PvP season.

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Earning flight in Warlords of Draenor and Legion

With the release of the Shadowlands pre-expansion patch, flying in Warlords of Draenor and Legion will no longer require earning the achievements Draenor Pathfinder and Broken Isles Pathfinder, Part Two, respectively.

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Time runs short: Battle of Azeroth

Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

With the last days of Battle for Azeroth almost upon us, you’ll want to make sure you’re tying up any last tasks or goals you have.

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