A 2004 massively multiplayer online RPG by Blizzard Entertainment set in the fantasy world of Azeroth, in which Alliance and Horde players quest, raid, and battle each other.
Origin
Building on the lore of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, Warcraft II, and Warcraft III, Blizzard’s MMO let millions of players inhabit Azeroth at once. The game launched in November 2004 with eight playable races split between Alliance and Horde.
Gameplay
World of Warcraft combines questing, dungeon crawling, and large-scale raids. Player-versus-player battlegrounds and arenas, profession crafting, and an in-game auction house created a self-sustaining virtual economy.
Legacy
World of Warcraft peaked at over 12 million subscribers in 2010 and reshaped expectations for online multiplayer games. Expansions from The Burning Crusade through The War Within continue to update Azeroth two decades after launch.