World of Warcraft Legion Expansion Release Date Announced

World of Warcraft's Legion expansion, the PC MMO's sixth in its decade-plus of operation, will launch on August 30, Blizzard announced today.

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Legion was announced at Gamescom 2015. The expansion raises the level cap to 110 and introduces a new class called the Demon Hunter. Legion also adds a host of new content including a new continent titled The Broken Isles, new customizable artifact weapons, and new dungeons and raids. In addition, the expansion revamps the PvP progression system, among other things.

"Legion opens a dark and thrilling new chapter in one of the Warcraft series' greatest conflicts, and things will never be the same for some of Azeroth's most iconic heroes and villains," Blizzard CEO and co-founder Mike Morhaime said in a statement. "This expansion is loaded with features and content that give players whole new ways to explore the world and customize their heroes. We're looking forward to sending everyone into battle against the Burning Legion this August."

A Standard Edition of Legion will be available for $50, while a Digital Deluxe version can be purchased for $70. This premium bundle also comes with content for other Blizzard games, including Heroes of the Storm, Diablo III, and StarCraft II. Both versions are available physically and digitally.

There will also be a retail-only Collector's Edition that sells for $90 and comes with a hardcover art book, behind-the-scenes two-disc Blu-ray/DVD set, CD soundtrack, and a Legion mousepad, as well as the digital items from the Digital Deluxe edition.

If you pre-purchase a digital copy of Legion, either the Standard or Digital Deluxe edition, you will receive an instant character boost to level 100. Pre-buying also gives you early access to the Demon Hunter class.

Previous World of Warcraft expansions have included: The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), and Warlords of Draenor (2014).

With World of Warcraft subscribers sliding, a new expansion could help bring people back. After all, history has shown that new expansions tend to do just that.