World Of Warcraft's Big Rise Of Azshara Update Is Now Live

The second major update for World of Warcraft's Battle for Azeroth expansion has arrived. Rise of Azshara is now live, and it introduces a wealth of new content and features to the long-running MMO, including new locations, Heritage armor, a mount equipment system, and much more.

Among the biggest additions to the game are two new zones to explore. The first is Nazjatar, the capital city of the naga and the home of the eponymous Azshara, who serves as the final foe in a new eight-boss raid called Azshara's Eternal Palace. The second new zone is the city of Mechagon. Here you'll be able to take on a new Mythic-difficulty dungeon called Operation Mechagon, which culminates with a battle against the city's mad king.

Rise of Azshara also introduces a new type equipment known as Benthic gear, which will help you during your exploits in Nazjatar. As you explore the naga capital, you'll acquire a new kind of soulbound currency called Prismatic Manapearls. These can be traded for a piece of Benthic gear, which can be further upgraded all the way to to ilvl 425. On top of that, Gnomes and Taurens can now embark on special quests to earn their own Heritage armor.

Another significant change the update brings is a new mount equipment system. This gives you the ability to customize any mount with abilities; for instance, you can now outfit any mount with the ability to walk on water. There are also new Pathfinder achievements to complete; clearing these will allow your mount to fly through Kul Tiras, Zandalar, Mechagon, and Nazjatar.

Beyond that, the Heart of Azeroth system features a new customization option, Essences, which can give your character a variety of different buffs and other abilities. There's also a new pet battle dungeon named Stratholme and a variety of other changes. You can read more details about the Rise of Azshara update on the official World of Warcraft website.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of World of Warcraft's launch, and to commemorate the milestone, Blizzard is releasing a 15th Anniversary Edition of the game that comes with a variety of physical and in-game goodies. World of Warcraft Classic is also coming this summer; here's how Blizzard aims to make the world of Azeroth feel dangerous again.