Blizzard has announced that the highly anticipated fourth expansion pack of "World of Warcraft," "Mists of Pandaria" will arrive on September 25. The expansion pack was first announced on October 21, 2011 by game designer Chris Metzen at BlizzCon 2011.
The players, with "Mists of Pandaria," for the first time, will have the option to upgrade a pre-purchase to the all-new Digital Deluxe Edition which comes with all of the in-game items from the retail Collector’s Edition, including a "World of Warcraft" pet and mount, banner sigil and accent for "Diablo 3," and Battle.net portraits for "StarCraft 2."
“Shrouded in fog since the world was sundered more than ten thousand years ago, the ancient realm of Pandaria has remained unspoiled by war. Its lush forests and cloud-ringed mountains are home to a complex ecosystem of indigenous races and exotic creatures. It is the homeland of the enigmatic Pandaren, a race that celebrates life to the fullest even while under siege by an ancient menace,” states the game’s official page.
“The new continent reveals itself to a broken world just as the Alliance and Horde are spiraling ever closer to a war that will consume all of Azeroth. Will the mists of Pandaria part to reveal the world's salvation? Or will the battle to control this rich and breathtaking new land push the two mighty factions over the brink of war and into total annihilation? The answers await within Pandaria's mysterious shores,” it further adds.
Beginning September 25, 2012, “World of Warcraft” players around the world will be able to set sail for the long-lost continent of Pandaria, where they’ll explore forgotten dungeons, vanquish risen evils, and play their part in the Horde-Alliance conflict as it reaches a critical breaking point.
“Mists of Pandaria” will raise the existing level cap from level 85 to 90. It will introduce a new character class, the Monk, along with a new playable race, the Pandaren. What’s more, the vanity pet system will be refurbished and will include a pet battle system, new PVE scenarios will be introduced, and Challenge Modes will be added for dungeons.
During the pre-purchase process, you’ll have the option to grab either the “Mists of Pandaria Standard Edition” for $39.99 or the all-new Digital Deluxe edition for $59.99. However, if you acquire the standard edition now and decide you want to upgrade to Digital Deluxe later, you’ll have the opportunity to do so for an additional $20.
The game is set after the events of Deathwing and the Cataclysm. The major setting is the supposed land of Pandaria, one of the continents of the world of Azeroth. Discovery of Pandaria is made after a naval battle between the Horde and the Alliance. It had previously been hidden by magic since The Sundering, only to resurface.
Check out the preview trailer below
