Why You Can Trust CNET World of Warcraft's next expansion has been delayed
Shadowlands has been pushed back from releasing on Oct. 26 to later this year.
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The next battle for Azeroth has been delayed.
Blizzard has announced it's delaying the launch of the next World of Warcraft expansion to later this year. The games studio is yet to determine the new launch date of Shadowlands, WoW executive producer John Hight said late Thursday.
"We're at a point where the zones, the campaign, the level-up questing experience and the story we have to tell are essentially ready to share," Hight said. "[But] it's become clear we need a little more time for additional polish, and to balance and iterate on some interlocking pieces -- particularly those related to the endgame."
The delay was attributed to creating "one of the most intricate expansions" ever while Blizzard staffers work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The challenge of tuning the endgame was compounded by the team having to work from home," he added.
The World of Warcraft: Shadowlands pre-patch will still be released on Oct. 13, and will include revamped character leveling, the new area of Exile's Reach and new character customizations. There will also be a battle for Azeroth against the Scourge during a pre-launch event closer to the release date.
The expansion was originally slated to be released on Oct. 26. You can pre-purchase Shadowlands now, starting at $39.99.
