Many World of Warcraft participants will attest to the suffocating grip the game places upon your soul.
Like any other debilitating addiction, even players who have quit WoW find themselves feeling that familiar itch to parade around Azeroth, longing for the nostalgic 25-man raids and the duels outside of Orgrimmar (for those who played Horde).
That being said, Blizzard has decided to further quench our thirst with the newest expansion to the life-enveloping game– World of Wacraft: Warlords of Draenor.
How to Opt-In to the Beta
For those wondering how to be initiated into the secret club that is the closed beta, you’ll need start with a Battle.net account and the purchase of one Blizzard game.
Once you’ve completed both of these steps, you’ll need to access your account and find the “Games & Codes” tab towards the top of the page. Scroll down the drop down menu until you see “Beta Profile Settings.”
Click and make sure your Warcraft tab is checked!
If this is your first time visiting this page, you’ll need to run the beta opt-in application so Blizzard knows if your computer is top of the line or a toaster powered by your little brother’s hamster.
Note: Blizzard runs the application to make sure beta keys are given to players using a wide array of equipment. This assures the game is compatible.
The Fun Part – Beta Key Giveaways
If you’re already signed up for the beta, but haven’t received a key yet, fear not young padawan.
In addition to signing up with Blizzard, there are also promotions and giveaways you can participate in to increase your chances to access all the new content available in Warlords of Draenor.
IGN Giveaway
You can head over to the IGN Warlords of Draenor beta key giveaway page to attempt to win a code every Friday at 2p.m. PST until July 18th.
IGN Prime members have a higher chance of receiving a key, but you can also follow respective social media links for additional opportunities.
Wowhead Giveaway
While the Wowhead giveaway requires you to already have an active World of Warcraft character, this team has a total of 2000 keys to bestow upon the general public over the course of 6 weeks.
You’ll need to visit this page and enter your character’s region, realm, and character name. Once you verify that the character is yours, (by pressing the “Verification” button at the top) you can enter the contest via the “Enter Contest” button on your profile page.
Players will need to complete one of the following achievements to enter:
- Vale of Eternal Sorrows
- Gates of Retribution
- The Underhold
- Downfall
Monk Meditation Giveaway
Players with a Monk, that is at least level 15, can enter the Monk Meditation contest here for a chance to win a beta key.
The contest will close on July 14th at 7 p.m. EST.
Wowhead Twitter Girls Giveaway
Each of these three ladies have five Warlords of Draenor beta keys to give away. Simply follow each one and retweet their contest link to enter:
- @ashelia
- @perculia
- @oliviadgrace
What To Expect In The Beta
Once your beta key has been acquired (I believe in all of you) players will be catapulted through the Dark Portal, and establish personal fortresses called Garrisons.
Along with the visual character updates, participants in the beta will also be the first to attempt to crush the enemies of the Iron Horde. As the beta progresses, more content will be released.
The World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor expansion, announced at BlizzCon 2013, will be released Fall 2014 and will raise the level cap to 100.
You can pre-purchase the expansion here, which will grant you access to a free level 90 character of your choice.
Published: Jun 29, 2014 11:17 am