World of Warcraft players are in for a big treat tomorrow, as it will mark the arrival of the game's latest "pre-expansion" patch. Though the Legion expansion doesn't arrive until Aug. 30, many of Legion's core gameplay changes and features will be rolling out to all players more than six weeks ahead of time.
That gives players plenty of time to get accustomed to all the changes, and there are a ton. Blizzard recently released a rundown video of everything to expect from the pre-expansion patch (which you can watch below), but here's a quick, cliff-notes version of what to expect.
Class Changes
Every class, and every class specialization, is seeing some changes in the pre-expansion patch, though some class updates are far more dramatic than others. For example, the "Survival" specialization for Hunters has been completely transformed into a melee-focused playstyle. "Combat" Rogues have been renamed "Outlaw," and can use pistols as well as swords. "Discipline" Priests are now a hybrid healing and damage specialization. Those are just some of the major changes, but players of every class will have some homework to do before Legion arrives.
Transmogrification System
Taking a page from Diablo III's playbook, players will soon have a much easier way to customize their character's look. As of the pre-expansion patch, every piece of gear ever soulbound to a player will appear in the game's new appearances tab. Players will now be able to freely change the look of their gear based on items that appear in their appearance collection, which means players no longer have to hold onto old items just for the sake of transmogrifying them. The appearances tab is account-wide.
PvP Changes
Legion is bringing huge changes to World of Warcraft's player vs. player experience, and those changes will be arriving ahead of the expansion's release. As of the pre-expansion patch, players will have their stats reduced to predetermined levels upon entering battlegrounds. Gear no longer has such a huge effect on success in PvP, though having better gear will give players a slight stat advantage. There will also be new PvP-specific talents that can be obtained by reaching higher ranks in the new PvP ranking system.
Invasion of the Burning Legion and Demon Hunter Early Access
Though these two features won't go live tomorrow (instead, they will arrive sometime ahead of Aug. 30), they are still worth keeping in mind if you're looking to dive back into World of Warcraft. A new quest line will be added in coming weeks that will set the stage and lead directly into the events of Legion. Players who have pre-purchased Legion will also get the chance to take the new Demon Hunter class for a spin.
Those are just some of the major pre-expansion changes, but there are tons of minor ones as well. You can watch the video above for more details, and be sure to check out the game's official patch notes for an extensive list of changes.
