[0:00] Hi guys, Frozen Hood here. Welcome to my
[0:02] channel and another World of Warcraft
[0:03] video. To start playing World of
[0:05] Warcraft, you need to make an important
[0:06] decision, which version to play.
[0:09] Choosing the wrong one could mean
[0:10] spending dozens of hours on something
[0:12] you'll eventually realize you don't
[0:13] enjoy. Games like WoW require a
[0:16] significant time investment before you
[0:18] really understand how they feel and
[0:20] whether they suit you. While the
[0:22] different versions of WoW share many
[0:23] similarities, they also have major
[0:26] differences that can lead to completely
[0:27] different gameplay experiences.
[0:30] And the game isn't free. You'll need to
[0:31] pay a subscription fee regardless of the
[0:33] version you choose. And in some cases,
[0:36] you'll also need to buy expansions. In
[0:38] this video, I'll give you a practical
[0:40] comparison of the different WoW versions
[0:42] to hopefully save you time and help you
[0:44] make the best choice for your play
[0:46] style. There's no bad version of the
[0:48] game. What matters is which one aligns
[0:50] best with what you're looking for.
[0:52] Currently, there are four versions of
[0:54] the game. The modern World of Warcraft,
[0:56] also known as Retail, which I'll refer
[0:58] to as Retail from here on for clarity,
[1:01] World of Warcraft Classic Era, World of
[1:04] Warcraft Mists of Pandaria Classic, and
[1:06] World of Warcraft Season of Discovery.
[1:09] I'll start with a brief overview of each
[1:11] version, then dive into more specific
[1:13] details.
[1:15] Retail WoW is the most modern version of
[1:17] the game. It offers the widest variety
[1:20] of both PvE and PvP content, the most
[1:23] character race and class options, the
[1:25] most quality of life improvements, and
[1:27] the most advanced graphics and
[1:29] interface. Roughly every 2 years, retail
[1:32] gets a new expansion that introduces new
[1:34] zones dungeons raids character
[1:36] customization options, interface
[1:38] updates, and sometimes even brand new
[1:40] races or classes. The current expansion
[1:43] is called The War Within. It has
[1:45] received a mixed but generally positive
[1:47] response from the WoW community with
[1:49] players praising some aspects of the
[1:50] game while criticizing others. If you're
[1:53] looking for a version that's frequently
[1:55] updated with new content and features,
[1:57] retail might be the right fit for you.
[1:59] However, there are other important
[2:01] factors to consider, and I'll get into
[2:03] those later in this video.
[2:06] The idea behind WoW Classic, also known
[2:08] as Classic Era, was to let the community
[2:11] experience the game in its original
[2:12] form, just as it was before the release
[2:15] of the first expansion. It launched in
[2:17] 2019 and was highly anticipated,
[2:20] especially by players who felt that
[2:21] modern WoW was heading in the wrong
[2:23] direction and no longer offered the same
[2:25] quality of experience. Over time,
[2:28] interest in this version has declined
[2:29] somewhat, but it still has a relatively
[2:31] large and dedicated player base, mostly
[2:34] found on the so-called anniversary
[2:35] servers. One very important thing to
[2:37] know about Classic Era is that it
[2:39] doesn't receive any new content or major
[2:41] updates. What's there is all you're
[2:43] going to get, so eventually you'll find
[2:45] yourself repeating the same content over
[2:47] and over. That might not be ideal for
[2:49] everyone depending on what kind of
[2:51] gaming experience you're looking for.
[2:54] In 2021, Blizzard separated Classic era
[2:57] into its own standalone version and
[2:59] launched a new progression-based version
[3:00] of the game where older expansions would
[3:02] be added over time. First came the
[3:05] Burning Crusade Classic, then Wrath of
[3:07] the Lich King Classic, followed by
[3:09] Cataclysm Classic, and now Mists of
[3:11] Pandaria Classic. For many players,
[3:13] Mists of Pandaria is considered one of
[3:15] the best expansions ever released. It
[3:17] features a great story, beautiful zones,
[3:20] well-designed dungeons and raids, and
[3:23] strong class design and mechanics. At
[3:25] the moment, there's no official
[3:27] information from Blizzard about whether
[3:28] they plan to continue adding more
[3:30] expansions beyond Mists of Or if this
[3:32] will be the final phase of new content
[3:34] for this version.
[3:37] Choosing a version of WoW became even
[3:39] more complicated when Blizzard
[3:40] introduced what they call seasonal
[3:42] servers, completely separate from any
[3:44] other version of the game. The current
[3:46] one is called Season of Discovery. It
[3:48] offers a brand new way to experience the
[3:50] world of classic era with fresh content,
[3:53] new game mechanics, and faster leveling.
[3:56] It's essentially a blend of classic era
[3:58] mechanics and features from various
[4:00] expansions and some experimental ideas
[4:02] unique to this version. Content was
[4:04] released in phases, and Season of
[4:06] Discovery is now in its final phase.
[4:08] Blizzard has confirmed that active
[4:10] development on this version has ended,
[4:12] so no major updates are expected going
[4:14] forward. Since the announcement about
[4:16] the end of development, this version has
[4:18] seen a significant drop in its active
[4:20] player base.
[4:22] Now that we've gone through a brief
[4:24] overview of the different WoW versions,
[4:26] it's time for a more in-depth
[4:28] comparison. I've focused on four key
[4:30] factors: leveling experience, endgame
[4:33] experience, complexity, and popularity.
[4:36] Of course, these factors can be quite
[4:38] subjective, which is why I mentioned
[4:40] earlier that whether or not you'll enjoy
[4:41] a certain version really depends on your
[4:44] own expectations and personal
[4:45] preferences. That said, this comparison
[4:48] is based on my own experience with
[4:50] hundreds of hours spent in each version
[4:52] of the game.
[4:54] Retail WoW is primarily focused on
[4:56] endgame content rather than the leveling
[4:58] experience. Compared to the other
[5:00] versions, leveling in retail is very
[5:02] fast and very easy. So much so that many
[5:05] elements during this phase feel almost
[5:07] irrelevant.
[5:08] Things like following the story,
[5:10] leveling professions, making gold, or
[5:12] paying attention to the gear you pick up
[5:14] along the way don't matter much or not
[5:16] at all. You can think of the leveling
[5:18] stage in retail as a kind of training
[5:20] ground to get familiar with different
[5:22] classes, roles, the interface, and
[5:24] overall game mechanics. And that
[5:27] training might actually come in handy
[5:28] because the endgame in retail can be
[5:30] quite complex and even overwhelming,
[5:32] especially for new players. If you're
[5:34] looking for a slower paced, more
[5:36] immersive leveling adventure, there are
[5:37] better options among the other versions.
[5:41] WoW Classic is one of the versions that
[5:43] offers a completely different experience
[5:44] when it comes to leveling. Right from
[5:46] level one, everything matters. how much
[5:49] gold you have, what gear you found,
[5:51] which professions you're leveling, and
[5:53] many other small details can make a big
[5:55] difference. Leveling in classic is much
[5:58] slower and more difficult than in
[5:59] retail. It encourages you to take your
[6:02] time exploring zones, completing quests,
[6:04] and gradually building up your
[6:05] character. It offers a solid challenge,
[6:08] but also the opportunity for a more
[6:10] relaxed and immersive adventure,
[6:11] especially if you're not in a rush. On
[6:14] the other hand, if you prefer a faster
[6:16] paced leveling experience, WoW Classic
[6:18] probably isn't the right fit for you.
[6:20] When it comes to leveling experience,
[6:22] Mists of Pandaria Classic and Season of
[6:24] Discovery falls somewhere between WoW
[6:26] Classic and Retail, but they lean more
[6:28] toward the faster pace of retail. In
[6:31] both cases, leveling is much quicker
[6:32] than in Classic era, but still takes
[6:34] more time and effort than in retail.
[6:36] You'll have plenty of time to get
[6:37] familiar with your class and roll. In
[6:39] Season of Discovery, you'll even get
[6:41] some raiding experience before you hit
[6:42] max level, which helps prepare you for
[6:44] the endgame. In both versions, it's a
[6:47] good idea to start leveling your
[6:48] professions early and gradually build up
[6:50] your gold reserves. This is especially
[6:52] important in Season of Discovery, where
[6:54] gold management plays a bigger role.
[6:56] Overall, both versions are designed to
[6:58] help you reach max level faster while
[7:00] still giving you time to engage with the
[7:02] game systems along the way.
[7:05] Endgame content is where retail really
[7:07] stands out. As I mentioned earlier, it
[7:09] offers the widest variety of both PvE
[7:11] and PvP activities. You'll find dungeons
[7:14] with multiple difficulty levels,
[7:16] including mythic and mythic plus, which
[7:18] are exclusive to retail. There are also
[7:20] delves, a newer type of content similar
[7:23] to dungeons, that can be played solo or
[7:25] with other players, and offer valuable
[7:26] rewards. These are also exclusive to
[7:29] retail. On top of that, retail includes
[7:31] a wide range of raids, world bosses,
[7:33] world quests, and PvP events, some of
[7:36] which do exist in other versions, but
[7:38] not at the same scale or depth. In
[7:41] comparison, the endgame content in
[7:42] Classic Era, Season of Discovery, and
[7:45] Mists of Pandaria Classic is more
[7:47] limited. Of the three, Mists of Pandaria
[7:50] Classic arguably offers the richest
[7:52] endgame experience, but it's still far
[7:54] behind what retail has to offer in terms
[7:56] of content variety. But all that variety
[7:59] in retail comes with a cost, complexity.
[8:03] It has a much more complicated talent
[8:05] system than any other version. Classes
[8:07] have far more complex spells and ability
[8:10] rotations. Sometimes you might even need
[8:12] a proper mouse with more buttons to
[8:14] manage everything effectively. Blizzard
[8:16] recently introduced the new single
[8:18] button assistant feature, which has
[8:20] received mixed reactions from the
[8:22] community, and that's to be expected.
[8:24] While some players appreciate its
[8:26] accessibility and convenience for casual
[8:28] gameplay, creating a complex class
[8:30] system with tons of spells and abilities
[8:33] only to offer a one-button option
[8:34] doesn't really make sense. Honestly,
[8:37] pressing the same button over and over
[8:38] isn't very engaging, especially in an
[8:40] MMO RPG where depth and player skill are
[8:43] supposed to matter. Professions and the
[8:45] reputation system in retail are also
[8:47] much more involved. There's a lot to
[8:49] learn and many of these systems directly
[8:51] affect your character's performance and
[8:53] overall gameplay experience. That steep
[8:56] learning curve can be overwhelming,
[8:57] especially if you're new to the game. On
[9:00] top of that, each expansion usually
[9:02] introduces new systems and concepts you
[9:04] need to master. Sometimes these are
[9:06] similar enough to previous ones that you
[9:08] can pick them up quickly, but other
[9:10] times they're completely new and require
[9:11] extra effort. The other three versions
[9:14] are much simpler in comparison. They
[9:16] feature straightforward talent trees
[9:17] that you can get comfortable with during
[9:19] leveling. Their profession and
[9:21] reputation systems are easier to
[9:23] understand for new players, and class
[9:25] ability rotations are much less
[9:26] complicated, especially in classic era.
[9:29] So, if you enjoy complex mechanics,
[9:32] skill trees, and deep gameplay, retail
[9:34] is probably the right choice for you.
[9:36] But if you prefer a more casual
[9:38] experience, don't have a lot of time to
[9:40] invest, or don't want to feel like
[9:41] you're constantly playing catch-up, one
[9:43] of the other versions might suit you
[9:45] better.
[9:47] Retail is by far the most popular
[9:49] version of the game with the highest
[9:51] number of players and servers. Many
[9:53] features in retail are cross- server,
[9:55] some even cross faction, making the
[9:58] choice of server much less critical than
[10:00] it used to be. Classic Era and Mists of
[10:02] Pandaria Classic don't have as many
[10:04] players as retail, but they're still
[10:06] very popular versions. In both of these,
[10:09] picking a more populated server can be
[10:11] crucial to your experience, especially
[10:13] if you like playing with others. Larger
[10:15] servers tend to have more active guilds,
[10:17] more active auction houses, and more
[10:20] group events.
[10:22] As I mentioned earlier, since Blizzard
[10:24] announced the end of active development
[10:26] for Season of Discovery, many players
[10:28] have left that version. Season of
[10:30] Discovery was built around constantly
[10:32] adding new and unique content in each
[10:35] phase. That's what made it stand out and
[10:37] attracted more players over time.
[10:40] Because of this, it's possible that
[10:41] Season of Discovery will become even
[10:43] less popular going forward, which raises
[10:45] the question, is it still worth
[10:47] investing your time and effort into this
[10:49] version at this stage?
[10:53] That wraps up this overview of the
[10:54] different versions of World of Warcraft.
[10:56] Hopefully, this has given you a clearer
[10:58] picture of what each version offers and
[11:00] helped you figure out which one might be
[11:02] the best fit for your play style and
[11:04] preferences. If you found this video
[11:05] useful, please give it a like. It really
[11:08] helps support the channel and lets me
[11:09] know you want more content like this.
[11:12] And I'd love to hear from you. Which
[11:13] version of WoW are you currently
[11:15] playing, and what do you enjoy most
[11:17] about it? Or maybe you're still deciding
[11:19] and have questions. Drop your thoughts
[11:21] and experiences in the comments below.
[11:23] Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in
[11:25] the next video.