Blizzard finally noticed how much World of Warcraft’s beginning sucks

Blizzard is adding a new starting zone and newbie quests to World of Warcraft. Exile’s Reach, a small island springing up in the upcoming World of Warcraft: Shadowlands expansion, features a “new starting experience” for levels 1-10. It’s a more guided and linear set of quests meant to present a better first impression to new players. It even has tutorials for signature class powers.

Since the MMO was overhauled in 2010 with the Cataclysm expansion, scant attention has been given to the beginner experience. Blizzard has focused most of its development on providing a steady stream of high-level content for vets, but the opening twenty levels have remained the same slog it’s always been. The current unguided, and largely lore inconsequential, opening is infamous for being something players just have to grit their teeth and bull through to get to the good stuff. The studio hopes to change that roadblock for attracting new players with Exile’s Reach.