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In 2019, a vanilla version of the game titled World of Warcraft Classic was launched, allowing players to experience the base game before any of its expansions launched, with versions of Classic for the second and third expansions being released subsequently, with minor changes. The game has been cited by gaming journalists as the greatest MMORPG of all time and one of the greatest video games of all time and has also been noted for its long lifespan, continuing to receive developer support and expansion packs over 15 years since its initial release. The game had over one hundred million registered accounts by 2014 and by 2017, had grossed over $9.23 billion in revenue, making it one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. World of Warcraft was a major critical and commercial success upon its original release in 2004 and quickly became the most popular MMORPG of all time, reaching a peak of 12 million subscribers in 2010. The game primarily focuses on character progression, in which players earn experience points to level up their character to make them more powerful and buy and sell items using in-game currency to acquire better equipment, among other game systems. The game encourages players to work together to complete quests, enter dungeons and engage in player versus player (PvP) combat, however, the game can also be played solo without interacting with others. Similar to other MMORPGs, the game allows players to create a character avatar and explore an open game world in third- or first-person view, exploring the landscape, fighting various monsters, completing quests, and interacting with non-player characters (NPCs) or other players. Since launch, World of Warcraft has had eight major expansion packs: The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), Warlords of Draenor (2014), Legion (2016), Battle for Azeroth (2018), and Shadowlands (2020), with a ninth, Dragonflight, currently in development. The game was announced in 2001, and was released for the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise on November 23, 2004. Set in the Warcraft fantasy universe, World of Warcraft takes place within the world of Azeroth, approximately four years after the events of the previous game in the series, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. World of Warcraft ( WoW) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment.
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If you’re looking for a game with queer representation, check out one of the above.Massively multiplayer online role-playing Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles.The other nine nominees run the gamut from blockbuster releases from Ubisoft to the indie sensation Hades (which a lot of the Blizzard Watch staff has been raving about). And in this expansion, Blizzard removed the fee for swapping a player model’s gender, which GLAAD said was a benefit for trans players who want their character to match their own identity.
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The Night Fae storyline and the companion WoW novel Shadows Rising were also cited as giving more visibility to queer couples. Blizzard also updated Pelagos to use he/him pronouns rather than they/them over the course of the Shadowlands alpha in response to player feedback about what would be most respectful for a trans character.īut Pelagos wasn’t the only thing Blizzard was praised for. Pelagos is one of the central characters for the Kyrian Covenant, and he’s one of players’ options for a soulbind in that faction. The announcement highlighted the transgender character Pelagos, voiced by trans actor Elliot Fletcher. World of Warcraft Shadowlands received a nomination for bringing a broader representation of gender and sexuality to its cast. This year, the organization presented ten nominees for outstanding video game, honoring titles that provided “fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community and the issues that affect LGBTQ peoples’ lives.” GLAAD marks some of those positive achievements with its Annual Media Awards. The industry still has a lot of work to be done both on-screen and in their real-world hiring, but given the long road to meaningful change, it’s important to recognize the positive achievements as well as calling out the problems. Video games have been grappling with an ongoing reckoning over representation.
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