It won’t be long before the WoW Shadowlands beta is released on Battle.Net and a lucky group of fans can start playing. Blizzard revealed as much last week, confirming that the new expansion testing phase would be kicking off in July. No set release day has been announced by the development team, but gamers expect the World of Warcraft Shadowlands beta to kick off sometime between Tuesday, July 14, and Friday, July 17, 2020.
This week’s scheduled maintenance on Battle.Net doesn’t provide much in hints, only confirming that downtime is being scheduled for WoW tomorrow, July 14.
This will last an hour and finishes at 8am PT, so we would expect the new WoW Shadowlands beta to start sometime after that.
However, it should be noted that there is no guarantee it will happen as soon as the maintenance is complete.
Looking at how previous patches have been released, the WoW Shadowlands beta release date is likely set for Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
The good news is that Blizzard are expected to offer more guidance on the launch of World of Warcraft Shadowlands beta before it launches.
For those wanting to join in, you will need to make sure that you have signed up your interest on the official WoW beta page.
A message on the official WoW beta page adds: “Opt in for your chance to beta-test World of Warcraft: Shadowlands before it’s released. You’ll also receive news and updates about the game.”
Even if you do complete this step, it should be noted that early access to Shadowlands is not guaranteed.
Blizzard has not confirmed how long the WoW beta will run for but with the Shadowlands experience releasing in Autumn, we would expect at least a month of runtime to be available.
The dev team has been sharing more news connected to the expansion and what gamers can expect when the Shadowlands beta goes live this week.
You can read some of the latest information below on the big World of Warcraft launch:
SOULBINDS
During your travels in the Shadowlands, you’ll meet key members from each Covenant—Kyrian, Necrolord, Night Fae, and Venthyr—and, if you choose to walk in their path, you’ll be able to Soulbind with them. Soulbinding allows you to gain access to traits that provide bonuses or enhance your skills so you can effectively combat all who stand in your way.
After hitting max level, you’ll be able to choose to pledge yourself to a Covenant and forge a deep bond with some of their key members, who’ll lend their powers to use as your own. In practice, each Covenant will allow you to form this link with one of three Soulbinds. The first two Soulbinds are available as soon as you join a Covenant and do a little bit of questing—no other activity or currency required. The third Soulbind is unlocked when you complete the Covenant Campaign quest line.
JOINING A COVENANT
As you progress through Shadowlands, you’ll play through each of the four new zones where the Covenants hold dominion, learning about what each Covenant stands for and experiencing some the powers that they offer. Once you’ve completed the narrative campaign and have reached max level, you’ll receive a quest in Oribos allowing you to choose which Covenant you’d like to belong to and begin your new journey as a member.
- Kyrian: The kyrian are steadfast guardians of the afterlife who bear the souls of the dead into the Shadowlands. Eternally devoted to duty and service, only the worthy may enter their ranks.
- Necrolords: Among the necrolords, strength is rewarded and weakness cast aside. The souls of the ambitious and contentious are forged into an immortal army charged with the defense of the Shadowlands.
- Night Fae: The night fae tend to fallen nature spirits who slumber within the tranquil forest. Those with a deep bond to nature may join their cause, ensuring that the rejuvenated spirits can one day rejoin the eternal cycle.
- Venthyr: The venthyr are aristocratic overseers of souls burdened with excessive pride and wickedness. They guide troubled souls upon the rigorous path to atonement, harvesting anima to keep their realm strong.