Next week’s World of Warcraft 8.1.5 update gives both the Alliance and Horde factions centralised portal hubs, which is good. At the same time, Blizzard is removing a bunch of existing portals, making it harder to get around the game. It’s an odd change that has players asking Blizzard why, and they aren’t satisfied with the answer.

The first major content update for World of Warcraft’s Battle for Azeroth expansion is upon us. Tides of Vengeance bring the fight between the Alliance and Horde to Darkshore, advances the war campaign, adds heritage armour for blood elves and dwarves and turns Gnomeregan into a pet battle dungeon, because gnomes get no respect.

Having spent the past decade reviewing World of Warcraft expansions, I’ve gotten into a certain rhythm. The expansion launches, I play for a month or so, post a review, and then I move on.

Yet I’ve logged into WoW every day since my review of the Battle for Azeroth went live. What can I say? The game tells a great story, and it’s super easy to play when you’re paralysed from the chest down.

Introduced in last week’s update, Warfronts are a new feature in World of Warcraft’s Battle for Azeroth expansion. They’re large-scale battles reminiscent of the original Warcraft series’ real-time strategy battles. They’re only exciting for about an hour, but look at my new horse and armour. So good.

Further demonstrating Blizzard’s obvious Horde bias, within an hour of beginning questing in Battle for Azeroth’s new Horde-centric Nazmir region I’ve ridden in a wagon pulled by the fluffiest alpaca ever, while an adorable little fox creature sang a song about them. I just can’t even.

“Well, it’s more of the same” is generally my answer when people ask me how I’m enjoying World of Warcraft’s seventh paid expansion, Battle for Azeroth. Then I spend several minutes explaining why that isn’t a bad thing.

It's hard to believe World of Warcraft is still chugging along and while not as popular as it once was, still has a player base in the millions. Battle for Azeroth, the game's seventh expansion, arrived last month, which means it's time for another instalment of Honest Game Trailers.

Man, why did I waste two weeks questing through boring green hills for the Alliance when I could have been exploring dinosaur-infested swamps as a mighty Cowadin? Even in the middle of the Battle for Azeroth, the Horde have it good.

After a week and a half of leisurely quest grinding, my diminutive Warlock has reached World of Warcraft’s new level cap of 120. Now it’s time to explore dungeons, hunt for treasure, and power up my equipment. Or I could just wait for the next expansion to come along and render all that extra effort moot.

Has the new World of Warcraft expansion's endless questing got you down? Why not take a break from killing things for a fast-paced, team-based treasure hunt? Battle for Azeroth's Island Expeditions are just the thing to break up the basic grind.

2016's Legion expansion brought bold new features to World of Warcraft, changing the game in exciting ways. So far, the Battle for Azeroth expansion does not.

On the far western side of Tiragarde Sound in World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth’s island nation of Kul Tiras, surrounded by tiresome rolling green hills, lies a gold and amber treasure trove of discarded tech garbage. It’s a beautiful place, as long as you don’t mind the vicious robot dogs.

When World of Warcraft's seventh expansion pack went live this week, Blizzard's dramatic pre-launch events had whipped me into an anti-Horde frenzy. Three days later, I just want to hang with these snake critters. War's over, everybody go home.

It’s a big day today for World of Warcraft, the massive multiplayer online game from Blizzard Entertainment. The game’s seventh expansion officially kicked off at 8AM AEST for Australian players, ensuring many a geek will be rushing home after work to devour as much content as they can get before bedtime - or else just taking the day off.

There’s only so much punishment a gnome Warlock can take, and I can’t take no more. World of Warcraft’s Battle for Azeroth expansion is live, and the Horde is going to pay for their grievous trespasses. Once I finish finding a little girl some seashells, hunt for some treasure, and some other stuff. But after that—WAR.

There's a lot of war flying around this week: Azeroth gets set alight with the newest World of Warcraft expansion, Phantom Doctrine brings a touch of XCOM to the Cold War, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes hits the Switch, and the Bard's Tale franchise gets its newest title in seemingly forever.

Last week a fire rocked World of Warcraft. It was an epic act of petulance, strategically foolish. It seemed bizarrely out of character for a beloved anti-hero, and damaged the honour of half the game's player population.

In the heat of the moment, it's been hard for many players and fans to accept. The game has thrived on nuanced reasoning that keeps the Horde and Alliance opposed while both feel justified in their animosity. But this was pure aggression and murder. How do you maintain your faction pride in the face of an evil act?

It's not quite on the same level as the Fallout 4 Hype Tram, because Sydney's light rail isn't as good. But hey, at least they're looking a little better.

I started playing World of Warcraft in about 2006, and it’s a testament to the allure of its world — the fantastical war-laden realm of Azeroth — that I’m still playing it 12 years later. In that time, the world of Warcraft has changed so much. And now, ahead if its latest expansion, one big change to that world is tearing me up inside.