How to Play World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade

Wait a minute, it hasn't been released yet! Ah, but it has! Blizzard has been Beta testing Burning Crusade for some time now, and there are ways that YOU can get in on the action! Want to see the Blood Elves and Dranei? Outland? Monsters so big and scary they could crush your level 60 in a single hit?

Instructions

1

Cross your fingers! Blizzard has been known to randomly send people with high level characters a Beta key for Burning Crusade. Why? Because most of the content in Burning Crusade is designed for high level characters, especially considering the level cap in the expansion has been raised to 70. If you have a level 54+ in your character repertoire, you may get lucky!

2

Poke around for contests! Several World of Warcraft fan sites hold sweepstakes on a regular basis, the prizes of which are Burning Crusade Beta keys. Some require you to just provide your information while others may be more specific. Get geared up for a fight: some are battle tournaments!

3

Find a friend who got into the Beta! If you know someone who got into the Beta, ask them politely if they wouldn't mind you playing a bit. Make sure it is ok with them before you do it! Carelessly fiddling with someone's World of Warcraft account can be hazardous to your health!

4

Express an interest. Try writing to Blizzard explaining in polite and concise terms that you are a huge fan of World of Warcraft and that you think you would make a valuable addition to their Burning Crusade Beta test. If you have any game-testing experience, cite it! Be friendly, personable and try not to beg. There is no guarantee this will work, but if you really want to play Burning Crusade NOW, it is worth a try.

5

Ask a GM. There are several Game Masters wandering around World of Warcraft who are there to answer your questions. Try asking one of them how you might get into the Burning Crusade.

6

Order your copy now! The release date for Burning Crusade has officially been set as January 16, 2007. Many websites and all the major game stores are accepting pre-orders! Reserve your copy now! There is also a Collector's Edition which is more expensive, but includes a whole host of features that are not included in the regular game, not the least of which is a unique pet that is only available if you purchase the Collector's Edition!

7

Wait. As we just mentioned, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade will be officially released on January 16, 2007. If you are patient and don't like waiting in lines on a cold winter day, just sit tight until around January 23. The lines will be gone, the pre-orders will have shipped and most stores will have their regular stock in by then. No muss, no fuss, and only a week to hear your friends saying "Isn't Burning Crusade great?!"