If you’ve ever seen friends post screenshots of epic dragon raids, or heard people gush about the story of Arthas, you’ve probably wondered at some point: how do i start playing world of warcraft? Unlike many modern live service games that throw a million tutorials and microtransactions at you the second you log in, WoW balances decades of content with friendly onboarding for new players – as long as you know where to start. I’ve been playing WoW on and off since Wrath of the Lich King, and I’ve walked dozens of my real-life friends through their first few weeks in the game, so I’ve put together all the info you need to avoid common new player mistakes and have fun right out the gate.
First Steps: Answering How Do I Start Playing World of Warcraft Before You Log In
The first step to answering how do i start playing world of warcraft is setting up your Battle.net account, which is the platform that runs all Blizzard games. Sign up is free, and you don’t have to enter any payment info to access the free trial. The free trial lets you play any character up to level 20, with a few small restrictions like no access to player trade, the auction house, or guild invites. It’s the perfect way to test if the game’s art style and gameplay loop feel fun for you before you spend any money.
Once you decide you want to play past level 20, you’ll need to pay for a subscription. Battle.net Subscription vs. Game Time can be confusing for new players, but the difference is simple: a subscription is a recurring monthly charge, while game time is a one-time purchase of a set number of days to play. Subscriptions are cheaper if you plan to play long-term, but I always recommend new players buy a single 30-day game time pass first, so you don’t get locked into a recurring charge if you decide the game isn’t for you.
You don’t need to buy the latest WoW expansion right away either. All older expansion content is included with your subscription, and you won’t be able to access the latest expansion’s content until you hit the current level cap anyway. Save that purchase for when you’re close to max level and know you want to keep playing.
Picking Your First Character: No, You Won’t “Mess Up” Permanently
Character creation is the most exciting part of starting WoW for most new players, but it can also feel overwhelming with 13 classes and 24 races to choose from. First, you’ll pick a faction: Alliance or Horde. Faction choice used to lock you out of playing with friends on the other side, but these days you can join cross-faction dungeons, raids, and even groups for open world content. The only real differences are faction-specific quest lines, racial abilities, and home cities, so pick whichever faction has races you think look cooler.
Next you’ll pick a class and spec, which determines what abilities you have and what role you play in groups. If you have no experience with MMOs, stick to a beginner-friendly class to learn the ropes before you try something more complex. Some of my top picks for new players are:
Don’t stress about picking the “perfect” class on your first try. You can switch specs for free at any time after level 10, you can create as many new characters as you want, and there are even paid services to change your race, faction, or class later if you decide you want a change. I deleted my first three characters before I settled on my main, and that’s totally normal for new players.
Your First 10 Hours in Azeroth: What to Prioritize
When you first log in, you’ll be placed in Exile’s Reach, a dedicated starting zone for new players that walks you through all the basics of the game. Follow the Exile’s Reach quest line all the way through before you go anywhere else. It teaches you how to use abilities, pick up and turn in quests, use your mount, and even complete a small group dungeon at the end. Skipping it will leave you confused about basic game mechanics later, so take the hour or two to run through it fully.
Don’t worry about “optimal” leveling paths right now. Once you finish Exile’s Reach, you’ll be given the option to pick any expansion in WoW’s history to level through. A lot of guides will tell you to pick the fastest expansion for leveling, but that’s only important if you’re rushing to hit max level as fast as possible. If you care more about having fun, pick the expansion with the setting or story that sounds most interesting to you. I recently walked a friend through their first playthrough, and they picked Mists of Pandaria just because they thought the panda race was cute, and they had way more fun than if they’d forced themselves through the “meta” leveling path.
Stick to the default game UI for your first 20 levels at least. A lot of new players download 20+ add-ons before they even log in, and they end up overwhelmed by all the extra popups and custom settings. The default UI has everything you need to learn the game, and you can add add-ons one at a time later if you find specific features you want, like a better damage meter or quest tracker.
Avoid These Common New Player Mistakes
Don’t hoard every single item you pick up in your first few hours. Gray quality items are useless, so sell them to the first vendor you find. White quality items are only useful if you plan to pick up a crafting profession early on, otherwise sell those too. Bag space is incredibly limited for new players, and you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration if you only hang onto items you’re actually using.
Don’t trust random messages from players offering free gold, mounts, or rare items. WoW has its share of scammers, and any unsolicited message offering free stuff is almost always an attempt to steal your account. Blizzard employees will never ask you for your password or account info, so never share that with anyone, no matter what they offer you.
Don’t rush to hit max level just because other players tell you “the game starts at endgame”. That’s true for players who care about high-end raiding or PvP, but there’s no right way to play WoW. If you enjoy questing and exploring the world, take your time. If you want to stop leveling for a few hours to fish or collect pets, do that. The game’s 20 years of content isn’t going anywhere, and you’ll have more fun if you play at your own pace.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most long-time WoW players love helping new players, and if you get stuck on a quest or can’t figure out how to get to a new zone, just ask in the general chat channel. More often than not, someone will either give you clear directions or even fly over to help you complete the quest themselves. I still help new players in my starting zone whenever I see them asking for help, it’s one of the best parts of the community.
Figuring out how do i start playing world of warcraft can feel intimidating at first, especially when you see how much content the game has built up over 20 years. But you don’t have to consume all of it at once, and you don’t have to play the way anyone else tells you to. Take your time, pick the character that looks cool to you, and explore the parts of Azeroth that sound fun. Before you know it, you’ll have your own stories of epic loot wins, silly random encounters, and friends you’ve made along the way.
