If you’ve ever scrolled through short clips of dragon riding, heard your friends rant about the latest raid boss, or just wanted to dip your toes into one of the most iconic MMORPGs of all time, you’re in the right place. World of Warcraft has 20 years of lore, content, and systems built into it, which can feel incredibly overwhelming when you first open the launcher. The good news is that learning how to get started on World of Warcraft is way simpler than it looks, even if you have zero experience with MMORPGs. This guide skips all the complicated jargon and gives you exactly what you need to know to enjoy your first playthrough.
How to Get Started on World of Warcraft: First Steps Before You Log In
Your first big decision is picking which version of WoW you want to play: Retail or Classic. Retail is the main, updated version of the game with all 10 expansions, modern quality of life features, and regular content updates. Classic is the throwback version that recreates older iterations of the game, from the original 2004 release up to the Warlords of Draenor expansion, with slower progression and fewer quality of life tweaks. If you’re playing with friends, pick whatever version they’re already on, no questions asked.
Next, you’ll need to create a free Battle.net account and download the game client. You don’t have to buy the full game to test it out – the free trial lets you play up to level 20 with no time limit, so you can mess around and see if you like the game before spending any money. If you decide to upgrade later, you can buy the latest expansion or a subscription that gives you access to all older expansions for a monthly fee.
The last step before making a character is picking a server and faction. Factions are split into Alliance and Horde, and you can’t trade, guild up, or group with players on the opposite faction for most content. Servers are grouped by type: Normal for casual questing and PvE, PvP for open world player vs player combat, and RP for roleplaying. Again, if you have friends playing, pick the same server and faction as them to avoid being locked out of playing together.
Picking Your First Character That Fits Your Playstyle
Once you pick your server and faction, you’ll get to choose a race and class. Each race has small, unique passive perks, but they’re not make or break for new players, so pick whatever race you think looks coolest. Class is a more important choice, as it determines what abilities you have and what role you fill in group content.
There are three core roles in WoW: Tank, Healer, and DPS (damage dealer). Tanks lead groups, absorb damage from enemies, and control combat flow. Healers keep the entire group alive during fights. DPS deal the majority of damage to enemies. If you’re not sure what role you want, DPS is the most beginner-friendly, as you have less responsibility in group content than tanks or healers.
Hunter is widely considered the best first class for new players, thanks to its ranged combat style, permanent pet companion that tanks enemies for you, and simple ability rotation. Mages and Rogues are also great beginner DPS picks, with straightforward mechanics and high damage output. If you want to try healing or tanking early on, Paladin is a great option because it can fill all three roles, so you can swap if you don’t like your initial pick.
Don’t spend hours obsessing over your first class or spec choice. You can change your character’s appearance, name, and even server later if you want, and you can unlock the ability to swap between specs for free once you hit level 10. I’ve seen so many new players spend an hour debating which class to pick, only to swap to a different one 2 levels in anyway, so don’t overthink it.
Navigating Your First 10 Levels Without Getting Lost
Your first 10 levels will take place in your race’s dedicated starting zone, which is specifically designed to teach you basic controls, combat, and questing. Don’t skip the initial tutorial popups, even if they seem obvious – they’ll teach you how to move, use abilities, and interact with NPCs far faster than trial and error will.
Quests are the core of WoW’s leveling experience. Yellow exclamation marks above NPC heads mean they have a quest for you, and yellow question marks mean you have a completed quest to turn in to them. Always turn in quests as soon as you finish them, as they give you XP, gear, and gold that you’ll need later on. If you’re still figuring out how to get started on World of Warcraft, your first 10 levels are all about experimentation, not perfection.
There are a few simple rules that will make your first couple hours way less frustrating:
- Bind your most used abilities to keys 1-5 on your keyboard instead of clicking them with your mouse – you’ll fight much faster and make fewer mistakes
- Loot every enemy you kill, even if you don’t need the gear – you can sell extra items to vendors for gold that you’ll need for mounts later
- Don’t wander too far from your starting zone until you hit level 10 – higher level areas will have enemies that one-shot you for no reason
If you get stuck on a quest or can’t find a specific item, you can ask for help in general chat, which is open to all players on your server in the same zone. Most long-time WoW players love helping new people, so don’t be embarrassed to ask questions. You can turn on quest tracking in your settings to see exactly where you need to go for each quest, so you don’t have to read every line of quest text if you don’t want to.
Core Mechanics to Learn As You Progress Past Level 20
Once you hit level 20, you’ll unlock your first ground mount, which cuts your travel time in half. Make sure you save up 10 gold before you hit level 20 so you can buy the mount and riding skill right away – there’s no worse feeling than having to walk everywhere when everyone else is riding past you. You’ll unlock flying mounts and dragon riding at higher levels, which make traversing the massive game world even faster.
You can queue for your first 5-player dungeon as early as level 15. Dungeons are instanced areas with stronger enemies and unique boss fights, and they give way better gear and XP than regular open world quests. If you’re playing DPS, just make sure you don’t pull extra enemies before the tank is ready, and stay out of obvious boss attack patterns. If you’re trying tank or healer for the first time, just mention that you’re new in group chat, and almost everyone will be patient and give you tips.
Dungeons are one of the fastest ways to level up and get better gear for your character, so don’t be afraid to try them even if you prefer playing solo. You can also try out professions once you hit level 5, which let you gather resources like ore and herbs, or craft items like gear, potions, and food. You don’t have to take professions seriously if you don’t want to, but they’re a fun side activity that can make you extra gold or give you useful buffs for combat.
If you want to meet other players, you can join a guild once you hit level 10. Guilds are player-run groups that host events, run dungeons and raids together, and help new players with gear or advice. You don’t have to join a guild if you prefer playing solo, but it’s a great way to make friends and learn more about the game if you want to. There are even casual guilds that focus on socializing and non-competitive content, so you don’t have to worry about being forced to play on a strict schedule.
At the end of the day, WoW is a game, so don’t stress about doing everything “right” on your first playthrough. You can take your time exploring every corner of the map, collect pets and mounts, run random dungeons, or just follow the main story at your own pace. Even the most veteran WoW players started exactly where you are, fumbling with their first abilities and getting lost in their starting zone. Learning how to get started on World of Warcraft is just the first step to thousands of hours of fun, whether you play entirely solo or group up with friends every night.
