http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/

Well, if you don’t know by now, I am a raging WoWaholic. And all the rumors have been circulating of late.. but its finally arrived. The first WoW expansion has been annouced. Here’s the brief:

• An increase in the level cap to 70
• Two new playable races, including the magical Blood Elves
• New starting zones in Quel’Thalas and beyond
• The entire new continent of Outland, reachable through the Dark Portal
• Many new high-level dungeons to explore in Azeroth, Outland, and elsewhere
• New flying mounts in Outland
• Many new and dangerous monsters, including epic world bosses
• Hundreds of new quests
• Hundreds of new items
• A new profession: Jewelcrafting
• Socketed items
• And much, much more…

Oh yeah.. that last point rocks!! (stupid marketing).

Well I for one will be all over this expansion.

Here, to answer some of your questions.. is some the offical FAQ:

Q: Will there be a public beta test of the expansion?
A: We have not yet determined whether we will hold a public beta test for the expansion. If we decide to conduct a beta test, we will post details on the official World of Warcraft website.

Q: When will the expansion be released? How much will it cost?
A: We have not yet announced a release date for the expansion set. However, we expect to announce further details, including the release date and price, on our community website in the months ahead. Please stay tuned to www.WorldofWarcraft.com for more information.

Q: What are the system requirements?
A: The system requirements remain the same as for the original World of Warcraft game.

Q: Will the expansion be released globally at the same time?
A: We will make every effort to release the expansion simultaneously worldwide. More details on this will follow at a later date.

Q: Do you need to own the expansion to play with friends who have it?
A: There will be many aspects of the expansion that are available to all players. However, in order to experience certain content, such as the Outlands, or be able to play as one of the new races, players will have to purchase the expansion.

Now, you will note that they have not announced the new Alliance race. The scuttlebut on the boards is that this race will in fact be the “Dranei”. The Dranei are the original inhabitants of outland, along with the Orcs. So Wow will add a pretty race to the Horde, and an ugly race to the allies. Makes sense.