World of Warcraft 20th anniversary: a look back at the legendary MMO

The original World of Warcraft was released on Nov. 23, 2004 and, what now feels like overnight, changed the industry forever. A longstanding and deeply embedded player base, plus the game’s innovation in live service and massively multiplayer online gaming, have made World of Warcraft one of the most played video games of all time.

Here, you’ll find a collection of stories about World of Warcraft today, 20 years ago, and at many notable points between (remember the blood plague?).