With the Dragonflight Pre-Patch imminent, one World of Warcraft fan has made a chart comparing the length of each expansion. The chart shows the duration in days of each Pre-Patch, expansion, and length of each patch within the World of Warcraft releases.
The chart was shared by Redditor and World of Warcraft fan Tyrsenus. The new comparison chart was an updated version of the one they had posted before the launch of Shadowlands.
The total length of the Shadowlands expansion was about average for major World of Warcraft releases, but it seemed longer due to the extended periods of each of its major patches. Like Warlords of Draenor, Shadowlands only had two major patches, rather than the three or more like most expansions. Likewise, Shadowlands had the longest period of time before the first post-expansion patch release in World of Warcraft history, with 218 days passing before 9.1–nearly twice the historical average.
With Shadowlands drawing to a close, here's an updated chart comparing the patch cadence of all past expansions. From wow
Battle for Azeroth still stands as the longest World of Warcraft expansion to date, in no small part to the delay of Shadowlands due to COVID-19. Mists of Pandaria and Warlords of Draenor both still have had the longest single patch segments, with the former having a 399-day Patch 5.4 and the latter with a 392-day Patch 6.2. Warlords of Draenor’s final patch was so long that it launched at the same cadence as Shadowlands' first one.
World of Warcraft fans were quick to discuss Tyrsenus’ data, with over 450 comments over the course of a few days. Most of the discussion centered around how disappointing Warlords of Draenor was. With only two major patches–the first of which added little actual content to the game–Warlords of Draenor has gone down in history as one of the expansions with the most missed potential. Many debated over whether Warlords of Draenor, Battle for Azeroth, or Shadowlands was their least-favorite expansion in World of Warcraft history.
Though World of Warcraft’s history has been marred with some unpopular expansions, many players have high hopes for Dragonflight. Reports from the Dragonflight beta have been largely positive, and players are excited to dive into a more grounded World of Warcraft experience. The second phase of the Pre-Patch, and the first taste of Dragonflight proper, begins on November 15. Players won’t have to wait long to experience the new expansion for themselves, and in a couple of years, perhaps Tyrsenus will update his chart to see how the expansion and patch schedule of Dragonflight compares to its predecessors.
World of Warcraft is available now for PC. Dragonflight launches on November 28.