World of Warcraft : Wrath of the Lich King FAQ This page is an archive of the official FAQ for the second expansion for World of Warcraft , titled . Features . What are the features of the new expansion ? Wrath of the Lich King builds on the rich foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade , providing a wealth of new content for players to explore . The harsh , forbidding continent of Northrend , home of the Lich King and his undead minions , will be uncovered on the world map , and to contend with the new challenges found there , players will be able to advance to level 80 , acquiring potent new abilities and talents along the way . In addition , Wrath of the Lich King will introduce the death knight hero class to World of Warcraft . Once certain criteria are met , players will be able to create a new death knight character , which will start at a high level . Furthermore , player - vs . - player battles will reach a new level of intensity with the addition of siege weapons and destructible buildings , not to mention a new battleground . There will also be an abundance of new quests , dungeons , monsters , items , and recipes - - as well as a new profession , inscription - - for players to try out . The expansion will include some additional character - customization options for players as well . We ' ll be going into more detail on all of these features in the months ahead . How will the death knight class fit into the game ? The death knight combines martial prowess with dark , necromantic energies . Players might be familiar with the death knight from previously released Warcraft games - - most recently , in the campaigns for Warcraft III : Reign of Chaos and the Frozen Throne expansion , the former paladin Arthas became a death knight and wreaked havoc across Azeroth and Northrend before fusing with the spirit of Ner ' zhul to become the Lich King . The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft ; once certain criteria are met , players will unlock the ability to create a new death knight character , which will begin play at a high experience level . We ' re currently exploring various options for how the death knight will play and the types of abilities at its disposal , and we ' ll be revealing more information about this new class as we get further along in development . Will the death knight have any abilities from previously released Warcraft games ? The way we portrayed death knights in past Warcraft games is certainly a source of inspiration , but we are still determining how best to capture that feel within the mechanics of World of Warcraft , and haven ' t made any final determinations on specific abilities . What role will the death knight play in groups and raids ? In general terms , the death knight can be considered a type of class that combines damage dealing and tanking , but naturally it will have an array of unique abilities as well . What races will be allowed to play death knights ? We have decided that all races can be a Deathknight . It would not be " fair " if a race could not be a Deathknight . Will there be additional hero classes in the future ? Yes , we do intend to add more hero classes in the future , but right now our focus is on the current expansion . What is the story background of the expansion ? Players last visited Northrend in the Warcraft III expansion , when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner ' zhul to become the Lich King , one of the most powerful entities in the Warcraft universe . He now broods atop the Frozen Throne , deep in Icecrown Citadel , clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge . In Wrath of the Lich King , the greatest champions of the Alliance and the Horde will do battle with the Scourge amid Northrend ' s howling winds and fields of jagged ice , and ultimately face the Lich King himself . Will players actually get to encounter Arthas himself ? Players will be skirmishing with the minions of Arthas from the moment they set foot on Northrend . He will be a constant presence as players progress through the expansion content - - which will culminate in a showdown with the dread Lich King himself . Can you discuss some of the new talents and abilities that will be available from level 70 to level 80 ? As with character advancement up to level 70 , players will gain access to an array of potent and exciting new abilities and talents as they make their way from level 70 to level 80 . However , it ' s still too early to get into specifics on these . How long will it take to advance from level 70 to level 80 ? We were pleased with the pacing from level 60 to level 70 in The Burning Crusade , and we intend to take a similar approach to pacing character advancement in Wrath of the Lich King . However , the specific amount of time that it will take players to reach level 80 will vary widely based on play style . What can you reveal about Northrend ? The first area of Northrend we ' re showcasing is the Howling Fjord , a region of grasslands overlooking massive cliffs at the southeastern edge of the continent . This , along with the Borean Tundra , is the front line of the war against Arthas , and players will come face to face with his minions as soon as they set foot on Northrend . Eventually , as players progress further , they will explore the Grizzly Hills , Dragonblight , and more . We ' ll be showing off some of these new areas in the months ahead . What ' s the level requirement to enter Northrend ? Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend . However , all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up . How many new dungeons will be in the expansion ? The first dungeon players will enter is Utgarde Keep , which is intended for five players around level 70 . Utgarde is inhabited by the Vrykul , a Viking - like race bent on proving their strength to the Lich King , who will raise the most worthy of their warriors to serve him beyond the grave . We intend to provide a variety of dungeons comparable to that in The Burning Crusade and will be revealing more details about some of these in the months ahead . Do you plan to continue with the 25 - player model for raids ? Yes , we ' ve been pleased with the tactics , intensity , and variety of the 25 - player raid model , and plan to continue with it . In what ways will players be able to further customize their characters in the expansion ? In addition to the numerous new character - customization options that will be available with all of the new weapons and armor added by the expansion , we ' ll be offering some fun ways to alter both existing and new characters with regard to dances and hairstyles , but we ' re not ready to go into more detail just yet . What can you reveal about the new profession coming with the expansion ? Inscription allows the player to permanently enhance their spells and abilities and to create mysterious items of power to use , trade , and sell . What can players expect with regard to player - vs . - player combat in the expansion ? Players will be able to take control of siege weapons and use them to destroy opposing buildings , adding a new layer of complexity to PvP battles . Naturally , we ' ll be providing some fun places to put these new tools to good use , and we ' ll be revealing more information about them in the months ahead , in addition to the new battleground content being added . Can you give a sneak peek at the new recipes and items in the expansion ? There will be hundreds of new recipes and thousands of new items available , but we ' re not ready to discuss specific examples just yet . How many zones will be in the expansion ? Northrend will be roughly equivalent to Outland in terms of size and scope . Will there be any new cinematic scenes ? Yes , our cinematics department is hard at work preparing a new intro movie for the expansion . Release / Availability . Do you need to own the expansion to play with friends who have it ? There will be many aspects of the expansion that will be available to all players . However , in order to experience certain content , such as Northrend , or be able to play as a death knight , players must purchase the expansion . Will there be an open beta test of the expansion ? We have not yet determined whether the expansion will require an open beta test . If we do decide to conduct a beta test , details will be posted on the official World of Warcraft website once we ' ve gotten further along in the development process . When will the expansion be released ? How much will it cost ? 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 the official website for more information . Will there be a collector ' s edition ? We have not yet made any determination about whether there will be a collector ' s edition of Wrath of the Lich King . We ' ll be announcing details such as this closer to release . Will a Mac version be available simultaneously with the PC version ? Yes . As with all of our games , Wrath of the Lich King will be compatible with and optimized for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms . What are the system requirements ? We ' ll continue to ensure that the game is playable on a wide range of hardware . However , we have not made a final determination on the system requirements as yet . Will the expansion be released globally at the same time ? We recognize that players throughout the world will be eager to experience all of the new content being added with Wrath of the Lich King , and we will make every effort to release the expansion simultaneously worldwide . However , there ' s always the possibility that unforeseen circumstances could delay the launch in any given region . We ' ll share the launch timing with players in each region as soon as the plans have been finalized . What is the ESRB rating for the expansion ? The expansion has not yet been rated by the ESRB . However , we anticipate that it will receive the same rating that the original World of Warcraft received - - " Teen . "