World of Warcraft players entering the fabled Shadowlands will find the realms of the dead in upheaval. Under the normal order, departed souls were delivered to a realm appropriate to the lives they led, but now, all souls are being funneled into the Maw, where the most wicked are damned to suffer for eternity.

As they seek to right the cycle and uncover the extent of Sylvanas’ designs, players will forge bonds with the Covenants who hold domain over different planes within the Shadowlands:

• The steadfast Kyrian of Bastion, whose discipline and duty compels them to safeguard souls from the mortal realm as they pass into the Shadowlands.
• The mysterious Night Fae of Ardenweald, who fiercely defend the spirits of nature from those who would deprive them of rebirth.
• The cunning Venthyr of Revendreth, who feast on the souls of the prideful and vain in a gothic realm of opulence and torment.
• The warlike Necrolords of Maldraxxus, who forge the undead armies that serve as the first line of defense for the Shadowlands and honor those who seek power and glory in battle.

In their journeys through the Shadowlands, players will also come face-to-face with some of the departed legends of the Warcraft universe, such as Uther the Lightbringer, who struggles against dark forces that seek to transform him into a symbol of retribution, and Kael’thas, who pursues vengeance on an enemy from his past while confined to Revendreth for the crimes he committed in life.

Prior to the expansion’s release, Azeroth will begin to bear the effects of Sylvanas’s actions during a special pre-launch in-game event: “Death Rising.” This limited-time event will send players to the frozen wastes of Icecrown, where the veil between worlds has been shattered—and the reawakening of the undead Scourge heralds the stirring of more sinister forces.

The “Death Rising” event is part of the major pre-expansion game update to prepare for Shadowlands’ release, which also includes a newly revamped leveling experience that takes players to the new pre-Shadowlands level cap of 50, the addition of an epic introductory adventure for players new to World of Warcraft set on the accursed island of Exile’s Reach, a variety of updates to classes and abilities in preparation for the expansion, and more.

Following a hard-fought Shadowlands: Season 1, the top 16 teams across North America and Europe are gearing up for the Season 2 Circuit and their share of the $160,000 (USD) global prize pool. They’ll compete in a four-week round-robin, beginning on July 31 via youtube, with the top four teams in each region advancing to the Shadowlands 2021 Grand Finals for a shot at standing as the best PvP teams in all of Shadowlands and the $300,000 (USD) prize pool!

The top six teams from each region during the Season 1 Circuit secured their spots in the upcoming season. They are joined by the top two teams from the Relegation Cup, which saw an open field of new PvP challengers face off against the bottom two teams from each region. The newest AWC Circuit teams—MyWay and Badluckbones in Europe, and Borngood retirement fund and Shadow Word: Chicken in North America—will face an uphill battle to prove they have what it takes to sit within the pantheon of AWC teams.

Europe	North America
Skill Capped EU – Season 1 Champions	Method NA – Season 1 Champions
Ad Hoc Gaming	Borngood retirement fund
Badluckbones	Cloud9
Creed	Golden Guardians
Method EU	Hamsters and Hares
MyWay	Shadow Word: Chicken
Reload Esports	TBD (formerly OTK Network)
Tegridy Damp	Unitas

Season 2 will also see teams facing off within the newest content release, The Chains of Domination. With new content comes a completely new meta! The AWC casters, after immersing themselves in the Public Test Realm for the new content, have shared their thoughts on how this could shape Season 2.

Sid “Supatease” Compston – “I'm anticipating Feral Druids, Assassin Rogues, and Death Knights to land in top competitive spots. Most teams don't have access to Feral Druids or Death Knights as "main classes" so teams may be likely forced out of their comfort zones to learn new specs or we will see Old Meta vs New Meta. OTK is likely very excited to tear things up with Lord Mes.”

Elliot “Venruki” Venczel – “I am incredibly excited for patch 9.1! With new honor talents as well as changes to existing ones, we’re in for a real shake-up in the meta. We’re going to see brand new compositions and new class specialization rise for the competition. I’m looking forward to seeing these teams experiment with the new changes, early adopters will have a big edge in S2 of the AWC!”

Mohamed “Ziqo” Beshir – “I think the thing I'm most excited about is the new honor talents! Watching the best players get creative with how to use them will be very fun to see, some of them have so much potential like the frost mage ice wall! I think we're going to see some big changes in the arena meta in 9.1. The teams that will be the best at adapting to them will have momentum early on in AWC S2.”

Will the reigning champions hold onto their titles, or will young Relegation upstarts breakthrough? We cannot wait for you to join us when the AWC Circuit returns for a Season 2 that is sure to be filled with some PvP Domination, only on YouTube beginning August 31!

Key Features:

• Explore the Realm of the Dead: For the first time ever in World of Warcraft, players will cross into the Shadowlands and experience the wonders and horrors of the afterlife across five new zones—the gleaming fields of Bastion, the scarred battlefields of Maldraxxus, the eternal twilight of Ardenweald, the opulent keeps of Revendreth, and the horrific Maw.
• Explore Warcraft’s Afterlife—Discover the wonders and horrors that await in the world beyond the veil. Ride across the gleaming fields of Bastion, lose yourself among the gothic spires of Revendreth, find yourself at the crossroads of fate in the eternal city of Oribos, and much more.
• Claim a Covenant’s Power: Players will be called upon to forge a bond with one of four Covenants that rule Shadowlands’ new zones, setting the tone for their journey through the expansion with a full Covenant Campaign. As they level up, they’ll get new abilities based on their choice, including class-specific abilities for each Covenant—as well as developing Soulbinds with specific Covenant members, which grant them access to that character’s specific traits and bonuses.
• Ascend the Tower of the Damned: At the heart of the Maw lies Torghast, Tower of the Damned, a cursed otherworldly prison where the wickedest souls in the universe are locked away. Highly replayable and inspired by roguelike games, heroes are invited to explore its ever-changing halls and chambers and do battle with the minions of the Jailer, Torghast’s vile ruler. Those who brave its trials can claim legendary treasures and help free the heroic spirits wrongfully trapped within.
• Every Level Is Meaningful: Shadowlands will introduce a new leveling system, meant to provide a meaningful sense of advancement with every level achieved. Current max-level characters will begin Shadowlands at level 50 and work toward the new level cap of 60.
• A New Army of the Dead Rises: To combat Sylvanas’ assault on Icecrown, Bolvar Fordragon— the revered former paladin who took on the mantle of Lich King to keep the Scourge at bay—has raised heroes from among all the peoples of Azeroth to bolster the Death Knights of Acherus. With Shadowlands, pandaren and all allied races will now be able to become Death Knights.
• Improved Character Customization Options: A host of new appearance options for all races will be made available to players when they create new World of Warcraft characters (or alter existing ones at the in-game barber shop).
• And More. . .—Endure the Jailer’s watchful eye in the Maw, where the challenge mounts the longer you linger; Soulbind with key characters of your chosen Covenant to share their distinct powers; choose how to restore your Covenant’s Sanctum to glory . . . Shadowlands is unlike anything ever before experienced in World of Warcraft.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is currently available for PC.