With the launch of Rage of the Firelands (patch 4.2), we introduced the World of Warcraft Starter Edition, a replacement for the previously available free trial. The Starter Edition allows anyone to play for free up to level 20 without the time restrictions placed on trial accounts -- all you need is a Battle.net account and Internet connection. The Starter Edition also opens up some new features that weren't available in the old time-limited trial:
- Players with the WoW Starter Edition can create draenei and blood elf characters, which were previously unavailable with trial accounts.
- The two starting zones associated with these races are also available to people wishing to try out the game.
- The gold limit has been raised to 10 gold, allowing Starter Edition players to purchase mounts when they reach the appropriate level.
When you reach level 20, your characters will stop gaining experience. However, you are free to continue playing and exploring Azeroth for as long as you wish -- or you can roll an entirely new character to try out a new race or class. You can also choose to upgrade to a full, paid account at any time and continue your adventures beyond level 20.
With the launch of the Starter Edition, all existing trial accounts,
including expired ones, have been reactivated. That means if you've tried WoW in the past, your trial-account characters are now accessible once more.
As you may have already seen, our
Recruit-a-Friend program has also been upgraded as a result of the changes introduced with the WoW Starter Edition.
Now's a better time than ever to try out World of Warcraft. If you’re thinking of getting into WoW or know a friend who's been interested in joining you in Azeroth, it's easy to
give it a try today.
For more information on this exciting new feature and a full list of restrictions, please visit the
Starter Edition FAQ.
