2015 has been the year of Legion. Never mind the fact that this World of Warcraft expansion hasn’t yet been released, Legion has taken the fan base by storm. Warlords, the current expansion, has become something most fans would like to leave far in the past, so the community’s eyes and hopes have turned to Legion. While Legion wasn’t officially announced until August, there has still been plenty of news about this expansion to make us feel like our cups have runneth over. Here is what 2015 has brought us regarding Legion so far:

Gamescom 2015

This is where it all started, gamescom 2015. In a surprising move, Blizzard decided to announce World of Warcraft: Legion at gamescom 2015. For those not familiar with this convention, gamescom is a trade fair for video games and is held annually in Cologne, Germany. While many video game companies use gamescom to show off their upcoming launches, it seemed a little curious for Blizzard to choose this platform since they host an annual convention of their very own.

Regardless, gamescom is where we got our first look at Legion and the amazing cinematic that goes along with it. This is where we got our first look at things like:

Demon Hunter

The Demon Hunter is the brand new class incoming in Legion. With only two specializations, this class was already set to be unique. Also making this class stand out are its direct link to Illidan and its Hero status. This means the Demon Hunter starts at level 90 and has a unique starting experience that no other class will experience. Learn more about this brand new class with our Demon Hunter Basics Guide or check out the Demon Hunter Starting Experience.

Artifact Weapons

Every player will get their very own Artifact Weapon near the start of their Legion experience. Created from artifacts if importance to your class, these weapons are a pretty big deal. Perhaps the only thing powerful enough to stand against the Burning Legion, your Artifact will remain with you throughout the expansion. Check out our Legion Artifact Weapon Guide for more information.

The Broken Isles

What would a new expansion be without a brand new zone? We got our first look at the Broken Isles at gamescom and it looks simply amazing. Made up of a group of islands in the South Seas, the Broken Isles are home to ancient ruins and undiscovered magic. It is here that the Pillars of Creation can be found, ancient artifacts that may be our worlds only hope at steaming the tide of the Burning Legion. Take a peek at this new landscape with our Broken Isles First Look.

Class Halls

Gamescom gave us our first look at Class Halls. This feature wasn’t very well received at first. Many players feared it would be much like the Garrison, the bane of every player’s existence in Warlords. However, after taking a closer look at Class Halls they are shaping up to look not so bad afterall. With more interesting things to do, followers that don't feel like drones, and playing a central role in the story of this expansion. Learn more about Class Halls with our Guide to Legion Class Order Halls. 

If you missed the reveal at gamescom, check out this handy video of the developers chat from the final day of the convention.

BlizzCon 2015

While some developer interviews happened after gamescom, things stayed pretty quiet as far as new revelations went. Fast forward to BlizzCon and the lid got totally blown off the place. BlizzCon hosted 2 full panels filled with nothing but Legion information and it was hard to keep up. At every turn we were introduced to something new (and awesome) about this brand new WoW expansion and it left us feeling like our heads were spinning afterwards. Here is a look at what we learned about Legion at BlizzCon

Profession Changes

In the early days of WoW, Professions were essential for every character. As the game as progressed, Professions have kind of fallen off the wayside. In Warlords, they are almost a total joke. Legion promises to change all that with massive reforms that will hopefully restore Professions to their former glory. Check out our Legion Profession Changes Overview for all the juicy details.

UI Improvements

UI improvements are pretty common in every expansion. Often ignored, these improvements truly improve the quality of life in game for all players. Legion is chalk full of these changes, giving us a better play experience than ever before. Use our Legion UI Updates and Improvements Guide to learn more about these often forgotten changes.

Challenge Mode

Challenge Modes are not a new feature in the game, however, they may as well be with the giant overhaul they are getting in Legion. Designed to be continuously fresh and exciting Challenge Modes will appeal to almost every player. Even better, the rewards are designed to complement or even totally take the place of raiding. Read more about this improved feature in our Legion Challenge Modes Guide.

Transmogrification

One of the biggest reveals at BlizzCon was the changes coming to Transmogrification. A big hit since its introduction, Transmog allows players to customize what their character looks like. In Legion players will see the addition of a Wardrobe to hold all their gear as well as the ability to create and link saved Outfits. If you are interested in more details about Transmogrification in Legion, check out our guide: Legion Transmogrification Changes.

Items and Itemization

If you loved world drops, Legion is the expansion for you. Not only will these gems be making it back into the game but they will be upgraded. Now world drops will be of Legendary quality instead of the Epic we have seen in the past. Other smaller, yet no less awesome, changes are coming as well and can be found in our Items and Itemization in Legion Guide.

Legion Alpha

Shortly after BlizzCon Legion entered Alpha testing. Not much new information has been gleaned from these early stages of testing, but more excitement is sure to come. 2016 will easily shape up to be even more exciting for Legion than 2015. Keep checking back with us at Ten Ton Hammer for more Legion details.