World of Warcraft Shadowlands was WoW’s eighth major expansion, released in November 2020, and it represented one of the most dramatic narrative departures in the game’s history. Shadowlands took players entirely off the planet Azeroth and into the afterlife itself: the realm where all mortal souls travel after death.
The expansion introduced the Covenant system, Torghast the Tower of the Damned, and the concept of the Shadowlands as a plane of reality that had existed in WoW’s lore but never been directly visited. It also introduced the level squish that reset the max level from 120 to 60, fundamentally restructuring WoW’s progression system.
Shadowlands was a divisive expansion. Its pre-patch introduced the most beloved leveling reforms in WoW history. The expansion’s endgame system received significant criticism for grindy Covenant mechanics and Torghast repetition. Its story conclusion polarized longtime players.
What Are the Main Features of Shadowlands?
The Shadowlands as a Setting
Shadowlands is the cosmic afterlife realm: a plane of reality where souls flow after mortal death and are sorted into four distinct covenants based on their nature and deeds in life. The expansion’s visual identity is striking: zones styled as baroque cityscapes, lush forests, icy wastelands, and plague-ravaged desolation all existing simultaneously in a realm outside normal time.
The four Covenant zones:
- Bastion: A pristine, cloud-like realm of peace and devotion, home to the Kyrian who guide mortal souls to judgment
- Maldraxxus: A militaristic realm of might and conflict where souls are tested through constant warfare
- Ardenweald: A twilight forest realm where nature spirits rest and dream between cycles of life and death
- Revendreth: A gothic castle realm where flawed souls are punished and purified by the Venthyr
The Covenant System
The expansion’s defining progression mechanic: players choose one of the four Covenants and align with it for their character’s endgame development. Each Covenant provided:
- A unique active ability added to the player’s kit
- A unique passive ability
- A Soulbind system for additional passive bonuses through NPC companions
- An exclusive Covenant armor set and cosmetics
- A campaign story specific to that Covenant
The Covenant choice was controversial because some Covenants had objectively stronger abilities for specific classes and specs, creating tension between narrative preference and optimal performance.
Torghast, Tower of the Damned
Torghast is Shadowlands’ most original gameplay addition: a rogue-like dungeon where players scale increasingly difficult floors of a procedurally modified tower, collecting anima powers that modify their character’s abilities within that run. No two Torghast runs are identical.
Torghast was the most critically praised feature at launch but became one of the most criticized after mandatory completion requirements were tied to core progression. The optional nature was later restored through patches.
The Level Squish
Shadowlands introduced the most significant structural change to WoW’s leveling system since launch: a complete compression of all character levels. The previous max level of 120 was reduced to 50, with Shadowlands adding levels 51-60.
This squish affected every existing character and made the path from level 1 to the current expansion feel dramatically shorter and more cohesive.
How Does Shadowlands Differ from Previous WoW Expansions?
| Feature | Pre-Shadowlands Pattern | Shadowlands |
| Setting | Azeroth or alternate realms adjacent to it | Entirely off Azeroth in the cosmic afterlife |
| Max level | Steadily increased (reached 120) | Squished all levels down; max was 60 |
| Covenant system | Faction/reputation-based rewards | Single mandatory Covenant alignment with exclusive abilities |
| Leveling path | Chromie Time began here for new players | Introduced Chromie Time letting players choose any expansion |
| Story conclusion | Mixed (introduced Zovaal/Jailer plot) | Controversial Jailer/Sylvanas arc resolution |
The Shadowlands story introduced Zovaal the Jailer as the expansion’s primary antagonist and attempted to retroactively establish him as the secret architect of most major WoW events. This retcon was widely criticized for undermining years of established villain motivations.
Where to Find the Best Shadowlands Guides
Wowhead Shadowlands Guides
Wowhead maintains comprehensive guides for Shadowlands content even after the expansion ended. For players returning to experience Shadowlands story or farming old content for cosmetics and mounts:
- Wowhead’s Covenant guides explain every ability and soulbind tree
- Zone questline walkthroughs for Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, and Revendreth
- Torghast floor guides for players completing the Legendary crafting system retrospectively
Icy Veins
Icy Veins maintains raid and dungeon guides for Shadowlands content that remains farmable for Mounts, Transmog gear, and achievements.
Shadowlands Content Available in 2026
While Shadowlands is no longer the current expansion, significant content remains accessible and actively farmed:
- Zereth Mortis Mounts: Several highly desired mounts from the final Shadowlands zone remain farmable
- Shadowlands Mythic+ Dungeons: Rotated out of the active pool but accessible through specific group content tools
- Torghast: Still accessible as optional content for cosmetic rewards
- Legendary Base Items: Historically crafted through Torghast, now available through legacy farming
Pro Tips: Shadowlands for Returning Players
- Complete the Covenant campaign for story context before moving to current content: The Shadowlands story feeds directly into The War Within through the Worldsoul Saga setup. Understanding the events of Shadowlands makes current expansion story beats more meaningful.
- Farm Zereth Mortis on a flying character: Ground travel in Zereth Mortis is slow. Ensure your character has Shadowlands flying before dedicating time to zone farming.
- Skip mandatory Torghast runs: Torghast completion is no longer required for the Legendary crafting system in the current patch. The optional Torghast content for cosmetics remains available.
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