When Will Mists Of Pandaria Launch?

Written by: Jason Winter (@winterinformal) | July 2, 2012 4:00 am

116 Comments

Welcome to this week’s installment of Over/Under where you, the GAMEBREAKER fans, get to show off your prognostic powers and see if you can outguess the staff – or even the people who make games themselves!

The rules are simple: we’ll offer you a quantifiable number, or perhaps a date, and ask you to predict whether the answer will be over or under our stated value.

Then, when we know the answer — typically within a few weeks or months — we’ll make a post to let you know how you did!

Today’s question is:

When will Mists of Pandaria release?

Now that we’ve gotten that other trifling detail — namely the Guild Wars 2 launch date — out of the way, the ball is in Blizzard‘s court. How close will the next World of Warcraft expansion come to GW2‘s date? Will it be influenced by that at all? And where are my pants?

We’re setting a target date of September 25.

If you think Mists of Pandaria will launch after September 25, post OVER in a comment below.
If you think Mists of Pandaria will launch on or before September 25, post UNDER in a comment below.

That target date is about a month after the Aug. 28 launch of Guild Wars 2, so ready your tinfoil hats and respond below!

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http://www.facebook.com/adzaell Adam Elliott

Over, Just because they will want GW2 hype to maybe die down?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brandon-Davis/100000286723150 Brandon Davis

Over, i say around the 16th of Oct
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1103680651 Dave Jeannotte

Over. Hard to say, honestly. With the trailer coming out Mid August at Gamescon that’s probably a pretty safe bet, but my gut is just saying later. Gonna go Oct 23… which isn’t that normally around the time of Blizzcon (which isn’t happening this year)?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Willi-Enderle/1668850948 Willi Enderle

Quite an early upload today ^^
OVER
Grigor Simeonov

OVER. I would actually say closer to 8-10 weeks after GW2
http://twitter.com/SilverTaurusPL SilverTaurus

OVER
Imo about the August 25, we will see the pre-patch 5.0. But the launch will be bit more than month later.
Kusanagi2501

Over
QSatu

Over. October probably.
http://www.facebook.com/nik666 Nikolai Tzolev

In advertising, the law of diminishing returns kicks in at message number two. That’s about Netflix.

On-topic, definitely over.
Cyclops07

Over, not that I care about MOP Wow sucks
http://twitter.com/Diogo_Pereira10 Diogo Pereira

Over
http://twitter.com/tyrogs Björn

Over, but just by a week tops
http://twitter.com/GW2Sorel Sorel

clearly, it’s gonna be over. Imo it will launch 2-3 weeks-ish after the annual pass renewal wich I don’t know when it is. so, end of october/start of november. October 30th? maybe.
Damir Miric

I predict around 4 more months of DS grind. So over.
http://twitter.com/borded nathan law

over
http://twitter.com/Glommerwort Glommerwort

Going with under. I think we’ll see Mists Sept. 11 or 18.
http://www.facebook.com/jason.jenkins.73 Jason Jenkins

over mid to early october just before the first annual pass’s end, this way if they do announce a new annual pass where mop is free they’ll be able to keep many people locked in the annual pass and not loose as many people that regret doing the first one…like myself…and they will get more resubs.

on an unrelated note i think another part of the new annual pass will be a in game discount on that yak mount that costs over 100k gold, 30% to 50% off

also a great idea for your next over under guys, what will be the perks in the new annual pass
Mark Mayer

10 months of Dragon Soul? God, I pray its under, cuz I have an itchy cancellation button pressing finger, and if I have to live through another ICC after they made a big fuss about releasing content sooner. Eff that in the ay.
- Old Ben
  
  Nothing prevents you from canceling and resubscribing after MoP is released. But if you really were going to cancel, you probably would have done so by now.
  - Mark Mayer
    
    Well, its never that simple, is it. If you are part of a 10-man raiding guild, your guildmates are like family, and if you ditch them, only to come back when the new expansion releases, it doesn’t exactly leave a sense of joy joy feelings, and they won’t let to just come back into the fold with open arms. Sure I could at least try to jump into another raid group, if you have a bizarre work schedule like mine, the well of decent raiding groups is pretty slim.
    
    I could see myself just jumping ship and completely go cold turkey, but with all the effort I put into my toons, of course i am reticent to do so. But if it truly is 10 months, well that’s just 2 months too long for me. If I hit that that kill button, I’m done.
    
    Just saying
    
    Or I am completely chicken and won’t do jack, and just sulk in the corner… That might happen too.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tj-Vossos/647768691 Tj Vossos

Over i say november
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ed-Bennett/705015073 Ed Bennett

Over, I’m thinking October
Joseph Gabrielli

over, October 23 in replacement of blizzcon
http://twitter.com/umbraetmors David Luksch

Under. I think MoP will be released before Brewfest.
http://twitter.com/videobuzzard David Manchester

Under. Just before then I reckon, I would imagine most companies will aim to miss the date 2 weeks before that but I think 5.0 will go live 4th and expansion 2 weeks later.
Sharuko

Over. But this is a tough one. Blizzard will treat GW2 like Warhammer Online and release MoP about 7 weeks after GW2 launch when the hype is dead.

Oct 9th for MoP release.

My overall guesstimate:

Patch 5.0 = Aug 14th
Announcement of Release Date = Aug 19th at GamesCom
Book “Tides of War” release = Aug 21st
MoP release = Oct 9th
http://profile.yahoo.com/YSVAPKVBUPTX6YS3W2DLPOBNN4 AlokP

Over, but only by a week, Oct 2nd. They’ll have a 2 week buffer between 5.0 and launch, and 5.0 will be 3 to 4 weeks after GW2, minimum.
http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr

Under: MoP release Sept 18. Based off the WoWLK release dates, the lack of additional bonus raiding content in Cata and finally Blizzard releasing DS to put an end to Cata.
Wrath beta start Jul 17, 2008        -> MoP beta started Mar 21, 2012
patch 3.0 ptr Sep 13, 2008            -> Guessing WoW 5.0 will hit the PTR on July 17
press-release date Sep 15, 2008 -> Guessing press release will be July 19 (including CE Info)
patch 3.0 live Oct 15, 2008            -> Guessing WoW 5.0 Aug 14
Wrath release Nov 13, 2008   -> Guessing MoP release Sep 18

Blizz make the Gamescon announcement now, so it would not be buried by a release announcement in a few weeks.

The next key deliverable is WoW 5.0 PTR. If it does not post within the next two weeks, the whole thing gets pushed out a month.
Karizee

Over – the beta is a freakin’ disaster and virtually unplayable. The original devs moved to GW2 & Titan, the new guys can’t figure it out.
- Old Ben
  
  TBH they moved four years ago, and the current ones did most of Wrath and all of Cataclysm.
  
  Oh, I see what you mean.
- Sharuko
  
  Three former Blizzard devs founded Arenanet. Which included James Phinney who was a major part of the process. Out of those 4, only 1 is left in GW2 (Mike O’Brien). The rest left in 2010 due to conflicts with NCSoft.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-Fauble/1466377126 Bruce Fauble

Under
ChristopherRuscoe

over

im saying Dec 20th 2012

CWR
Caio Faustino

I’m going with over as well.
http://www.facebook.com/krister.holmberg Krister Holmberg

November perhaps same as the other ones. Usually two years between them.
http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon

Defenetly Over. THey will probably try to get it out before the annual pass runs out… but doubt they make it.
http://twitter.com/LC_Tenorman Matthew Riley

I’m pulling under because then I can get it as a birthday gift the next day if the GBTV target date holds firm.
http://twitter.com/ookamiwing Phillip Rushing

Over, November 9th
Blioux

Over
Nicolás Zuasti

Over, November 6
Thomas Donald

Under August 17, they’ll try to beat GW2 to the punch and lock people down in MoP for a few weeks
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1103680651 Dave Jeannotte
  
  I see where you’re going with that, but they’re releasing the world premiere of the MoP cinematic at Gamescon on Aug 15th. I would assume they’d want a little more time between that and release to get some word of mouth/hype built.
Mightywombat32

its gonna be over..if blizzard rushes theyr game they will fail hard..they should use the time they need to make the game work.
http://www.youtube.com/user/cpjontek cpjontek

Over. I believe Mike B’s theory of giving MoP away for free with another annual pass sub so It will probably fall some time in Oct.
Jason Haverfield

Over. Oct 23rd.
http://www.facebook.com/tehsilva Brian Silva

Over. early october
http://twitter.com/akakazucat Kazu

Over! October 2nd.
http://www.facebook.com/sorrycase Aaron Chavez

I’m going to say under. I don’t think they would make us wait that long.
http://twitter.com/Jetmorph jason

im thinking under to beat out gw2
- http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn
  
  Considering GW2 is far superior to WoW I don’t think this is going to be a problem.
  - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
    
    I’ve been much to harsh on GW2 PVE. Its very nice and sweet with hugs and kisses for everyone. With plenty of caring and sharing.
    - http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn
      
      And WoW is any better? Hell you MoP is just another Dumbed down version of what Warcraft once was anyone who denies that is a fool. Have fun with your Pokemon battles. I’ll play a more mature invigorating game.
      - http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
        
        I’m looking forward to GW2, but its posts like this make me think other wise, like I don’t get all this hype, I played the beta it was decent, it wasn’t horrible nor amazing it was in the middle. I don’t think that game will kept people occupied long anough. Warhammer was the exact same concept and that only lasted 6 months.
        
        I honestly think GW2 is gunna bring in more kids than MoP will as you notice majority of kids are the one who complain about things being childish, while adults never really bitch, if its fun they will play it, if not they don’t touch it anymore. I have a weird feeling that GW2 is gunna be filled with kids and that will ruin the game, its is making me think should I really buy it or not.
http://www.facebook.com/Vaayne Donald Whitman

under aug. 24th yes im that bold ill even clam a date
http://profile.yahoo.com/SMGRLFM4UASOO7QO26HTHBLIOI Shawn

Have Fun playing Pokemon.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Hamad-Ali-Al-Jalahma/512893526 Hamad Ali Al-Jalahma
  
  Thanks, I will so much
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  I dont get it, but if it bring in the twentysomething who grew up playing Pokemon.
  Blizzard, gotta catch ‘em all.
http://twitter.com/DontCallMeDaz Not Daz

Over. Late October.
http://www.facebook.com/liam.williams.184881 Liam Williams

This is an Expansion (4th one at that, not a new game!) so I cant see it taking too long, Besides Blizzard being Blizzard will want to release before serious competition, so UNDER, August 27th the latest.
Evan Fedorko

under, 2nd week of September.
http://www.facebook.com/dougnautumn Autumn Culver Samen

Around Nov 20th, Thats when they always announce it! And then they delay for a month or more!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001187737272 Corey Alexander Clark

Under. I’m going for September 10th-15th. Expansions and all tend to revolve around major events from what me and my friends have seen
http://www.facebook.com/craig.gafoor Craig Gafoor

over i would say November….one month before xmas and way after gw2 is out as they CANNOT go up against the BETTER MMO so soon….
http://twitter.com/SACimino Scott A Cimino

Wanna know whats OVER? wow is over. Date – doesn’t matter.
- Karizee
  
  /highfive
- JJversion1
  
  Do you know when WoW will be over? When it is over, with 10.2 million subs… I don’t see it ending anytime soon. Just because you say that it is, doesn’ make it so. As for whether it’s over or under for MoP, I’d say it’s under. However not by much, maybe around the 3rd week of Sept. They can still use Mike B.’s idea even though they might release it 2 weeks before Oct.
- Jake Kainec
  
  Not Soon™
http://www.facebook.com/amy.dooley.50 Amy Dooley

Under , September 18th.
http://www.facebook.com/adam.meadors Adam Meadors

Over – at the most a few more weeks, if it’s much more than they are just going to bleed subs even more. It happened at the end of wrath with ICC being the only raid for a year, and that was a better raid than DS…
http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr

The Match Game theme song. Let’s play The Match Game.

“Darnell always put butter on his _____”
Krzysztof Kotarba

over
http://twitter.com/thekkadvance The KK Advance

Over. Some really good people are gonna clear the content really fast and the not so good people will go “oh well there is nothing left, that guild has already done everything. blizzard really phoned it in with the content this time” Or the whole QQ parade that will come when they get that new talent system up and running. You dont want to have the “Other big MMORPG” with no sub fee being critically aclaimed while that goes on for a couple of weeks. This is how WoW expansions tend to be met by us players.

So give GW2 a month or two to cool down and get its own whining and QQ going before launching. Thats what I would do if I was blizzard. Oh and ofc go for buy annual pass and get MoP and also a chance to partake in a future beta for titan (dosent even have to happen in the near future. Just put it there and BAAAM!).

All this while I stab my way through Kryta not looking back at 6 years of good gaming in WoW. “It’s an old ass game” as Mike B put it.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1339406775 Matthew Riddle

Over. My guess is October 11th. 10/11/12
BigH001

Over.
My guess is October 16th.
http://twitter.com/Xenetics Rory O’Connor

Over
Oct 30
Mike Richardson

I am saying under, sept 18.
Lore on PST this week gave the same date also with a 1 week +/-.
Plus I am gonna go out on a limb and say at gamescom that they are gonna also give details on the colector’s edition, and a 5.0/mop release date. Annual pass I am not too sure about but it wouldn’t surprise me if details were released about that also.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  I’m guessing by the time Gamescom comes around, Blizz will have already announced the release date, pricing and CE.
TacoBaal

Over, Oct-Nov
http://twitter.com/WaylandX JB

Over, October2. I bet we get a release date when they show the intro trailer.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WJ7FJD3BROLHV572WG5CNJE5JA Luis Leon

under people were saying they would do something with swtor releasing but they didnt and the brewfest items on the beta makes me think under
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  Hmm, wonder if Blizzard knew BW had endgame problems with SWTOR.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=545365392 Michael Ponte

Over
jaymon1579

I say over, I’m guessing Oct.23 but thinking that may even be early.

I know they want to release content faster but haven’t really seen it being that much sooner/faster. I know cata release date (12/7) was announced near beginning of October so about 2 month notice & not sure how many can wait another month or so until a date is released.

After Cata’s personal letdown I’m holding off on reactivation of my account & purchase of MoP to see how friends & others respond on it. I’m sure I won’t be the only one holding off & not pre-purchasing it. Always pre-bought the other expansions but Pandas still seems silly to me, don’t care if it was in WC3 lore or not.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Thomas-Kozma-Jr/100000683276285 Thomas Kozma Jr.

Over i’m totally on board with Mike B and the annual pass conspiracy, As well recieved as the first ever AP was given it’s a “Annual” pass and not indicated as a one time thing they have to have incentive and myself i’m not signing back up for let’s say “Annual pass year 2 you get a sparkle pony…and all the great content you’ve known and loved for years!” um no, but free MoP ok sure i’m sold! My over estimate would be first week in Oct. plenty of buffer after GW2 and time to prep your drunken bear for brewfest brawling,well at least for those power leveling nuts that is. XD
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeremie-Quek/714101707 Jeremie Quek

Under. I’m thinking September 18th with pre-patch on the 4th
Jake Kainec

Under, i’m thinking September 18th, pre-patch on September 4th
http://twitter.com/stovakor21 scott thornburg

it wont be September 25th , that’s in the middle of brewfest and day after harvest festival , IMO they will not lunch it til after November because of all the in game holidays in September and October they would have to revamp a’lot of those if they lunch during or before.
http://twitter.com/PHOENIXZERO DC

Under, September 18th at the absolute latest, if you think otherwise you’re a fucking idiot.
http://twitter.com/misslaura23 Laura Treat

under
Kagitaar

I will say under, specifically on the 4th of September (18th at the very latest). Brewfest items with an iLvl of 470 have been datamined and that starts on the 20th. You do not launch an expansion during a holiday, even a few days prior, so the 18th is cutting it close as you need to be max level to do the Coren fight. The 11th would be perfect timing-wise, but I don’t know what the response to that would be.

I think they will announce the CE soon (within a week now that the CE items have models), most likely with a date, though it is possible they’d wait on the date until Gamescom.

As for the 5.0 patch, that I would bet they’d drop either on the 14th of August (my bet) or the 21st.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  Brewfest is going to be a problem if it drops level 90 gear. If MoP is released on September 18th, it doesn’t give players much time to level before the event starts. Unless Blizz nerfs the MoP mobs, leveling from 85 to 90 will be a little bit slower than Cata leveling.
  - Kagitaar
    
    Hence why I’m thinking release will be before the 18th, as I said.
http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm

Under
http://twitter.com/CarlosM402 Carlos Martinez

over
http://profile.yahoo.com/XFV52HF74BU4GV2TUGDDBYIVBY Ian

Over… Possibly even waiting until the holiday season, but very unlikely, I’m assuming early-mid October, around the tenth. Also thought GW2 went into it’s first closed beta tests in december, the press betas were around the time Jason said.
http://www.facebook.com/DJ.Jurecic DJ Jurecic

I will go with over, and there could be 2 maybe 3 (depends on Cata final patch) possible release dates. 1st one being 10/30/12. This date backs Mike B theory that it will be free with the Annual Pass. The current pass ends 10/20/12. My 2nd date had to do more with the release dates and final patches of the past 3 Xpacs, TBC release 1/16/07 – final patch 7/15/08, WotLK release 11/13/08 – final patch 6/29/10, Cataclysm releae 12/07/10 – final patch ??/??/??. Now just by looking at this there is about a 4-6 month window between the final patch and the next Xpac. If we were to see a final patch for Cataclysm in July we would hit the window around Nov. Though I don’t see the final patch hitting till Aug, and which would push the release of MoP to 12/11/12. Just my theory behind the “Madness”.
Noctover

OVER – Tough one this, the GW2 one was easier. Blizzard are fairly linear with their release dates, with WoW being released November 23rd 2004, TBC being released January 16th 2007, WOTLK released on November 13th 2008 and Cata released December 7th 2010. They cannot afford to leave it much longer without updating the content a bit which they have said they are not going to do so….

November 3rd, is my guess .
http://www.facebook.com/ludvig.elfving Ludvig Elfving

OVER, sad but very true
http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr

Woot, just read the blue post that the 5.0.1 update will hit the PTR “soon.” To hit my September 18 MoP release date, Blizzard would have to release the WoW 5.0.1 PTR within two weeks.
http://twitter.com/Vampirspiegelei Vampirspiegelei

over…
at the end of the year
jundaaz

Over
crothcipt

over, will be late Nov. early Dec. They are using beta for hype like what swtor did. Just in time for the christmas season.
Karizee

Well, they sure are hiring a buttload of engineers. I knew they were having probs with the beta….did they lose a bunch of people?
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/6612180/Call_to_Arms_Engineers_Wanted_-7_3_2012
Jaxa A

Over, definitely a Christmas release like their normal attempts.
Nate M

over
http://www.facebook.com/kamalii63 Peggy Lamons

Under for the win
http://twitter.com/misslaura23 Laura Treat

Mike great Music. Keep it up. It is funny as hell. =)
Fredacp

OVER
Rob1003

Over – October 2nd with 5.0.1 hitting the Live Servers August 21st.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=23323284 Heather Kelsey

Under for 5.0.1(early sept); over for Mists(before Oct 22)
http://twitter.com/Amirila Gabriella Printz

Under, thinking Sep 18th
alberto bassetto

Over, probably november
http://www.facebook.com/BazzaSprout Barry Russell

October 16 – The reason for the major hype about the trailer is that it will be release date announcement also. So my guess is that we hear about the release date with the premiere of the trailer on August 16 and that the date will be 2 months later. On a Tuesday. Just like always. Now watch them announce it tomorrow or something to make me look like a complete idiot.
- http://www.facebook.com/BazzaSprout Barry Russell
  
  and what do they do? they announce it the day after my way off the mark comments! well at least i got something right!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Tj-Vossos/647768691 Tj Vossos

MoP release date is the 25th nice guess guys
Mike Richardson

Good guess guys, that was my guess also. I was thinking over the last few days that it might be later making my guess wrong.

When Will Mists Of Pandaria Launch?

Patch 5.3 Release Date Confirmed

Patch 5.3: Purely Pandaria Profession Leveling!

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