Each release changes enough that experience with a neighbouring entry only half transfers.

Short answer

Worth playing today if the systems appeal; the series does not require playing in order.

  • Do not assume mechanics carried over from the last one.
  • Check which entry a guide is written for before following it.
  • If a menu path does not exist for you, your build is older or newer than the one described.

Twenty years of expansions mean half the advice online describes a version that no longer exists. Ports and re-releases sometimes carry balance changes that are easy to miss. Cross-entry knowledge transfers at the level of instincts, not specifics.

How it holds up now

The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice. The community's favourite entry is rarely the newest one. Player populations differ hugely between entries, and that matters for anything multiplayer. Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over.

Some entries were fixed by later patches into something quite different from their launch state. Series entries diverge more than their shared name suggests. Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see.

Where it sits in the series

Starting with the newest is usually right, and there are two or three well-known exceptions. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about. Do the cheap check before the expensive one — that ordering alone saves most of the frustration.

  • Newer is not automatically the right starting point.
  • Expect the first months after release to be patch-heavy.
  • Keep a save or backup from before you start — it costs nothing and occasionally saves an evening.
  • Look at current player numbers if you care about multiplayer.
  • Check whether a re-release changed balance.
  • Prefer the in-game option over an external tool when both exist.

Who it suits

It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different. What follows assumes you are on a current install and have not modified it. A single check up front replaces a lot of guessing later. Screenshots age faster than text, which is why this describes rather than shows.

Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts. Everything below is framed around the current state of World of Warcraft rather than a launch-week impression. There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing.

What changed from the previous entry

Treat anything stated without a version number as provisional. Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep. The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first.

The short version is near the top on purpose; the reasoning is there if you want to know why. Most of the disagreement you will find online is two people describing different builds. The community wisdom on this is roughly half right, and the half that is wrong costs the most time.

Whether to start here

If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work. World of Warcraft is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look.

Where people go wrong

  • Treating a rare edge case as the normal behaviour and planning around it.
  • Changing five things at once and then not knowing which one helped.
  • Assuming a guide from an older season still describes the current version.
  • Grinding a method that was patched months ago because a thread still ranks well.

WoW FAQ

How long does this take?

Minutes if it goes cleanly, an evening if you hit the edge case in the caveats list. Neither is unusual.

Should I start with this one?

Usually yes if it is the newest, unless the section above gives a reason to start elsewhere.

What if none of this works for me?

Then something in your setup differs from the assumption — version, region or platform. Check those three before anything else.

Is this still accurate after the latest World of Warcraft update?

The method is; individual numbers may not be. If a value on your screen differs, trust the screen and keep the sequence.

Bookmark it if you like, but honestly, once you have done it once you will not need to come back.