The series has enough entries that "which one is this" is a fair question on its own.
Short answer
It is a distinct entry rather than a re-release: different systems, different balance, and largely a different audience.
- Check whether a re-release changed balance.
- 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.
Twenty years of expansions mean half the advice online describes a version that no longer exists. Some entries were fixed by later patches into something quite different from their launch state. Player populations differ hugely between entries, and that matters for anything multiplayer.
Who it suits
The developers have changed their mind about this at least once, which explains the older advice. Starting with the newest is usually right, and there are two or three well-known exceptions. The community's favourite entry is rarely the newest one. Most of the disagreement you will find online is two people describing different builds.
Series entries diverge more than their shared name suggests. Cross-entry knowledge transfers at the level of instincts, not specifics. It helps to understand why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation is slightly different.
Whether to start here
Ports and re-releases sometimes carry balance changes that are easy to miss. There is usually a fast way and a reliable way, and it is worth knowing which one you are choosing. If a step reads as obvious, do it anyway — the obvious ones are the ones people skip and then wonder about.
- Do not assume mechanics carried over from the last one.
- Look at current player numbers if you care about multiplayer.
- Region and platform change more than people expect, so confirm both.
- Newer is not automatically the right starting point.
- Check which entry a guide is written for before following it.
Where it sits in the series
What follows assumes you are on a current install and have not modified it. Treat anything stated without a version number as provisional. Nothing here assumes a particular playstyle beyond wanting the thing to work. If you are coming to this after a long break, the terminology has probably moved on.
Where something depends on your platform or region, that is called out rather than glossed over. A single check up front replaces a lot of guessing later. There is no hidden trick here that the game is keeping from you.
What changed from the previous entry
Patch notes move numbers around constantly; the shape of the answer holds even when a specific value shifts. The awkward part is rarely the step itself, it is knowing which step comes first. If your result differs from what is described here, note what is different first rather than starting over.
Everything below is framed around the current state of World of Warcraft rather than a launch-week impression. Half the pages on this topic were written for a build that no longer exists, which is why they stop matching what you see. Anything that behaves differently on console than on PC is flagged where it matters.
How it holds up now
Where two approaches both work, the one with fewer moving parts is the one to keep. World of Warcraft is not shy about hiding useful information two menus deep, so some of this is simply knowing where to look. None of this needs a paid tool, a third-party launcher or an account on a site you have never heard of.
Where people go wrong
- Assuming a guide from an older season still describes the current version.
- Downloading a helper tool for something the game already does in its own menu.
- Skipping the prerequisite because it looked optional in someone else's summary.
WoW FAQ
Should I start with this one?
Usually yes if it is the newest, unless the section above gives a reason to start elsewhere.
Does this work the same on console and PC?
The logic is identical. Menu paths and button prompts differ, and any real difference is flagged above.
Why do other guides describe this differently?
Most were written for an earlier version and never revisited. Compare the steps against what your build actually shows.
What changed from the last one?
The section above covers the meaningful differences. The short version is that systems changed more than presentation did.
Work through it in the order above and new expansion stops being a question you have to look up again.