Core race

Core races^[1] are a type of playable race in World of Warcraft. These races speak a number of languages, have different racial traits, and can pursue different classes.

Playable races in World of Warcraft belong to one of the game's two main factions: the Alliance or the Horde. The playable pandaren and the dracthyr are the only exception being able to join either faction. For playable characters, choice of race is therefore restricted by faction.

Allied races are another type of playable race that need to be unlocked before being able to play them.

List of core races

Alliance

•  Humans
•  Dwarves
•  Night elves
•  Gnomes
•  Draenei
•  Worgen

Horde

•  Orcs
•  Undead
•  Tauren
•  Trolls
•  Blood elves
•  Goblins

Both

•  Pandaren
•  Dracthyr

Classes

		Class
		Druid	Hunter	Mage	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior	Death knight	Monk	Demon hunter	Evoker
Alliance	Draenei
	Dwarf
	Gnome
	Human
	Night elf
	Worgen
Neutral	Pandaren
	Dracthyr
Horde	Blood elf
	Goblin
	Orc
	Tauren
	Troll
	Undead

Base stats vary depending on the class. The race's stat modifiers are applied on top of the class' base stats:

• † Original death knight bonus stats represent a level 55 character.
• ‡ Demon hunter bonus stats represent a level 98 character.

Expansion races

World of Warcraft's first expansion, The Burning Crusade, brought Blood Elves for the Horde, and Draenei for the Alliance into the game as playable races. The third expansion, Cataclysm, introduced Worgen for the Alliance and Goblins for the Horde. It also added a number of new race/class combinations. The fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria, introduced Pandaren as the game's first Neutral race. Pandaren characters would choose between the Alliance and Horde after completing their starting zone at level 10.

Removal of expansion requirement

In August 2012, Blizzard Entertainment announced that patch 5.0.4 would remove the expansion requirement on all previous races requiring one. This gave all players, regardless of what version of World of Warcraft they had, the ability to create characters of all races except the then-new pandaren, which would still require the Mists of Pandaria expansion (Patch 6.0.2 subsequently removed this requirement).

Currently, the only race that requires an expansion pack is the dracthyr, which was introduced in (and requires) the Dragonflight expansion.

Notes

• The races you are able to play were originally always meant to belong to their main in-game faction, meaning playable humans were always from Stormwind, playable blood elves were always from Silvermoon City, etc.^[2] but this was changed with Shadowlands' improved character customization. For example, you can now roleplay that your dwarf is from the Wildhammer clan rather than from the Bronzebeards.^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Races height from World of Warcraft: Beginner's Guide.
• 
  Races height from The Burning Crusade manual.

Fan art

• 
  WoW model collage (this humorous illustration certainly does not exist).

Patch changes

• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Added Pandaren core race.
  
• Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): Added Worgen and Goblin core races.
  
• Patch 2.0.3 (2007-01-09): Added Draenei and Blood elf core races.
  

See also

• Choosing a race
• Race origins
• Future race ideas

References

v e Playable races Alliance Stormwind human Darnassus night elf Ironforge dwarf Gnomeregan gnome Exodar draenei Gilneas worgen Void elf Lightforged draenei Dark Iron dwarf Kul Tiran human Mechagon mechagnome Both Wandering Isle pandaren Dracthyr Horde Orgrimmar orc Forsaken undead Thunder Bluff tauren Darkspear jungle troll Silvermoon blood elf Bilgewater Cartel goblin Suramar nightborne Highmountain tauren Mag'har orc Zandalari troll Voldunai vulpera Core races Allied races