What is the exact release date of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion?

The exact release date of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion was November 13, 2008.

Wrath of the Lich King was World of Warcraft’s second expansion, following The Burning Crusade. Its launch opened Northrend, the frozen continent ruled by Arthas Menethil as the Lich King, and raised the level cap from 70 to 80. It also introduced the Death Knight, the game’s first hero class, which began at level 55.

A pre-expansion patch, version 3.0.2, arrived on October 15, 2008. That update added several systems and class changes before the expansion itself became playable, so it is sometimes mistaken for the release date. The expansion’s North American and European launch occurred on November 13; some Asian markets received it later.

The launch was commercially significant as well as narratively important. Blizzard reported 2.8 million copies sold during the first 24 hours, surpassing The Burning Crusade’s day-one record at the time. Northrend’s zones, the Scourge storyline, and the eventual confrontation with Arthas defined the expansion’s central arc.