Legion put artifacts and class halls at the heart of the invasion
The Broken Isles campaign began on August 30, 2016, with artifact weapons and class identity shaping the defense of Azeroth.
Legion opened in Europe at 00:01 CEST on August 30, 2016, followed by North America at midnight PDT. Europe’s unlock fell on August 29 in UTC. Regional timing still mattered before WoW adopted its later synchronized expansion launches.
The Broken Isles campaign emphasized artifact weapons and class halls. Demon Hunters had an earlier access period for eligible pre-purchasers, beginning August 9; that class introduction was separate from the expansion’s main launch.
Expansion access did not open every endgame activity immediately. The Emerald Nightmare raid, Mythic Keystones and the first PvP season followed on separate September schedules.
WoWAzeroth archive. This is a retrospective account of the event above, not an article originally published on its launch date.