The very best resources for players coming back to WoW

If you used to play World of Warcraft but you've been away for a while, coming back to the game can be daunting. With as much as WoW changes patch to patch (and expansion to expansion) you may not be joining a completely new game, but it can certainly feel like it. But catching up can be hard, as news and other sites tend to talk about what's happening right now more than what's changed over the last few years.

But if you're trying to dip you toe back into WoW, we're here to say: don't be afraid! While there have been a ton of changes, it's easier to get up to speed than it's ever been with better in-game help and quests that help point the way when you need to go do something (like train riding or venture into a new zone). And on top of that, there are some great resources out there that can help you figure out up from down in the world of Azeroth and beyond.

Official Blizzard resources

• Their recently-posted guide for returning players is an excellent general resource -- and a good place to start.

• If you want more of a thorough refresher, the Beginner's Guide, written for the true newbie, will walk you through the very basics.

• Blizzard also has an excellent list of fan resources that will tell you everywhere you might need to go for fresh WoW info.

• If you're on social networks, Blizzard's there too. Beyond official Blizzard fan pages, you'll find that lots of staff are on Twitter and are easy to talk to!

Where to look things up

• Wowhead: If you're looking for quest or drop information, Wowhead has all the information you need, as well as a huge number of helpful reader comments.

• Wowpedia: If you're looking for information more than things, Wowpedia is the most up to date wiki of WoW information you'll find.

• The standard interface may have gotten better, but there's a good chance you'll still be looking for addons. We recommend hitting Curse or WoW Interface.

Resources from around the web

• Accomp's Guide for Returning WoW Players is, hands-down, the best we've seen of its kind. It contains a thorough roundup of changes and plenty of links to more info if you need it.

• While our own Returning-to-WoW checklist may not contain the specific details you're looking for, we still think it has some solid advice for getting back into the game.

• We like Reddit's Returning to WoW Guide especially for the help it offers in finding a Scroll of Resurrection or Recruit A Friend buddy.

What's happened to my class?
Though they'd go right over the head of a new player, class guides on Noxxic and Icy Veins may be perfect sources for catching up on your class. We especially like Icy Veins' leveling guides. For more class specific information, try the official WoW forums or our own class columns:

• Death Knight: Official death knight forums, our death knight column

• Druid: Official druid forums, our druid column

• Hunter: Official hunter forums, our hunter column

• Mage: Official mage forums, our mage column

• Monk: Official monk forums, our monk column

• Paladin: Official paladin forums, our paladin column

• Priest: Official priest forums, our priest column

• Rogue: Official rogue forums, our rogue column

• Shaman: Official shaman forums, our shaman column

• Warlock: Official warlock forums, our warlock column

• Warrior: Official warrior forums, our warrior column

Good luck and happy WoW-ing!