World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria announced at Blizzcon 2011

The rumors have proven true! Today at Blizzcon, Chris Metzen announced the upcomming expansion World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. And of course with this expansion we will be given the new race to play: Pandaren. Plus we will also be getting a new class: the Monk.

Alliance warships prowl the seas. Horde armies thunder across Kalimdor. Tensions between these factions edge closer to erupting in a savage war that threatens to consume all of Azeroth. Against this backdrop of impending conflict, an uncharted island mysteriously appears…

Shrouded in fog since the world was sundered more than ten thousand years ago, the ancient realm of Pandaria has remained unspoiled by war. Its lush forests and cloud-ringed mountains are home to a complex ecosystem of indigenous races and exotic creatures. Will the mists of Pandaria part to reveal the world’s salvation… or will the battle to control this breathtaking new land push the Alliance and the Horde over the brink into total annihilation?

Blizzard Entertainment’s Mists of Pandaria™, the fourth expansion for World of Warcraft^®, unveils an entirely new continent for players to explore and reintroduces the enigmatic pandaren as a playable race. All but the bravest pandaren explorers have been hidden from the world for thousands of years. Now, in the aftermath of the Cataclysm, Pandaria’s heroes are stepping forward to declare their allegiance to either the Alliance or the Horde.

The Pandaren will be available to play on both the Alliance side as well as the Horde and you will be able to choose this after playing through the starting zone. But there are many many other key features that will be in the next expansion:

• New Playable Race — Pandaren: Adventure through Azeroth as World of Warcraft‘s first neutral race and decide whether to side with the Alliance or the Horde.
• New Playable Class — Monk: Unlock the secrets of pandaren martial arts and do battle as a damage dealer, healer, or tank.
• Level Cap Increased to 90: Learn potent new spells and abilities while exploring uncharted zones and taking on challenging new content.
• New Zones: Explore the lush Jade Forest, treacherous Kun-Lai Summit, and other exotic areas of Pandaria designed for high-level characters, and uncover the mystery of the Wandering Isle.
• Scenarios: Join up with some friends to achieve a common goal, such as mounting a defense against invading monsters, in a flexible new type of PvE challenge.
• Dungeon “Challenge” Modes: Master the ultimate five-player time trial and earn prestige rewards in a new dungeon mode that will put your resolve and coordination to the test.
• Pet Battles: Challenge other players’ companion pets with your own critter collection in a new tactical mini-game, and find out who’s king or queen of the pint-sized battlefield.
• New Talent System: Customize your character to suit your play style with the newly improved talent system.

Not going to lie, but I’m kinda jazzed up over the idea of Pet Battles and Dungeon Challenges. Metzen mentioned on the DirecTV broadcast that they’re making this expansion a lot more light hearted and less dark than the past few expansions, and I think this will be a welcome change.

All of these features plus a new class is also interesting since it looks like they’re realizing that they have some contenders on the field when it comes to MMOs and they seem to be wanting to catch up and make sure that they can stay the top contender.

More information will come as Blizzcon continues!