Summary

• World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4 is the first lore book in six years, covering five expansions' worth of history.
• The book will include story insights, character family trees, and artwork from Mists of Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands.
• While fans are excited, there are concerns about potential lore inconsistencies and the quality of previous expansions included in the book.

Blizzard just revealed World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4, the first lore book of its kind in six years. This encyclopedia of World of Warcraft lore will encompass five expansions worth of history and is planned for release on July 16.

World of Warcraft Chronicle is a book series largely considered to be the de facto lore encyclopedia for the Warcraft franchise. The first, second, and third volumes of Chronicle were released in March 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively, each one progressing through the history of both Azeroth and the greater Warcraft universe, from the story of the Titans to the events of the Warcraft RTS games and WoW itself. However, Blizzard has not made another entry in the Chronicle series since then, instead producing other lore books like the Exploring Azeroth series or the recent Dragonflight Codex.

Now, nearly six years after its last one, World of Warcraft Chronicle is getting a new volume. A listing for World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4 recently appeared on Amazon, promising to cover events from Mists of Pandaria all the way through Shadowlands – five expansions worth of lore in total. The only image on the listing right now is the cover, which features the former Darkspear chieftain Vol’jin. The book releases on July 16 but is available for pre-order for $50 right now.

World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4 Features

• Story insights, character family trees, and lore from Mists of Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands written by Matt and Marty Forbeck.
• New artwork by Bayard Wu and Joseph Lacroix, including maps, cosmology charts, and more.
• Pre-order is available now for $50, scheduled for release on July 16.

Many players are excited about Chronicle Volume 4. These books have often gone into the history of Azeroth and World of Warcraft in rich detail that enhances the story as a whole. What’s more, the artwork found in previous entries is breathtaking, and with illustrations by World of Warcraft Chronicle veterans Bayard Wu and Joseph Lacroix, the new images coming in this latest entry could be equally stunning.

However, many World of Warcraft fans have reason to be nervous for Chronicle Volume 4. The previous Chronicle entries were not flawless, and they were further called into question by later retcons that suggest the lore books were written by unreliable narrators. Three of the five expansions this entry is covering – Warlords of Draenor, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands – are also considered the worst ones in WoW history. Were that not enough, recent lore books, such as the Grimoire of the Shadowlands and Beyond, Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor, and The Dragonflight Codex: A Definitive Guide to the Dragons of Azeroth, contained both problematic racist stereotypes and lore discrepancies. Hopefully, Chronicle Volume 4 can dodge these various bullets and provide a truly definitive lore experience for fans.