World of Warcraft 7.3 now available in public test realm

World of Warcraft [official site] 7.3 represents a dramatic shift in the war against the Burning Legion. Taking place after the Tomb of Sargeras raid, the heroes of Azeroth are going to be taking a trip to the Legion’s unpleasant homeworld of Argus, where they’ll become the invaders. The patch is now available in the Public Test Realm.

“Most (but not all) of the new stuff in 7.3 takes place on Argus -- and as you might expect, this is hostile territory,” writes community manager Josh “Lore” Allen on the forums. “Demons patrol every crag of Argus’s shattered surface, and sometimes it seems as if the planet itself is out to get you. This will be a very story-driven update, but we’re also designing areas with sandbox elements intended to be enjoyed even after you complete the main quest, with gameplay and challenges on the planet’s surface reminiscent of past endgame areas such as the Molten Front, the Isle of Thunder, and the Timeless Isle.”

You won’t be flitting around on one of your flying mounts, but don’t worry -- you’ll still be able to get to where you need to go via the Vindicaar, your new mobile base of operations. It’s not just a base, it’s a teleportation hub, connecting players to important locations spread throughout the Legion’s world.

Only the first of the world’s three regions is available on the PTR right now, where you’ll be able to work your way through the first couple chapters in the new storyline. And here’s what you’ll get when the update is finished:

Further chapters of the Argus storyline, including many cinematic story moments
New World Quests
Professions updates, including epic gems
The Netherlight Crucible, which allows you to upgrade your Artifact to unlock a new way to customize your Relics
New dungeon: Seat of the Triumvirate
New raid: Antorus, the Burning Throne (though as with other Legion raids, it won’t be released immediately with 7.3)
Invasion Points, a new type of replayable content that let you fight the Legion on multiple different worlds
Several other improvements and updates to existing features