The official nature-documentary send-up has run its course. IGN's channel posted Episode 3 of Planet Azeroth on November 1 — the third and final episode of the series, per the video's own description — with Bill Bailey back as narrator and a run time of 5:18. The official copy sends him from Searing Gorge's sweltering heat to the frozen wilds of Winterspring, and the theme is exactly one word: extremes. WoW: Forever launches globally on November 5 (per Blizzard's China-published calendar), which leaves three days; anyone who wants to learn the terrain before character creation can now watch the whole series as one continuous preview tour.

As of this writing, MMO-Champion is the only outlet that has relayed the episode (November 1, 16:32 UTC — 12:32 AM November 2 in Beijing); Wowhead ran news items for Episodes 1 and 2 but has nothing for this one yet. The video lives on IGN's channel, showing about 152k views and about 2,900 likes when this was written.

The episode actually tours the Plaguelands and Winterspring

The opening narration sets the frame plainly: this world runs to extremes — frozen, scorched, and everything between. After Bill Bailey introduces himself, the camera drops into the Plaguelands, a landscape defined by tragedy, blight and lingering fog. Its featured animal is the searing ghoul, which lives in a state of perpetual hyperactive irritation — "like a moth in a lightbulb factory" — and flails its arms at any passing adventurer. The narration files the display under mindless violence and approves.

East into the Eastern Plaguelands, where the Scourge has spread through earth, trees and air, the plague bat waits in the rotting canopy. Its primary weapon is a screech so grating you would rather hear your raid leader explain boss tactics one more time. From the air, the segment's real point lands: Azeroth's borders stretch further than a tauren's trouser leg.

Winterspring takes the back half of the episode: harsh, cold, permanently snowbound, and — the narration is careful here — open only to adventurers of a certain reputation. Two animals carry the segment. The shardtooth bear has a taste for blood, violence and death, and there are no gullible, marmalade-loving plush friends to be found. The Ice Thistle yeti can freeze you just by looking at you — with its eyes, the narration repeats. The closer lands in Ironforge, with the shortest sales pitch of the series: join your friends, make some enemies, come see the planet.

The tag is a murloc mockumentary titled March of the Murlocs, a March of the Penguins spoof in which the epic migration runs from the middle island of Crystal Lake to the north shore of Crystal Lake. Joy, companionship and strange noises are promised.

One discrepancy worth knowing before you go looking: Searing Gorge never appears in the episode. The scorched end of the official route is represented by the Plaguelands' searing ghoul; the gorge itself gets no footage. Actual Searing Gorge scenery will have to wait for another film.

Three episodes, 17:05 total, one leveling preview

Stitched together, the series traces a classic leveling line. Episode 1 (October 28, the official WoW channel, 6:47) runs from Elwynn Forest to the Barrens, Barrens chat included. Episode 2 (October 30, IGN's channel, 5:00) follows Stranglethorn's coastline past crocodiles, Booty Bay guards and the Nesingwary tiger quests. Episode 3 is this finale: Plaguelands plus Winterspring. That is 17:05 of total run time, from the alliance starting zones to snowfields most classic players only saw late — a terrain preview for anyone creating a character after November 5, and it pairs well with the site's new-player starter guide.

Two dates left before launch

Global launch is November 5 (China-published calendar) — three days from today. Before that comes 11:59 PM on November 3, Beijing time: the deadline for pre-purchase name reservations, with no extension announced. Further out, the first three raids — Barrow Deeps for 10, Hyjal Summit for 20, Onyxia for 40 — open together on December 9, so raid schedules can be sketched now. Whether this episode gets Chinese subtitles or a China-region release is not announced.

Not announced

  • Any new official video series after launch, or who would front it;
  • Chinese subtitles and China-region distribution.

What you can do now

  • Watch the finale: 5:18, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Uen0guPM0
  • Catch up: Episode 1 (6:47) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxTWMv5h-JE ; Episode 2 (5:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiMslP8HfWY
  • Reserve your name: deadline 11:59 PM November 3 Beijing time — entry and rules in the reservation guide
  • Mark the calendar: launch November 5, raids December 9.