World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft (often abbreviated as WoW) is a  massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) by  Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy  Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by  Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994.   World of Warcraft takes place within the  Warcraft world of  Azeroth, approximately four years after the events at the conclusion of Blizzard's previous  Warcraft release,  Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Blizzard Entertainment announced  World of Warcraft on September 2, 2001.  The game was released on November 23, 2004, on the 10th anniversary of the  Warcraft  franchise.