14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors regarding the introduction of achievements in the most popular MMORPG ever made, World of Warcraft, started spreading quite a while ago when Alpha testers of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion found them by using the "/achievement" command. However, immediately after these rumors surfaced the world wide web, there was silence and nobody knew exactly whether it was true or just a prank made up by somebody who had nothing better to do.
Apparently, this was one of the few rumors which turned into reality, since WoW's developers, Blizzard, not only officially confirmed the introduction of achievements into the MMORPG, but also offered a few details on them and we're happy to share them.
According to the press statement, the Wrath of the Lich King will come with no less than 500 different achievements covering every aspect of gameplay (world exploration, PvE, PvP, professions, and character development). A very interesting aspect is that some of the achievements will also unlock awards like tabards, vanity pets, and special titles - but Blizzard promises they will only be "purely cosmetic". Even better, it appears that 500 is not the final number, since the "list is easily expandable" and additional achievements will probably be released with each content update.
The official statement details the joy of the upcoming feature: "It's great to be able to see your own achievements -- but it's even better to let the world know what you've accomplished. By right-clicking other players and selecting the appropriate option, you can compare your achievements to theirs. Every time you earn a new achievement, your accomplishment is announced to your guild and everyone in your immediate vicinity -- and the custom achievement animation and sound effect are unmistakable".
For more information about the achievement types you should expect from Blizzard, as well as categories and other details, you can visit World of Warcraft's official website. Also, remember to stay tuned with Softpedia, since as soon as we get our hands on the list of achievements, you'll be the first to have a look at them.