New World of Warcraft Lore Book Reveals Which Factions Cleared Each Dungeon and Raid (2024)

World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4 has revealed which factions canonically completed every dungeon and raid between Mists of Pandaria and Shadowlands. When combined with information found from previous volumes, fans now know the World of Warcraft factions responsible for clearing most of the in-game instances.

For the first time in six years, World of Warcraft has made a Chronicle lore book. Released on July 16, World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4 picks up where its predecessor left off, covering details from five expansions: Mists of Pandaria, Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands.

While the new book introduces several tidbits of interesting lore, one detail in particular helps the story of WoW come together. Though most dungeons and raids in World of Warcraft are available to both factions, many are canonically cleared by just the Alliance or Horde in the lore. Chronicle Volume 4 went through each instance introduced from Mists of Pandaria onward, categorizing whether one or both factions completed them. Wowhead shared these details that, when combined with the similar information shared about Classic, Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm in Chronicle Volume 3, show which faction defeated the most difficult dungeon and raid bosses in the story of World of Warcraft.

Canon Faction Dungeon and Raid Completion in WoW

• Classic
  • Alliance
    • Stockades
    • Deadmines
    • Gnomeregan
    • Blackrock Depths
    • Sunken Temple
    • Temple of Ahn’Qiraj
    • Naxxramas
  • Horde
    • Ragefire Chasm
    • Shadowfang Keep
    • Razorfen Kraul
    • Razorfen Downs
    • Scarlet Monastary
    • Maraudon
    • Dire Maul
    • Blackrock Spire
    • Blackwing Lair
    • Wailing Caverns
    • Zul’Gurub
    • Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj
  • Both/Unknown
    • Scholomance
    • Stratholme
    • Uldaman
    • Zul'Farrak
    • Molten Core
• Burning Crusade
  • Alliance
    • Serpentshrine Cavern
    • Sunwell Plateau
    • Onyxia’s Lair
  • Horde
    • The Shattered Halls
    • Magtheridon’s Lair
    • The Eye
    • Zul’Aman
    • Magister’s Terrace
  • Both
    • Black Temple
• Wrath of the Lich King
  • Alliance
    • Halls of Stone
  • Horde
    • Halls of Lightning
  • Both
    • Naxxramas
    • The Eye of Eternity
    • Ulduar
    • Trial of the Crusader
    • Icecrown Citadel
• Cataclysm
  • Alliance
    • Grim Batol
    • Well of Eternity
  • Horde
    • The Bastion of Twilight
    • End Time
  • Both
    • Throne of the Four Winds
    • Zul’Aman
    • Zul’Gurub
    • Firelands
    • Dragon Soul
• Mists of Pandaria
  • Alliance
    • Terrace of Endless Spring
  • Horde
    • Heart of Fear
  • Both
    • Temple of the Jade Serpent
    • Stormstout Brewery
    • Shado-Pan Monastery
    • Mogu’shan Palace
    • Siege of Orgrimmar
• Warlords of Draenor
  • Alliance
    • Upper Blackrock Spire
    • Shadowmoon Burial Grounds
    • Grimrail Depot
    • The Everbloom
    • Highmaul
  • Horde
    • Iron Docks
    • Blackrock Foundry
  • Both
    • Auchindoun
    • Skyreach
    • Hellfire Citadel
• Legion
  • Alliance
    • Court of Stars
  • Horde
    • Neltharion’s Lair
    • The Arcway
  • Both
    • Eye of Azshara
    • Halls of Valor
    • Darkheart Thicket
    • Black Rook Hold
    • Cathedral of Eternal Night
    • Seat of the Triumvirate
    • Emerald Dream
    • Trial of Valor
    • Nighthold
    • Tomb of Sargeras
    • Antorus, the Burning Throne
• Battle for Azeroth
  • Alliance
    • Shrine of the Storms
    • Waycrest Manor
    • Siege of Boralus
    • Tol Dagor
  • Horde
    • Temple of Sethraliss
    • Atal’Dazar
    • King’s Rest
    • Crucible of Storms
  • Both
    • Mechagon
    • Uldir
    • Battle for Dazar’alor
    • The Eternal Palace
    • Ny’alotha, the Waking City
• Shadowlands
  • Both
    • Taza’vesh
    • Castle Nathria
    • Sanctum of Domination
    • Sepulcher of the First Ones

As of this new lore book, every expansion up until Dragonflight has been covered. While this means there is no official record of who cleared the dungeons and raids in Dragonflight, cross-faction play was introduced right before the expansion – and given WoW: Dragonflight was all about the factions coming together, it is safe to assume adventurers from both the Alliance and Horde worked together to beat all of its instances.

While players enjoyed seeing which factions were responsible for clearing these instances, as well as the fantastic new art in the book, World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 4 was not without its criticisms. Much of the book summarizes the events of the game, adding little new information in the process. Other parts shuffle the timeline of events in baffling ways; for example, Battle for Azeroth now has the entire Alliance campaign taking place before the Horde one begins, despite Talanji’s jailbreak being the impetus for Jaina returning to Kul Tiras in the game. While not as problematic as the racist stereotypes found in World of Warcraft books like The Dragonflight Codex or Exploring Azeroth: Kalimdor, many fans were not fully satisfied with Chronicle Volume 4. Hopefully, the upcoming Exploring Azeroth: Islands & Isles book coming out on October 1 can avoid these pitfalls.

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It's one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.

Franchise

Warcraft

Platform(s)

PC

Released

November 23, 2004

Developer(s)

Blizzard

Publisher(s)

Blizzard

Genre(s)

MMORPG