In a post-earnings financial call, Activision Blizzard announced that World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion, Warlords of Draenor, has already sold 1 million copies in the form of pre-purchases.
Part of the reason why the expansion might be so popular now, still months away from release, is because it comes with a character boost to level 90. Warlords of Draenor is expected to launch in the "back half" of 2014, though there's no specific release date yet. You can also buy character boosts separately for $60.
Warlords of Draenor is World of Warcraft's fifth expansion, following The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), and Mists of Pandaria (2012). It introduces seven new zones and raises the game's level cap to 100.
Also during the earnings call today, Activision Blizzard confirmed that World of Warcraft total subscriber numbers have fallen from 7.8 million to 7.6 million. It's a drop, but it's far less precipitous than this time last year, when subscribers fell by over a million.