I am currently an active WoW player (just got Keystone Hero for the first time this season!)

It is unlikely given the current patch cycle and plot that a new expansion is announced this BlizzCon, but definitely next year if not before then.

Either way, the argument that the BBC is doing this article as a sponsored advertisement is absurd. Other outlets have written up this story.

There's nobody new to WoW, it's a billion years old at this point. Not that I'm not tempted to re-sub for the last bit of the current patch.

Last xpac was less than a year ago.