World of Warcraft's Battle for Azeroth hits next month, and Blizzard is preparing for the big launch with a pre-expansion update, which adds and tweaks a variety of features. You can get a full breakdown of all the changes included in the pre-patch via the video, below.

　　The Battle for Azeroth pre-patch includes the new Burning of Teldrassil storyline, which will unfold over several weeks. Completing the story will earn each faction a special mount. In addition to that, Blizzard is also adding War Mode, Legion post-season PvP content, and more. Here are some additional details:

　　War Mode

　　War Mode tears down boundaries and server rule-set distinctions, allowing players on any realm to decide when they want to jump into a world PvP experience full of like-minded players in the ongoing battle between Horde and Alliance.

　　World of Warcraft Communities

　　Bring your friends and family of the same faction together cross-realm through our new World of Warcraft Communities feature.

　　Legion PvP Post-Season

　　Join in the PvP action and earn some new gear just in time for the launch of Battle for Azeroth.

　　Of course, it’s not all new stuff. As Blizzard prepares for the new expansions, some things are getting the axe as well. Artifact Weapons are being drained of their power, and the Mage Tower on the Broken Shore and its associated challenges are going away. Blizzard is also doing a “stat squish,” which reduces health, damage, and other stat numbers across the board, while keeping power levels roughly the same.

　　Battle for Azeroth reignites the conflict between World of Warcraft’s Alliance and Horde, which has now escalated into all-out war. Here’s a basic rundown of the plot:

　　Azeroth paid a terrible price to end the apocalyptic march of the Legion’s crusade — but even as the world’s wounds are tended, it is the shattered trust between the Alliance and Horde that may prove hardest to mend. As this age-old conflict reignites, join your allies and champion your faction’s cause. Azeroth’s future will be forged in the fires of war!

　　World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth launches on PC and Mac on August 14. The pre-patch arrives next Tuesday (July 17).