How to Unlock Earthen WoW: The Complete Path to Playing World of Warcraft's Stone-Forged Allied Race

The moment Blizzard announced the Earthen as a playable Allied Race, I knew my dwarf-loving heart was about to embark on another grind. But this wasn't just any grind—unlocking the Earthen turned out to be one of the most lore-rich journeys I've experienced in World of Warcraft's twenty-year history.

If you're reading this, you're probably staring at that greyed-out Earthen option on your character creation screen, wondering what hoops you need to jump through. Well, buckle up, because unlocking these stone-forged beings requires more than just hitting max level and throwing gold at the problem.

The War Within Sets the Stage

The Earthen became available with The War Within expansion, and unlike some previous Allied Races that felt tacked on, these folks are woven into the expansion's DNA. You can't just waltz in and expect to play as one—Blizzard wants you to understand who the Earthen are, where they come from, and why they're joining the Alliance and Horde.

I remember when Allied Races first launched back in Battle for Azeroth. The requirements felt arbitrary—reputation grinds that made you question your life choices. With the Earthen, though, the unlock process actually makes narrative sense. You're not just checking boxes; you're participating in their awakening and integration into Azeroth's modern conflicts.

Starting Your Journey in Khaz Algar

Your path to unlocking the Earthen begins the moment you set foot in Khaz Algar, The War Within's new continent. This isn't like Shadowlands where you could theoretically skip huge chunks of content. The Earthen storyline is baked into the leveling experience from 70 to 80.

The first time you encounter the Earthen, they're not exactly rolling out the welcome mat. These aren't your grandfather's dwarves—they're ancient, they're confused about the passage of time, and many of them are still coming to terms with the fact that the titans aren't coming back to give them new orders.

What struck me during my first playthrough was how Blizzard used the Earthen to explore themes of purpose and identity. These beings were literally made to serve, and now they're having to figure out who they are without that directive. It's surprisingly deep stuff for an MMO questline.

The Achievement That Matters

Here's where the rubber meets the road: to unlock the Earthen, you need to complete the achievement "Allied Races: Earthen." Simple name, not-so-simple process. This achievement requires you to finish the main campaign storyline of The War Within on at least one character.

Now, when I say "main campaign," I mean the whole shebang. Every major story beat, every zone's culminating questline, the works. You can't just speedrun through the main story quests and call it a day. The game wants you to experience the Earthen's full arc—from your first encounter with them as mysterious stone beings to their eventual decision to join the wider world.

The campaign takes you through all four launch zones: the Isle of Dorn, the Ringing Deeps, Hallowfall, and Azj-Kahet. Each zone reveals different aspects of Earthen culture and history. In the Ringing Deeps especially, you'll uncover the tragic fate of various Earthen clans and help reunite scattered groups who've been isolated for millennia.

Level Requirements and the Alt Question

You need a level 80 character to complete the unlock requirements. No shortcuts here—the final quests that grant you access to the Earthen are only available at max level. This isn't like the old days where you could unlock Void Elves at level 110 and immediately roll one. Blizzard wants you invested in the current expansion before you get your new toy.

A lot of players ask me whether they can unlock Earthen on an alt if they've already done the campaign on their main. The answer is... complicated. While certain campaign progress is account-wide, the specific achievement for unlocking Earthen must be completed on a single character. You can't piecemeal it across multiple toons.

I learned this the hard way when I tried to split the campaign between my warrior and my priest. Ended up having to redo significant chunks on one character. Save yourself the headache—pick a main for the expansion and stick with it through the unlock process.

The Reputation Component (Or Lack Thereof)

Here's something that surprised me: unlike many previous Allied Races, the Earthen don't require you to hit Exalted with any specific faction. After the Mechagnome grind of BFA (don't get me started on that nightmare), this feels like Blizzard learning from past mistakes.

That said, you'll naturally gain reputation with various Khaz Algar factions as you complete the campaign. The Council of Dornogal, in particular, is closely tied to the Earthen storyline. While you don't need Exalted, reaching higher reputation levels does unlock additional cosmetic options for your future Earthen characters.

The Recruitment Scenario

Once you've completed the campaign and earned the achievement, you'll receive a quest directing you to your faction's capital. Alliance players head to Stormwind, Horde to Orgrimmar. This begins the actual recruitment scenario—a instanced questline where you formally invite the Earthen to join your faction.

The recruitment scenario is where things get interesting from a lore perspective. The Earthen don't just sign up with both factions willy-nilly. There's actual reasoning behind why some join the Alliance and others the Horde. Without spoiling too much, it has to do with different Earthen clans having different philosophies about order versus adaptation.

The scenario itself takes about 30-45 minutes, depending on whether you stop to read quest text (which you should—it's genuinely well-written). You'll fight alongside Earthen NPCs, help resolve a final crisis that threatens their homeland, and ultimately extend the formal invitation to join your faction.

What You Actually Get

So what's waiting for you after all this effort? Earthen come with their own unique racial abilities that reflect their stone-forged nature. They're naturally tougher than other races, with a racial that increases their armor. They also have an activated ability that lets them root themselves to the ground, increasing their stability and reducing damage taken—perfect for tanking or surviving big hits in PvP.

The customization options for Earthen are where they really shine. You can choose different types of stone textures for their skin, various crystal formations for hair and beards, and even add gems and mineral veins across their bodies. My personal Earthen warrior looks like he was carved from obsidian with veins of gold running through him. It's metal as hell.

Earthen can be warriors, paladins, priests, mages, warlocks, hunters, rogues, shamans, and death knights. No demon hunters or evokers—which makes sense given their lore. The lack of druid is a bit disappointing but understandable given their non-organic nature.

Tips for Efficient Unlocking

After helping several guildmates through the process, I've picked up some tricks to make the journey smoother. First, don't skip side quests in the main zones. Many of them provide context for the main story and some are actually required for campaign completion even if they don't seem like it initially.

Second, if you're starting fresh at level 70, consider doing the campaign in War Mode. The experience bonus helps, and honestly, world PvP in Khaz Algar is some of the best we've had in years. The zone design creates natural choke points and ambush spots that make encounters actually engaging rather than just ganking.

Third, pay attention to the Delve system. While not strictly required for unlocking Earthen, Delves provide some of the best gear for fresh 80s and several Delve storylines directly involve Earthen characters. Plus, you'll want that gear for the recruitment scenario—it's not particularly difficult, but being undergeared makes it a slog.

The Time Investment Reality

Let's talk turkey about time. If you're starting from level 70 with no War Within progress, expect to invest 15-20 hours to unlock Earthen. That's assuming you're relatively focused and not getting distracted by every rare spawn and treasure chest (though let's be real, we all do).

If you're already 80 and just need to finish the campaign, you're looking at maybe 6-8 hours depending on what you've already completed. The game does a decent job of tracking your progress through the campaign UI, so you can see exactly what's left.

Is it worth it? If you're asking me—someone who's unlocked every Allied Race since they launched—absolutely. The Earthen feel more integrated into the world than many previous Allied Races. They're not just dwarves with a different coat of paint; they have their own culture, their own perspective on Azeroth's conflicts, and their own aesthetic that sets them apart.

Common Roadblocks and Solutions

The biggest issue I see players encounter is missing campaign quests. The War Within's campaign isn't always linear, and it's easy to miss a breadcrumb quest that locks you out of progress. If you find yourself stuck, check your map for any "!" markers you might have missed. The campaign tracker sometimes bugs out and doesn't properly direct you to the next step.

Another common problem is the Azj-Kahet portion of the campaign. This zone is significantly more challenging than the others, and the nerubian architecture can be confusing to navigate. Don't be too proud to look up a guide for specific quests if you're lost. The "Descent" questline in particular has some unintuitive objectives that trip people up.

Some players also report issues with the final recruitment quest not appearing after completing the achievement. This is usually because they haven't logged out and back in after earning the achievement. The game sometimes needs a refresh to recognize your accomplishment and generate the appropriate quest.

Looking Forward

The Earthen represent something of a new direction for Allied Races in WoW. They're not just a cosmetic option or a minor lore addition—they're integral to the expansion's story. This gives me hope for future Allied Races being similarly integrated rather than feeling like afterthoughts.

If you're on the fence about unlocking them, consider this: The War Within's campaign is worth playing through regardless. It's some of Blizzard's best storytelling in years, with genuine character development and stakes that feel meaningful. The fact that you get a cool new race option at the end is almost just a bonus.

Plus, with cross-faction guilds now a thing, your Earthen can join whatever community you want regardless of whether they're technically Alliance or Horde. My guild has both flavors of Earthen now, and the banter between them about which faction made the "right" choice is endlessly entertaining.

The unlock process for Earthen isn't a quick afternoon project, but it's also not the soul-crushing grind of some previous Allied Races. It's a journey that respects your time while ensuring you understand and appreciate what you're unlocking. In a game that often feels like it's trying to waste your time, that's refreshingly respectful.

So grab your pickaxe, queue up for some dungeons to gear up, and get ready to delve deep into Khaz Algar. Your future Earthen character is waiting beneath the stone, ready to emerge and make their mark on Azeroth. Just maybe skip the mining profession—feels a bit like cannibalism for them, doesn't it?

Authoritative Sources:

Blizzard Entertainment. World of Warcraft: The War Within. Blizzard Entertainment, 2024. Video game.

Blizzard Entertainment. "Earthen Allied Race Overview." World of Warcraft Official Website, Blizzard Entertainment, 2024, worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/game/races/earthen.

Rossi, Matthew. World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume III. Blizzard Entertainment, 2018.