Following the release of the Mists of Pandaria cinematic intro, Blizzard has today announced in an official blog that anyone who plays World of Warcraft will be able to access all current races, including the upcoming Pandaren race, without purchasing the required expansion.

With the release of patch 5.0.4, we’re making all the races of Azeroth playable by anyone, no matter which version or expansion of World of Warcraft they own. This includes the enigmatic pandaren, who will become available for play when Mists of Pandaria is released on Tuesday, September 25. We want the entire World of Warcraft community to be able to embrace their inner goblin, blood elf, worgen, draenei, or pandaren from the moment they step foot into the world of Azeroth.

Previously players had to purchase the desired expansion to play the featured race, however now this isn't the case. A few commentators on the blog post have pointed out that there are still certain features locked behind the expansions, including new areas, levels and unique classes such as the Mistweaver for Mists of Pandaria.

The upcoming patch will be available for all users on August 28th. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is due on September 25th 2012 for PC and Mac.