The fourth old-school expansion of World of Warcraft is upon us. So, when exactly will Deathwing ravage Azeroth to kickstart Cataclysm Classic?
Classic (or Vanilla), Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King have all had their time in the sun as relaunches, and Cataclysm is up next. The MMORPG’s developer, Blizzard Entertainment, announced in a blog post that Cataclysm Classic’s pre-expansion patch, coined “Shattering of Azeroth” will be ready for download on April 30. Then, the actual game will drop on May 20 at 3 p.m. PDT — it’ll be available internationally at that time.
Here’s what to expect.
The pre-expansion will usher in Azeroth being devastaed by Deathwing the Destroy’s inferno. Ruin and calamity will spread through Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, and each original zone will be altered in some way like The Barrens being split into two.
Players can then begin leveling characters from one to 60 in the reformed Azeroth. Other pre-expansion features include the introduction of Goblins and Worgens as playable races, archeology as a profession, transmogging, and new class talents and spells, among other things. So, even before the expansion releases, there’ll be a lot of “first-time” features for World of Warcraft veterans to relive and others to experience.
After Cataclysm Classic goes live, players can begin leveling from 80 to 85 through the seven new zones: Vash’jir, Twilight Highlands, Uldum, Gilneas, Deepholm, Kezan, and Mount Hyjal. Also, nine more dungeons will enter the fray, including Throne of the Tides, The Lost City of Tol’vir, and The Halls of Origination, as well as the revamped Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep.
Three raids will be ready as well: Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight. The world player-vs-player zone Tol Barad will also expedite carnage between the Horde and Alliance. Other features are set to become available as well, like the 10 and 25-person raid lock system and the ability to use flying mounts in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.
Cataclysm Classic’s official trailer dropped in November, and it featured Azeroth’s heroes facing off against Deathwing’s wrath. If you missed it, check it out below via the embedded YouTube player:
And, because of Azeroth’s shattering, quest lines have been overhauled.
There you have it, a “new” Azeroth will arrive soon.