World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic Sets Release Date and Reveals Roadmap - IGN (2024)

Blizzard has announced that a coming update to World of Warcraft: Classic re-introducing the fiery Cataclysm expansion will land on May 20.

Officially, Classic will heat up a little before that on April 30 with the pre-patch event. Cataclysm's pre-patch back in the day was one doozy of a change, too. It introduced playable Worgen and Goblins, set the dragon Deathwing loose on Azeroth, and because of Deathwing's escapades, transformed the entire landscape of Azeroth's main continents.

The full expansion on May 20 will include seven new (to Classic) zones, nine new dungeons, three new raid dungeons, the Archeology profession. VFlying will be introduced to Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms. Additionally, with the transformation of the main continents' landscapes, numerous new quests will be introduces, while old ones will disappear forever. Various patches will contain further updates, with Rise of the Zandalari dropping in July, Rage of the Firelands in October, and Hour of Twilight releasing in January of 2025.

But mainly, Cataclysm involves a pretty drastic change to what the current map of Azeroth looks like: the Barrens splits in half, Thousand Needles goes underwater, and a chunk of Darkshore's coastline is washed away. Also, Deathwing is flying around and can randomly set entire zones on fire. Cool!

WoW Classic marches on

All of this reflects the changes to World of Warcraft initially introduced when Cataclysm was first released back in 2010, with very few exceptions. When Classic was first released, Blizzard's goal was to give players an opportunity to experience World of Warcraft as it was when it first launched, rather than being forced to flock to player-run servers.

Experience your favorite Cataclysm moments faster than ever before!

📜 Pre-Patch – April 30
🌋 Launch – May 20
🌴 Rise of the Zandalari – July 2024
🔥 Rage of the Firelands – October 2024
🌙 Hour of Twilight – January 2025

Stand in the fire: https://t.co/ERuEh0ItOr pic.twitter.com/eYfkAtq47E

— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) April 9, 2024

But with Cataclysm, the world of Azeroth begins to more closely resemble what the game looks like now — minus several expansion-specific zones. The original World of Warcraft, as it was prior to all expansions, is still available as a Classic option, and Blizzard has introduced a number of special rules servers to spice it up such as Hard Mode and Season of Discovery.

World of Warcraft: Classic is available to anyone with a World of Warcraft subscription. Currently, Classic's main servers are in the final days of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, with all raids and dungeons from that time available, including Icecrown Citadel.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic Sets Release Date and Reveals Roadmap - IGN (2024)

FAQs

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic Sets Release Date and Reveals Roadmap - IGN? ›

Starting with the Cataclysm Classic Pre-Patch on April 30 and its full release on May 20, World of Warcraft players will experience a new major update every few months until the final patch releases in January 2025. Cataclysm is one of the largest expansions in World of Warcraft history.

What is the Cataclysm classic release date? ›

Cataclysm Classic Release Date & Time

Cataclysm Classic was released worldwide on May 20, 2024, at 3:00 pm PDT. This means the Cata Classic EU release time was May 21, 2024, at 00:00 CEST. The Cata Pre-Patch went live on April 30, 2024.

Will classic Cataclysm be free? ›

Cataclysm Classic¹ requires only a WoW® subscription or game time to play.

Do I have to purchase Cataclysm classic? ›

Cataclysm Classic is LIVE and INCLUDED with your WoW Subscription. ¹Available in WoW® Classic progression realms (currently Cataclysm Classic™).

Will the Cata Classic have transmog? ›

One of the most exciting parts of the Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft Classic is the re-introduction of the transmogrification system.

How long will Cata Classic last? ›

Starting with the Cataclysm Classic Pre-Patch on April 30 and its full release on May 20, World of Warcraft players will experience a new major update every few months until the final patch releases in January 2025.

What changed in the original Cataclysm Classic? ›

Two perks from original Cataclysm will not be available in Cataclysm Classic: Have Group, Will Travel and Cash Flow. In original Cataclysm patch 4.1. 0, a Guild Finder system and a Guild Events Calendar were added to World of Warcraft.

Will WoW Classic stop at Cataclysm? ›

This spring, the era of Wrath Classic will officially come to an end when the Cataclysm Classic pre-patch hits ahead of the summer launch.

Will Cataclysm classic have a WoW token? ›

The Wrath Classic WoW token will remain unchanged and available for sale in Cataclysm, as only the expansion changes but not the availability of the token.

What's new in classic Cataclysm? ›

The Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch ushers in the shattering of Azeroth and the changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, a variety of systems changes along with new class and race combinations, and the new Worgen and Goblin races.

What is the level cap in Cataclysm Classic? ›

The highest level you can achieve in World of Warcraft Classic: Cataclysm is level 85. This represents an increase from the previous level cap of 80 in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

Will Cataclysm classic replace wotlk? ›

Now that the Wrath of the Lich King Classic storyline has come to an end, it will soon be giving way to Cataclysm Classic when it launches in the first half of 2024. In a follow-up Q&A session, Blizzard confirmed that the Wrath Classic servers will be completely replaced by Cataclysm when it goes live.

When did Cataclysm Classic launch? ›

Cataclysm Classic will officially launch on May 20, 2024 at 3:00 pm PDT worldwide! You've toppled the undead armies of the Lich King and ended Arthas' reign. Now, Deathwing, The Worldbreaker, bursts from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing his rage.

Can you use Legendaries as Transmog? ›

Legendary weapons are treasured and fabled armaments that have been highly sought out by players since the game's earliest days. While the purpose and function of the weapons has changed over the years, players may now use their favorite legendary weapon(s) in the form of transmog.

Why can't I transmog my gear? ›

Only Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary items may be transmogrified (some exceptions apply). Main hand weapons can only be used to transmogrify Main hand weapons. Off-hand weapons can only be used to transmogrify Off-hand weapons. One handed weapons can be used to transmogrify a Main hand or Off-hand weapon.

What patch is Cata Classic? ›

0 Notes. The cursed worgen and the cunning goblins join the Alliance and Horde, each bringing their own unique edge to Azeroth. Create all-new charactersfor these races.

What's new in Cataclysm classic? ›

Cataclysm brings plenty of changes to the talent tree system. The first major change is a large overhaul to the talent trees themselves, pruning them down greatly into more condensed versions. Many talents have been removed, combined together, or added as baseline to each specialization or class.

What's going away in Cata Classic? ›

Swift Zulian Tiger: Zul'Gurub is changing from a raid to a leveling zone and this mount will no longer be obtainable. Swift Razzashi Raptor: This mount will also no longer be obtainable after the change to Zul'Gurub. Razzashi Hatchling: With the change to Zul'Gurub, this non-combat pet will no longer be obtainable.

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