Daily Archives: April 10, 2024

Cataclysm Classic is Arriving on May 20th

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The next round of WoW Classic is coming up with the Cataclysm Classic patch set to arrive on April 30th, teeing the expansion up for a May 20th launch.

Can you re-run a cataclysm?

Blizzard announced the launch for the Cataclysm Classic pre-patch yesterday, then followed up with a revised WoW Classic 2024 roadmap that put the world wide expansion launch on May 20, 2024 at 15:00 Pacific time.

WoW Classic 2024 Roadmap – April 9 revision

Well, the roadmap doesn’t say the time, but you can find that tidbit elsewhere.

So what are we getting and when?  With the Pre-patch we will get the following changes in the game:

  • New Player Races: Goblin and Worgen
  • New Race and Class Combinations
  • Leveling Updates: Level through a changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms from level 1 through 60.
  • Class Updates: New Talents, Trees, spells and More
  • New Race and Class Combinations
  • New Profession: Archaeology
  • New Feature: Transmog Collection
  • Updated Character and Gear Stats

So say farewell to vanilla Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms as the shattering will hit at the end of the month, ushering in the new races, the new overland leveling path from 1 to 60, the archaeology profession, and perhaps the most annoyingly complex cosmetic system devised with the transmog mechanic.

It is like they don’t think you deserve to set your look unless you have earned it!

And while the pre-patch giveth, it also taketh away, with the following changes once the pre-patch hits:

  • 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.
  • Tome of Polymorph: Turtle: This tome will continue to be available through other means.
  • Crusader’s White/Black Warhorse and Swift Alliance Steed/Swift Horde Wolf: As the attempt-based tribute system is being removed from Heroic Trial of the Crusader, the Argent Crusade Tribute Chest will no longer spawn, and these mounts will no longer be obtainable.
  • Reins of the Blue Drake: This mount will once again be available from defeating 10-player Malygos without needing to use the Dungeon Finder. The Reins of the Azure Drake will only be available on 25-player Malygos.
  • Mimiron’s Head: This mount will change to be a very low drop chance when defeating 25-player Yogg’Saron with no Keepers assisting you.
  • Invincible: This mount will change to be a very low drop chance when defeating Heroic 25-player Lich King.

Then, once May 20th rolls around the the launch happens, the world will open up with the following additions:

  • 7 New Zones: Mount Hyjal, Vash’jir, Twilight Highlands, Uldum, Deepholm, Kezan, and Gilneas.
  • 9 New Dungeons: Blackrock Caverns, Throne of the Tides, Vortex Pinnacle, The Stonecore, The Lost City of Tol’vir, The Halls of Origination, Grim Batol, Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep
  • Dungeon Journal Introduced
  • 3 New Raid Dungeons: Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight
  • Boss Based Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do either the 10 or 25-player raid version of each boss in the same week. Lockouts are based on individual boss.
  • Tol Barad PvP Zone
  • Darkmoon Island: Discover the mysteries Silas Darkmoon has in store for you.
  • Flying in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor

Though I think we’re only getting five new zones on the 20th, because won’t we have to have Kezan and Gilneas already as they are the Goblin and Worgen starting zones and those two new races are supposed to be available with the pre-patch?  Maybe I just don’t understand.

Anyway, there is also a launch trailer for the announcement.

Now to see if the group will be up for it.

On the one hand, it is just five more levels.  That isn’t so bad.  And we get flying in the old world and one of perhaps the prettiest zones in the history of the game, Vash’jir.

On the other hand, I do not have any deep, fond memories of Cata.  The group jumped into it with new characters, found the whole thing tedious and left, only going back to finish it off with our mains after Mists of Panaria had launched.  Also, Vash’jir is an under water zone and suffers from all the issues, including motion sickness in some of us, that under water levels always have.  Just say “No” to underwater levels.  Be like Valheim, where even swimming in the damn water is a pain!

Okay, maybe you don’t have to go that far.

But we’ll have to play through it at least a little bit, if only to be ready for Mists of Pandaria some time in 2025.  And I suspect I will do some reflecting on the original run up to Cataclysm back in the day, which was probably the most over-hyped I was for an expansion ever… and you see how that turned out.

This bit of news has plenty of coverage for those looking to read more about it.