Summary
- World of Warcraft introduced the Joyous Journeys 50% XP buff for Cataclysm Classic.
- The buff might remain active even after the new update.
- Cataclysm's final major patch is expected in January 2025.
World of Warcraft just brought back the Joyous Journeys 50% experience buff for Cataclysm Classic. Though this XP boost is ostensibly to prepare players for the upcoming Rage of the Firelands patch, it does not seem like World of Warcraft is turning it off when the update arrives.
Right now, World of Warcraft Classic’s progression Realms are blitzing their way through Cataclysm at a breakneck pace. As revealed before the launch of the Classic expansion, World of Warcraft plans to release the final patch of Cataclysm just over a half year after its start in May 2024. Rage of the Firelands, the second major patch and third raid phase of Cataclysm, is coming soon, with its launch expected before the end of October.
Now, World of Warcraft Classic has rolled out a helpful buff to get fans excited about the new update. Joyous Journeys – a passive 50% boost to all experience gains – is now live in Cataclysm Classic for all players. This buff is active immediately upon creating a character, and is available all the way through the current level cap of 85, though a character can turn it off or on again at innkeepers found in capital cities or Dalaran.
Joyous Journeys Buff in WoW: Cataclysm Classic
Unlike previous Joyous Journeys events in World of Warcraft, Blizzard has not given an end date for this buff. It is possible the boost could go away with the Rage of the Firelands update when it finally arrives, but without a listed date, it is just as likely to persist throughout the rest of Cataclysm Classic. Either way, fans should have plenty of time to benefit from the 50% experience bonus.
The Rage of the Firelands content update does not have an official release date yet, but many players believe it will arrive in the last week of October – likely the 29th or 31st. World of Warcraft often announces patch release days about two weeks ahead of release, as it recently did with WoW’s 20th anniversary update coming October 22, so if this theory is correct, fans may hear from Blizzard around October 15. In the meantime, players can prepare for the new patch with daily quests from the Regrowth and the Molten Front, which are available in the game right now.
The third and final major patch of Cataclysm, Hour of Twilight, is expected to hit World of Warcraft Classic in January 2025. It remains to be seen what the future will hold for the retro servers, so fans will have to wait and see if WoW Classic returns to Mists of Pandaria after Cataclysm is over.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- pc, ps
- Cross Save
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It's one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.
