After much waiting, World of Warcraft players have finally been given the release date for the upcoming World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic and the release schedule for all the major updates that will follow.
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If you plan to travel back to experience the reshaping of Azeroth that first released back in December 2010, this guide has all the details you'll need to know when Cataclysm Classic will be released.
Updated May 20, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: As WoW Classic leaves Wrath of the Lich King behind and transitions to a newly overhauled Azeroth, players are eagerly anticipating the moment when the servers will switch over and signal the official start to Cataclysm Classic. Thanks to official Blizzard announcements, players know exactly what time Cata Classic launches. Be sure to get everything else done for the day before jumping in at the Cataclysm Classic release time, which might be earlier – or significantly later – than you expect, depending on your time zone.
WoW Cataclysm Classic Release Time
World of Warcraft Classic fans have been eagerly anticipating the launch of Cata Classic – the pre-patch has been live for just less than a month now, bridging the gap between Wrath of the Lich King Classic and Cataclysm Classic, but players are ready for the full expansion.
On May 20, 2024, the Cata Classic launch time is set for 3 p.m. PDT/6 p.m. EDT in the United States, and at midnight CEST on May 21 (to prevent confusion, this is the night between May 20 and 21) in Europe.
The Cata Classic release time comes by way of an official Blizzard announcement from back in the beginning of April, and there has not been a change to the Cataclysm Classic launch time since.
As of the release of Cata Classic we don't know the exact time that future updates will be released, such as the Hour of Twilight patch that is set to conclude the expansion. But for now, players should know that the Cata Classic release time is in the afternoon in the U.S. And at midnight in Europe as a concurrent global release.
World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic: Pre-Patch and Full Release Features
The Cataclysm pre-patch went live on April 30. This patch will see the shattering of Azeroth and the reshaping of the world, with multiple zones and landscapes changing forever. It will also see the addition of the Goblin and Worgen races, the introduction of transmog collections, new race and class combinations, leveling updates from 1 to 60, updated systems, and changes to the core game.
Following that, the full release of Cataclysm Classic will arrive on May 20, and with that comes all the major new content, including:
- Seven New Zones: Mount Hyjal, Vash'jir, Twilight Highlands, Uldum, Deepholm, Kezan, and Gilneas.
- Nine 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
- Three New Raid Dungeons: Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight
- Flexible Raid Lock system: Allowing players to do 10- and 25-player raids in the same week.
- Tol Barad PvP Zone
- Darkmoon Island: Discover the mysteries Silas Darkmoon has in store for you.
- Flying in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor
With this release, several quests, items, and achievements will no longer be in the game or will change due to the reshaped world.
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This includes several mounts and both the Loremaster of Eastern Kingdoms and Loremaster of Kalimdor achievements. More details, including the affected mounts and rewards, can be found in the Blizzard blog post.
What Comes After the Launch of Cataclysm Classic
World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic will have a faster release cadence than when it was first released in 2010 and will see its content updates released more quickly. Following the launch, there will be at least three major updates to Cataclysm Classic, which will see new raids, content, and changes come to the game. These major updates will include;
- Rise of the Zandalari - July 2024
- Rage of the Firelands - October 2024
- Hour of Twilight - January 2025
Beyond that, players will have to wait and see what comes next for Classic. There will likely be balance patches and "some changes" compared to the initial launch, in addition to these major patch updates. Naturally, many will likely assume that the Mists of Pandaria expansion is next up on the list to get the Classic treatment, but nothing has been announced or confirmed yet.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
