World of Warcraft Cataclysm completely updates the world of Azeroth as we know it, and every zone in the game was the recipient of a visual and content overhaul.
The “breaking of the world” caused by the arrival of Deathwing completely altered the face of Azeroth, and it also added a few new zones for players to explore. In WoW Cataclysm Classic, there are five new leveling zones that you’ll play through on your journey from level 80 to the new max level of 85: Mount Hyjal, Vashj’ir, Deepholm, Uldum, and the Twilight Highlands.
There’s a good chance you’ll run through all of the Cataclysm zones while leveling, with the exception of one of Vashj’ir / Mount Hyjal, which you’ll need to make a choice on immediately upon starting your questing journey. Starting with Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard made it a point to give players multiple choices of starting zones at the top of a new expansion to prevent flooding, but we expect Mount Hyjal will be the more popular of the two zones, just as it was back when Cataclysm first came out in 2010.
After finishing your first zone, though, leveling will become relatively linear, and you’ll be able to run through the Cataclysm storyline as intended.
Here are all of the WoW Cataclysm leveling zones as you’ll encounter them in order of their level ranges.
WoW Cataclysm Classic leveling zones sorted by level
- Mount Hyjal: Level 80-82
- Vashj’ir: Level 80-82
- Deepholm: Level 82-83
- Uldum: Level 83-84
- Twilight Highlands: Level 84-85
Three zones in Cataclysm—Mount Hyjal, Uldum, and the Twilight Highlands—have been visible on the map of Azeroth since the start of Classic, but it’s not until now that you’re going to be able to enter them.
The entirety of the Cataclysm questing experience will take you from level 80 to 85, marking the first time that the level cap was only increased by five levels in a new expansion. But you shouldn’t run out of quests or feel rushed to get to 85 as the pacing of the content that’s coming in Cataclysm should feel familiar to previous expansions’ leveling experiences.
