World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic is just around the corner, and finally, players have a release date that they can look forward to.
On May 20, WoW Classic will take another step into the future as it turns the page from Wrath of the Lich King to Cataclysm. Here’s everything we know about WoW Cataclysm Classic, including its long-awaited launch date, as well as the full release plan for the game’s future content patches.
What to do before WoW Cataclysm Classic launches
The Cataclysm expansion will go live on May 20, but before then, you’ll be able to take part in plenty of new additions to the game. There will be a brief, three-week overlap where your characters will be stuck at their Wrath of the Lich King level cap of 80, but will have access to some of the preliminary features coming with Cataclysm.
If you’re playing Wrath of the Lich King Classic, you can participate in the Cataclysm pre-patch event, where you can play as the two new races (Worgen and Goblins) and enjoy new features like account-wide collections, the new Transmog features, and the improved guild system. These were a huge deal back when Cataclysm first launched. The pre-patch for Cataclsym Classic will begin on April 30.
When does WoW Cataclysm Classic launch?
WoW Cataclysm Classic will go live on May 20, Blizzard has confirmed. The pre-patch for the expansion will launch a few weeks earlier on April 30. When the pre-patch goes live, the landscape of Azeroth will change to reflect Deathwing’s destruction across the world, and many of the new features associated with the expansion will go live. When Cataclysm Classic launches in full on May 20, you’ll be able to progress your characters past the current level cap of 80.
Blizzard has revealed the full content plan for WoW Cataclysm Classic, with launch dates and timeframes in place for the launch of the expansion, as well as the Cataclysm pre-patch and all of the major content patches that players should remember from the original run of the expansion back in 2010.
- Cataclysm pre-patch: April 30
- Expansion launch: May 20
- Patch 4.1, Rise of the Zandalari: July 2024
- Patch 4.2, Rage of the Firelands: October 2024
- Patch 4.3, Hour of Twilight: January 2025
WoW Cataclysm Classic post-launch content
The content pace of Cataclysm Classic will be exceptionally fast, with the first major patch of the expansion, Rise of the Zandalari, dropping in July. Rage of the Firelands will come just a few months later in October, and by January of next year, the full content slate for Cataclysm will be available. From start to finish, the expansion is set to see just six months between its launch and final content update.
WoW Cataclysm Classic will go live in full on May 20, but be sure to keep up with the game, as you could easily miss content when it’s current due to the fast rate at which Blizzard plans to update the expansion.
