World of Warcraft has just unveiled an exciting roadmap for Cataclysm Classic, set to speed through the beloved expansion in under a year. Kicking off with the Cataclysm Classic Pre-Patch on April 30 and the full release on May 20, players will witness a fresh major update every few months until January 2025.
Cataclysm stands as one of World of Warcraft's most expansive expansions, introducing seven vast new zones, revamping the original WoW continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, and ushering in numerous game-altering features such as the transmog system.
Enthusiasts can now brace themselves to delve into Cataclysm at an accelerated pace. Blizzard recently disclosed an ambitious plan for Cataclysm Classic commencing with the Pre-Patch event on April 30. Less than a month later, on May 20, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic will debut. Subsequently, every few months, World of Warcraft Classic will roll out the expansion's trio of major content updates, comprising Rise of the Zandalari in July, Rage of the Firelands in October, and Hour of Twilight in January the following year.
Dive into the Cataclysm Classic Journey
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic Pre-Patch – April 30
- Cataclysm Classic Launch – May 20
- Rise of the Zandalari – July
- Rage of the Firelands – October
- Hour of Twilight – January 2025
Should World of Warcraft adhere to this timeline, only about seven months will separate the launch of Cataclysm Classic from its ultimate major update. To contextualize, The Burning Crusade Classic debuted on June 1, 2021, with its final content update arriving 11 months later in May 2022. Wrath of the Lich King Classic followed a longer cycle, with 16 months between its September 2022 release and the opening of its final raid in January 2024. This content release rhythm will position Cataclysm as the swiftest expansion in Classic history by a considerable margin.
Despite the palpable excitement surrounding Cataclysm Classic, some players ponder the longevity of World of Warcraft's retro progression servers. A primary allure of Classic WoW was the opportunity to explore the original Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms. While players can still relish this in Classic Era, Hardcore, and Season of Discovery, concerns linger on whether Cataclysm Classic aligns with the essence of these WoW servers.
Nonetheless, World of Warcraft is poised to introduce this major expansion to Classic in record time. As Cataclysm Classic wraps up next year, the community will await to see if the servers progress through future WoW expansions. If continuity prevails, and subsequent releases mirror the pace of Cataclysm, players could potentially encounter Mists of Pandaria Classic as early as 2025.