The Cataclysm Classic Pre-Expansion Patch Goes Live April 30

09.04.2024 - 17:47 / news.blizzard.com

You’ve toppled the undead armies of the Lich King and ended Arthas' reign. Now, Deathwing, The Worldbreaker, bursts from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing his rage. All will burn beneath the shadow of his wings. Your new journey begins with the pre-expansion patch — the Shattering of Azeroth— on April 30 and continues with the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, 2024 at 3:00 pm PDT worldwide.

The Cataclysm Classic pre-expansion patch ushers in the shattering of Azeroth and the changed landscape in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, a variety of systems changes along with new class and race combinations, and the new Worgen and Goblin races. Players can also begin learning the new Archaeology profession, use Reforging to upgrade your gear, and more.

With the launch of Cataclysm Classic on May 20, players will begin their journey from level 80 to 85 through new zones, new dungeons and raids, engage in PvP combat in Tol Barad, and delve further into the mysteries of the Darkmoon Faire on Darkmoon Island.

With the launch of the Cataclysm pre-expansion patch, some items and achievements will no longer be available or will be harder to obtain. It’s important to keep in mind that the game world is going through tremendous changes that will affect the availability of certain rare mounts and items.

The shattering of Azeroth will drastically and permanently alter the continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. In the wake of Deathwing's devastation, adventurers will be summoned to embark on new quests from levels 1 to 60 in these transformed territories -- and with so much new content to be found on these original two continents, many original quests will no longer be available after the shattering occurs. These quests will automatically be removed from your quest log, while any quests you’ve accepted that still exist in Azeroth will remain in your log.

If you've already completed Loremaster of Eastern Kingdoms or Loremaster of Kalimdor, you will not lose your achievements. However, if you've made progress toward these achievements without yet completing them, be aware that any quests that are removed from the game will no longer count toward your progress, so you may see your achievement quest counter drop. If you’re close to earning either of these achievements, we strongly suggest you finish them with great haste, as Deathwing's return is imminent.

In addition, the Loremaster achievements are being redesigned slightly to make them easier to track. Rather than having players complete a huge number of quests throughout a single continent, the criteria will change so that you will instead need to complete a set number of quests in each zone. Once you've earned the achievements for each listed zone on a