Cataclysm Classic returned players to a shattered Azeroth
The May 20, 2024 launch raised the level cap to 85. Its first raids followed on a separate schedule.
Cataclysm Classic launched worldwide on May 20, 2024 at 22:00 UTC. Players could advance from level 80 to 85 and explore zones including Mount Hyjal, Vashj’ir, Deepholm, Uldum and Twilight Highlands.
Not everything opened on launch day
The announced PvP season began on May 28, while Blackwing Descent, Bastion of Twilight and Throne of the Four Winds were scheduled for May 30. The reshaped original continents, goblins, worgen and Archaeology had arrived with the pre-expansion update.
This was a new stage of Classic progression with its own class and item rules. Wrath-era builds and advice therefore needed to be checked against the Cataclysm version being played.
WoWAzeroth archive. This is a retrospective account of the event above, not an article originally published on its launch date.