Classic What's Next BlizzCon 2023 Liveblog - Season of Discovery and Cataclysm

Classic Posted 21 days ago by Archimtiros

Cata Classic

Cataclym Classic is coming, bring everything players might already expect from the original release: Goblins, Worgen, transmog, rated battlegrounds, new class/race combos, old world flying, and more.

Titan Rune dungeons (Heroic+) were very successful, so the same spirit is being brought forward into Cataclsym Classic.

The Collections UI is already active in Classic, but account-wide transmog will also be included!

Leveling speed will also be sped up in Cataclysm Classic.

Classic Hardcore

Self Found mode is a new optional ruleset coming to Hardcore in 2024! If opted into, the character will be unable to mail, trade, or use the auction house until the character reaches max level.

Season of Discovery

Discovery starts out just like regular classic, until class trainers set players off on a quest to go find a rune, though only the first will be quest directed, while the rest will have to be discovered on your own! Discoveries are secrets hidden throughout the game world - they're not traditional quests, they're not on the map, and they can vary between a small lootable deep within a mine or a more complicated puzzle that takes several players to figure out.

The intent of discoveries is to evoke a sense of adventure in an otherwise comfortable and familiar world, but there won't be any public PTR or beta testing, in order to preserve the mystery.

Discoveries are purposefully crafted to feel familiar to the rest of Classic, not stand out like something new.

Level banded content phases keep players all at the same pace. Starting with the first phase, the level will be capped at 25, making the game a little more approachable and pushing serious players to look for new ways to experiment with making the most out of their character. They want to reduce the amount of FOMO and players outpacing one another to the point where they can't play together or falling behind because you missed a day.

Each time the level cap is raised, they plan to add an experience catch up mechanic up to that new phase, helping players catch up with everyone else.

The first raid in Season of Discovery will be Blackfathom Deeps, reimagined as a 10-player instance; giving those level 25 capped players a pinnacle activity to tackle, adding new encounters, mechanics, and loot.

There will also be several outdoor PvP events, unlocked as the level caps increase.

They're also leaving the door open to exploring future raid and dungeon content, including previously unreleased or unfinished original vanilla content. This is just the first step, but the future is bright!

Rune Engraving is a new skill that all characters will know automatically, allowing them to discover runes in the chest, legs, and gloves slots, which can be hotswapped at will when out of combat, customizing abilities at will - customizing abelites while also buffing some classes/spells in

There will also be improvements at low levels.

Maybe... just maybe, you won't be constrained to just one talent spec in Season of Discovery either.

There are over 100 runes in the L1-25 bracket, some of which will be shared today. What if Rogues could tank? What if Paladins did have a taunt? Many runes are greatest hits from various expansions, but others may behave differently. Some have never even been introduced before in any WoW expansion, appropriately fit for a Classic experience.

Druids can interrupt with Skull Bash in cat/bear form, Fury of Stormrage removes the mana cost of Wrath, and Wild Growth applies a HoT to up to 5 party members.

Hunters improve their pets with Beast Mastery, Growl is a better taunt, and Lone Wolf improves petless players.

Mages learn Ice Lance, Living Flame, and Regeneration is beacon based heal using Rewind Time!

Paladins can tank for real now with Hand of Reckoning as a taunt and mana restore, Crusader Strike is a direct damage attack that regenerates mana, and Seal of Martyrdom cleaves that restores health at the cost of health.

Priests can channel Penance, Prayer of Mending, Homunculi animates miniature versions of your character to attack and debuff enemies.

Rogues get Shadowstrike, Envenom, and Just a Flesh Wound is a tank ability that reduces physical damage and changes Feint into a taunt called Tease.

Shaman can learn Lava Lash deals off-hand weapon damage, Healing Rain, and Way of the Earth allows Shaman tanking with Earthshock as a taunt!

Warlocks get Haunt, Chaos Bolt, and Metamorpohosis shapeshift - Searing Pain becomes instant, and Cruse of Recklessness is a taunt.

Warriors can heal with Victory Rush! Devastate causes Sunder Armor to deal damage, and Raging Blow is a powerful attack usable while enraged.

BlizzCon 2023

Cataclysm Classic

Classic+ Season of Discovery

Comment by VulkiirPretty excited for Season of Discovery. I know a lot of people are salty that it doesn't meet their subjective definition of Classic+, but I've played on the Ascension servers before and am really looking forward to having a similar system in actual WoW.

Great stuff, Blizz.Comment by NiniannSounds pretty fun tbh, I'll def be checkin it outComment by josephxpSeason of Discovery feels like it is the alpha/beta test for true Classic+ servers so they can take the feedback and keep what most players like and remove what they don't.Comment by XingbgSeason of Discovery feels like it is the alpha/beta test for true Classic+ servers so they can take the feedback and keep what most players like and remove what they don't.Comment by jake1320Feels more like OSRS leagues (temporary game mode that gives more of a p-server vibe, with wacky and OP additions to the game, including increased XP rates, powerful teleport items, etc) rather than classic+.

I'm looking forward to this, but hope they use this as a league to help imagine up new content for actual Classic.Comment by DaibakuhaIF SHAMAN CAN DW IN THIS I AM 100% PLAYING ITComment by lrrc1994Been crossing my fingers for High/Blood elves as paladins. Guess I’m not going too much for it then, hope people have fun tho!
Retail and cata it isComment by Dcsensaiwarlock tank is returning. now if only glad stance can return as well.Comment by EsploratoreSeason of Discovery feels like it is the alpha/beta test for true Classic+ servers so they can take the feedback and keep what most players like and remove what they don't.Comment by DrhankeeyCataclysm was personally the worst for me in many aspects, especially the removal of the old world. Will this continue like the previous classic expansion? As in we now only have classic: Cataclysm and Wotlk/TBC are just unavailable anymore? Basically removing what's classic, about classic. Not a fanComment by LedarenSeason of Discovery feels like it is the alpha/beta test for true Classic+ servers so they can take the feedback and keep what most players like and remove what they don't.Comment by MichciooI like this mystery approach, grats for Blizz reading player ideasComment by severe12Cataclysm was personally the worst for me in many aspects, especially the removal of the old world. Will this continue like the previous classic expansion? As in we now only have classic: Cataclysm and Wotlk/TBC are just unavailable anymore? Basically removing what's classic, about classic. Not a fanComment by Savario15This is no longer classic WoW at all...This is a whole new game.

It sounds pretty cool though. I just feel that it's wrong to use "Classic" nostalgia as a hook to pull players into this when what they are really doing is crafting a brand new, never been seen/done before experience for World of Warcraft.Comment by PomodorosanI made a post last June about a "Season of Vanilla", which was very similar to this!

What I called:
- Low level cap, increases over time
- Faster experience rate for previous level brackets
- Dungeons as raids with new abilities and challenges
- New approaches to the existing world to make it worthwhile

What I didn't call:
- New abilities and items. My intention was to explore and make use of the existing vanilla world to the fullest, not just create new stuff for it.Comment by ScrumbulonNo one with good taste cares about anything past Wrath so I don't know why they're bothering with Cata Classic. The Season of Discovery looks pretty fun, though. Looking forward to trying it out.Comment by EllihsCataclysm was personally the worst for me in many aspects, especially the removal of the old world. Will this continue like the previous classic expansion? As in we now only have classic: Cataclysm and Wotlk/TBC are just unavailable anymore? Basically removing what's classic, about classic. Not a fanComment by EllihsNo one with good taste cares about anything past Wrath so I don't know why they're bothering with Cata Classic. The Season of Discovery looks pretty fun, though. Looking forward to trying it out.Comment by KaladosSeason of Discovery feels like it is the alpha/beta test for true Classic+ servers so they can take the feedback and keep what most players like and remove what they don't.Comment by KaladosNo one with good taste cares about anything past Wrath so I don't know why they're bothering with Cata Classic. The Season of Discovery looks pretty fun, though. Looking forward to trying it out.