World of Warcraft Classic got several new announcements during BlizzCon 2023, from its new Season of Discovery, updates to Hardcore, and the official reveal of Cataclysm Classic. The What's Next panel during BlizzCon dove deeper into what Classic players can expect.
First off, for the Hardcore players, Blizzard is upping the challenge in 2024, with a Self-Found gameplay mode. This mode, for those unfamiliar, effectively forces solo play, as it restricts grouping, using items crafted by other players, trading, and more - at least until hit the level cap. You are alone in your journey to survive Azeroth.
#Changes Coming To Cataclysm Classic
World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic will see some #changes, as Holly Longdale announced on the Opening Ceremony stage, and the What's Next panel talked a bit about some of those changes. One of the main changes players should feel right away is a faster patch cadence, as well as faster leveling to the new cap of 80.
Modern WoW will get a peak into the past as well with the Transmog collection system available in Cataclysm Classic. This collection will be account-wide as well, making it much more viable for alt-a-holics. Heroic+ dungeons will also see some play in Cataclysm Classic, with rewards tuned for that system. Finally, while it's not the last change being made as the team held some back in the panel, updates will be made to the Guild Advancement system, with one aim to ensure that smaller guilds don't feel like they are falling behind.
Season of Discovery
Something a little less hardcore (and coming soon) is the new Season of Discovery. This was talked about on the Opening Ceremony stage but the panel dove a bit deeper in the panel yesterday, bringing new level-banded content phases, endgame activities, and more.
The launch level cap for Season of Discovery will be 25, with PvP events planned as the level cap increases over time. Additionally, experience boosts will be given to characters in later phases of the season as the cap increases, to ensure players don't feel left behind.
Discoveries make up most of the aptly named Season of Discovery, with World of Warcraft Classic players hunting for these WoW-themed secrets all over Azeroth. Some of these secrets might also require multiple players to uncover, which the Classic team hopes will foster social gameplay reminiscent of early WoW.
Endgame content is also being tweaked here, with new mechanics being introduced in raids. These raids that are at the end game of a level cap will feature a complete redesign and have new loot to chase as well.
Rune Engraving is also a major feature to come with WoW Classic's Season of Discovery. This new feature is a skill all Season of Discovery characters know from the moment they are created, and they allow you to apply new class abilities directly to your equipment. Each learned rune is permanent and can also be reapplied to your gear whenever you want out of combat.
The runes themselves are separate from the talent system as well, allowing for some incredibly custom class builds for players who really spend the time to build with some creativity here. The implications here feel endless, and I can't wait to see how crazy the Warcraft community goes with this new system. Rogue Tanks. Think about it.
More runes will be added to World of Warcraft Classic's Season of Discovery over time with each level cap increase, but through level 25 there are over 100 runes to learn from the get go.
You can check out the full What's Next panel in the embed below.
