There are now several versions of Classic for World of Warcraft. But what are the differences between era, hardcore, season and Cataclysm? Which Classic version is suitable for which WoW fan? And what rules apply on the different servers? We summarizes the most important things about WoW Classic for you.
By the way, for new players, iGV will prepare fast, safe and cheap gold for you, Buy WOW Gold, which will help you to get an advantage and good gaming experience in the game.
Which Classic versions of World of Warcraft are currently available?
For fans of nostalgic WoW content, the following versions of the MMORPG are currently available:
- WoW Classic Era Servers
- WoW Classic Hardcore
- WoW Cataclysm Classic
- WoW Classic Season of Discoveries
What all four versions of WoW Classic have in common: An active WoW subscription is enough to get access to all Classic content. You don't have to own the current expansion Dragonflight (or the upcoming addon The War Within).
WoW Classic Era Servers
When the switch from WoW Classic to WoW Burning Crusade Classic was on the agenda, Blizzard created the possibility to transfer Classic characters to the newly created era servers. This was interesting for all fans of vanilla WoW who didn't feel like the innovations of the Outland adventure.
What are the rules in WoW Classic Era?
The era servers remain at the level of the last Classic phase, in which, among other things, the Naxxramas raid opened its doors. So there you can experience all the Classic content at your own pace. Although it can be tricky to find enough players for raids and dungeons.
While no new content is planned for the WoW Classic era servers, Blizzard has at least revised the often-criticized PvP honor system in 2023. For example, it is no longer possible to lose your earned rank due to inactivity.
WoW Classic Hardcore
This is a variant of WoW Classic's era servers, which was expanded to include hardcore rules in August 2023. Hardcore means:
- Characters only have one life. If you die, you will remain dead. Resuscitation is not possible. However, you can transfer the dead character to a normal era server to continue playing there.
- Special restrictions apply: Paladins cannot use Hearthstone while they have Divine Shield or Blessing of Protection activated.
- There are duels to the death: With /makgora you challenge another player to do so. The loser stays dead, the winner gets a stack of "Ear Chain", a buff that shows your kills.
What about the number of players here?
There is no exact data, but the hardcore servers are much more popular than the normal era servers. Surely this is due to the special thrill. In June 2024, it had only caught another raid of max-level characters in Molten Core.
WoW Cataclysm Classic
Unlike the static era servers, the progressive Classic realms have been evolving for years. WoW Classic was followed by Burning Crusade Classic, then Wrath of the Lich King Classic. In May 2024, Deathwing finally erupted and Cataclysm Classic launched.
How does this Classic variant work?
The procedure has been similar for years: Blizzard uses the last content patch of an expansion as a basis, as it had the fewest bugs and the best class balance. However, the big features that landed on the servers in the course of the expansion will be unlocked in the Classic counterpart in the course of several phases.
For example, the preparatory phase of Cataclysm Classic brought the Goblins and Worgen, the profession of Archaeology, the remastered versions of Kalimdor, as well as the Eastern Kingdoms, and the Transmogrification Collection.
At launch, the raids Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent and Bastion of Twilight followed, but also the level phase from 80 to 85, seven high-level dungeons, the PvP zone Tol Barad and more.
What are the upcoming phases of Cataclysm Classic?
- In July 2024, the rise of the Zandalari is scheduled to take place (Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub are celebrating their comeback as 5-player dungeons)
- Blizzard is planning to storm the Firelands in October 2024 (with the raid of the same name and the Molten Front daily zone)
- January 2025 marks the Hour of Twilight (with the Dragon Soul raid and three new dungeons in the Caverns of Time)
Note that Blizzard takes the liberty of making minor and larger adjustments on the progressive Classic servers. As things stand, for example, there will be no LFR raid search in WoW Cataclysm Classic, which came into the game with patch 4.3 at the time.
WoW Classic Season of Discoveries
With the seasons of WoW Classic, Blizzard presents you with a heavily adapted version of vanilla WoW that obeys its own rules and guides you through the different content phases much faster than was the case in vanilla WoW at the time.
The first season of the championship was still quite conservative, with minor innovations in the raid instances of WoW Classic. So far, however, the current Season of Discoveries has played significantly differently.
What makes the Season of Discoveries special?
- The current season of WoW Classic only unlocks a part of the level phase, with each phase bringing its own endgame (with a well-known level dungeon that is turned into a 10- or 20-player raid instance, as well as a special PvP or PvE event).
- The new class runes and fresh equipment pieces will throw the old vanilla meta overboard, and there are also more classes that can take on healer or tank tasks.
- As soon as the season reaches the level 60 endgame, completely new content is planned.
What is the further roadmap for the Season of Discoveries?
Currently, the maximum level is 50 and those who have reached this level can enter the 20-player raid in the Temple of Atal'Hakkar. Alternatively, the Nightmare Incursions event awaits brave Azeroth heroes in some Classic Zones.
The next phase is scheduled to start in the summer of 2024 and will take you to level 60. It is already clear that Molten Core will be a 20-player raid. What content will come with Phase 5 in the fall of 2024 is still unknown.