World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic arrives next month

World of Warcraft Classic, the nostalgia-tweaking old-school version of Blizzard's long-running MMORPG, is set to move into the next era of history next month, with World of Warcraft Cataclysm Classic now confirmed to be launching on 20th May.

“You've toppled the undead armies of the Lich King and ended Arthas' reign,” Blizzard enthuses in its announcement post. “Now, Deathwing, The Worldbreaker, bursts from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing his rage. All will burn beneath the shadow of his wings.”

Cataclysm Classic, which arrives around a year and a half after the launch of Wrath of the Lich King Classic, will be preceded by a pre-launch patch on 30th April. This introduces a variety of system changes and additions – including the Goblin and Wargen player races, as well as the likes of new race and class combinations, and the Archeology profession – ahead of Cataclysm Classic's substantially more seismic world changes in May.

Here, as per Blizzard's announcementare the major changes Cataclysm Classic will bring:

• Seven new zones: Mount Hyjal, Vash'jir, Twilight Highlands, Uldum, Deepholm, Kezan, and Gilneas
• Nine new dungeons: Blackrock Caverns, Throne of the Tides, Vortex Pinnacle, The Stonecore, The Lost City of Tol'vir, The Halls of Origination, Grim Batol, Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep
• Dungeon journal introduced
• Three new raid dungeons: Throne of the Four Winds, Blackwing Descent, and Bastion of Twilight
• Flexible raid lock system: Allowing players to do both 10 and 25-player raids in the same week
• Tol Barad PvP zone
• Darkmoon Island: discover the mysteries Silas Darkmoon has in store for you
• Flying in Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor

Of course, World of Warcraft purists not yet ready to move into the Cataclysm era also have the option to remain with an earlier version of the game through Blizzard's Classic Era servers.

News of Cataclysm Classic's imminent arrival follows last year's announcement the modern version of World of Warcraft will embark on its own new era later this year. The War Within, expected to launch this summer, will kickstart a new trilogy of expansions, dubbed the Worldsoul Saga, with two more unnamed chapters to follow in the years to come. Blizzard shared its World of Warcraft 2024 roadmap last December.