When is WoW Classic Season of Discovery Phase 4? We estimate the next season starts in June!

In a pleasantly surprising move, Blizzard announced Phase 3 of WoW Classic Season of Discovery launches on April 4, two weeks before we expected it to go live. So what does that mean for the upcoming Season of Discovery Phase 4 release date? Phase 3 is releasing about 8 weeks after Phase 2, slightly faster than the 10 week release cadence we’re used to seeing, and it has us thinking about what effect this has on Phase 4. Right now, Phase 4 is scheduled to be released this summer but there isn’t a confirmed date yet. Blizzard will probably keep to the same release structure which puts Phase 4’s release date in June and I’m estimating Phase 4 will start on June 13, 2024.

Now let’s talk about why I’m guessing Phase 4 will launch in June. The first of Cataclysm Classic’s pre-patch events, Operation Gnomeregan and Zalazane’s Fall, started on March 26 and will likely run for four to five weeks before the next pre-patch event involving the Twilight Hammer begins. If each pre-patch event runs for that long, they will roll right into our expected June 4 launch date for Cataclysm Classic. On the Classic 2024 roadmap, Phase 4 also releases on the heels of Cataclysm Classic and since June 13 is 10 weeks out from April 4, it fits right in.

It will be a bit before we learn when Phase 4 arrives, so let’s take a look at what we know is in it.

What’s in Season of Discovery Phase 4?

• Level 51-60
• New endgame activities (and updates down the line)
• New runes

Phase 4 opens the final level range from 51-60, enabling players to finally reach max level in Season of Discovery. Other than that, we don’t know much about what’s happening in Phase 4. It doesn’t look like any one dungeon is being elevated to a raid status in Phase 4, likely because of the abundance of already existing raids but it’s still early on and that could change. It does look like we’re getting more endgame activities but whether they’re more PVE, like the Nightmare Incursions, or PVP, like the Blood Moon, remains to be seen.

We do know some things about Phase 4 thanks to the Phase 3 preview. At level 60, there will be a weekly raid lockout schedule, some new set tier bonuses for off-spec (ex. Rogue Tank) classes, itemization features, and Priests being able to unlockable other races passive abilities. There’s also going to be a way to unlock passive weapon skill bonuses that give you a +5 to two skills of your choice with the option to swap them easily, but they won’t stack with your character’s racial bonus. As for the new runes, we could get more runes that could be added to the pre-existing slots (helm, boots, etc.) or we could see a new item slot getting its own set of runes. Currently, some classes (Shaman and Warrior) have more runes in certain slots than the other classes, so I think we’ll see the rune options for pre-existing item slots grow.

A lot of the Phase 4 features are still in active development, so they may change drastically by the time it goes live, we’re still a long way off as we’re just now moving into Phase 3 but that doesn’t mean we can’t eagerly wait for what’s coming in the future so be sure to check back here to stay informed about what else is coming in Season of Discovery Phase 4!