Cataclysm Classic Phase 1, featuring three raid dungeons, is now live!

Cataclysm Classic’s first planned phase officially kicked off May 28 and is now in full swing with the launch of three raid dungeons! On top of these raid dungeons, players can also participate in Classic season 9 of PVP and enjoy new battlegrounds and arenas throughout Phase 1.

Since these are basically endgame activities, players will have a little over a week from Cataclysm Classic’s May 20 launch to make their way through the expansion’s new zones and quests to get up to level before they take on these activities.

What’s in Cataclysm Classic Phase 1?

• Season 9 PVP — May 28
  • Rated Battlegrounds
  • Rated Arenas
• The Bastion of Twilight — May 30
  • Minimum Level: 85
  • Zone Location: Twilight Highlands
  • Normal: 10 and 25 player
  • Heroic: 10 and 25 player
• Blackwing Descent — May 30
  • Minimum Level: 85
  • Zone Location: Burning Steppes
  • Normal: 10 and 25 player
  • Heroic: 10 and 25 player
• Throne of the Four Winds — May 30
  • Minimum Level: 85
  • Zone Location: Uldum
  • Normal: 10 and 25 player
  • Heroic: 10 and 25 player

In addition to the Tol Barad PVP zone, which went live at Cataclysm Classic’s launch, Season 9 PVP in Cataclysm Classic will give players access to Rated Battlegrounds and Rated Arenas in order to earn Conquest for gear and other rewards. All players will have access to these activities once the weekly reset concludes on May 28.

As of May 30 at 3PM pacific time, level 85 players will be able to access three raids. Two of these raids, Bastion of Twilight and Throne of the Four Winds, can be found in the new Twilight Highlands and Uldum zones, respectively while Blackwing Descent is located in the Burning Steppes. Each raid will have Normal and Heroic modes for both 10 and 25 player groups, with the Heroic version of Bastion of Twilight spawning an extra boss at the end.

How long will Cataclysm Classic Phase 1 last?

The release of the WoW Classic 2024 roadmap indicates that Cataclysm Classic will have a release cadence similar to Wrath Classic and deliver a new content phase every 9 to 10 weeks. Sticking to that timeframe lines up with the release of next phase, Rise of the Zandalari, in July 2024.

The WoW Classic team has been able to keep up with delivering content at a steady pace but Cataclysm Classic has been plagued with a variety of bugs since the pre-patch launch so these timelines and the things in them could always change, as evidenced in the apparent removal of the Elemental Unrest Cataclysm Classic pre-patch event.

Time will tell as Cataclysm Classic Phase 1 continues to roll out!

Originally published on May 15, 2025. Updated on May 30, 2024.