Blizzcon: Cataclysm Blow Out

Level Cap

The level cap is being raised to 85, that’s 5 less levels than the previous two expansions.

New Races

Goblins (Horde) – The goblins in WoW have always been a neutral faction selling to both the alliance and horde for maximum profit. In recent times the goblins have had skirmishes with alliance forces which have cost the goblins in number and profit.

The start zone for the goblins is a revamped Azshara.

• Racial – Best Deals Anywhere – Always receive the best discount regardless of faction.
• Racial – Pack Hobgoblin – Calls your personal servant allowing you bank access for 1 minute. 30 secs cooldown.
• Racial – Better Living Through Chemistry – Alchemy skill increased by 15.
• Racial – Rocket Barrage – Launches your belt rockets an an enemy, dealing fire damage. 2 min cooldown.
• Racial – Rocket Jump – Activates your rocket belt to jump forward. 2 min cooldown.
• Racial – Time is Money – 1% increased attack and casting speed.

Worgens (Alliance) – The people of Gilneas locked themselves away behind the Greyman wall to protect themselves from the undead plague. The archmage Aragul called upon the Worgens to help him fight but instead was cursed with the beast form they possesed. The Greyman wall has opened and the Worgen have been accepted in to the alliance.

The starter zone for Worgens is Gilneas.

• Racial – Visciousness – +1% damage.
• Racial – Dark Flight – +70% run speed for 10 seconds.
• Racial – Abberation – Duration of Curses and Diseases reduced by 15%
• Racial – Flayer – Skinning skill increased by 15.

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New Zones

There are 7 new zones in total with 6 being high level zones from the 78-85 range.

Mount Hyjal –  Ragnaros returns with a mission to burn the world tree but he has opposition in the form of Malfurion Stormrage who has awoken from the emerald dream to defend the great tree.

Uldum- Titan story continued in this zone which is situated south west of Tanaris, the location is expected to look like Egypt with sand dunes mixed together with an oasis. Bran Bronzebeard will be at the forefront of this zone making more titanic discoveries.

Gilneas – The new starter zone for Worgens, Gilneas has always been on the map but inaccessible until now the zone looks a little like Silverpine forest with different architecture.

Twilight Highlands – A place of legend and will involve some sort of questline with the twilight dragons which can be found in Sartharions lair. Grim Batol is in this zone and is expected to be a raid dungeon. Horde and Alliance will have ports to this zone and the red dragons will have a quest hub.

Sunken City of Vasj’r – Lady Vashj’s home city is completely under water. Players can expect to run around as if on land once they reach the sea bed so that there is no “annoying combat”. There will be special under water mounts that match the speed of flying mounts. No news as of yet on Queen Azshara but we will be listening out for it.

Deepwholm – This zone is technically not on Azeroth as it exists on the elemental plane.  Deepwholm is where Deathwing has been hiding all this time in what seems to be an inside cavern. At the beginning of the expansion Deathwing breaks through the crust of Deepwholm to cause the Cataclysm.

The Lost Isles – No information as of yet, could possibly be where the Goblins have come from.

Guild Advancement

There will be an all new guild leveling system complete with talent tree. There is very little news on the talents but cheap repair bills and mass resurrections have been mentioned.

Dungeons and Raids

Black Rock Caverns – Located in Black Rock Spire, Caverns will be an all new dungeon. Black Rock Spire was a great dungeon and raid hub in the classic game and Caverns will be bringing players back to the old hub for an all new 5 man.

Firelands – Located on the elemental plane the Firelands will house Sulfuron keep which is home to Ragnaros which you may remember as the last boss in Molten Core which was the first ever raid dungeon. Ragnaros is apparently not too happy about being sent back to the Firelands and I am sure we can expect him to spout off the classic line of “by fire be purged!”

Uldum – Two new titan themed dungeons, think halls of stone and so on.

Grim Batol – Leveling dungeon and end game raid expected.

Skywall – Located on the elemental plane of air there will be a dungeon and a raid.

Player vs Player

Tol barad –  All new PvP zone much like Lake Wintergrasp with special daily quests. The horde and the alliance will fight for control of the zone at set intervals; the faction that controls the zone will have access to lucrative daily quests and a dungeon.

Battlegrounds – There will be at least 3 new battlegrounds in the new expansion, the battle of Gilneas is the only known one so far and it will involve controlling the city through holding districts.

A new rating system for battlegrounds will be introduced and run parallel to the arena system, now players in PvP can earn the same rewards in battlegrounds as they do in arena.

Arena – The e-sport of wow will get new maps, as of yet the number of maps is unknown and there are no details of maps.

Professions

Archaeology – Brand new gathering skill that all players can pick up as a secondary profession much like cooking or first aid, archeology does not take a professions slot. The professions will involve gathering items from old sites around azeroth with more details to be released soon.