WoW: Cataclysm Classic Developers Announce Release Date & Features for Rise of the Zandalari Expansion

The Rise of the Zandalari, a beloved content update in the history of World of Warcraft, will soon be available for players to relive in Cataclysm Classic.

As announced in the This Week in WoW blog post on the official World of Warcraft website, Blizzard has confirmed that the major content update will be released on July 31. This includes the return of all original features from the patch’s initial release.

One of the main reasons for the initial success of Rise of the Zandalari was its establishment of a high standard for zones in Vanilla WoW. Upon responding to Vol’jin’s pleas for assistance, players were tasked with uncovering a new danger lurking in the jungles of Stranglethorn.

Zul'Aman in Cataclysm Classic — Blizzard Entertainment

In addition to having one of the most captivating storylines in WoW, it also introduced several impressive challenges for players to tackle. One of these was a revamped version of Zul’Gurub, where powerful Gurubashi defenders guarded the secrets of the Heroic dungeon (including a treasure map and a unique ring waiting to be found).

Moreover, Zul’Aman has undergone a transformation and is now a five-man Heroic dungeon. While the overall experience will remain recognizable to those who faced Zuljin in The Burning Crusade, there are updated mechanics and encounters to be encountered.

To enter both dungeons, players must have an item level of 346. Upon defeating the bosses, players can obtain gear at 353 item level. The developer has also stated that the gear has been specifically designed to fill any difficult-to-obtain slots in Cataclysm.

Additionally, it is feasible to acquire three elusive mounts by completing dungeons – namely, the Amani Battle Bear, Swift Zulian Panther, and Armored Razzashi Raptor.

Despite being a divisive launch the first time around and with other flavors of WoW available, Cataclysm has surprisingly become a popular choice among players. The upcoming update is unlikely to change this trend, as players will once again get to experience a fantastic period in WoW’s history.