Cataclysm Classic Beta quietly delayed by Blizzard

With so much going on across all of the different World of Warcraft flavors, it was always likely that there were going to be some delays in 2024. Now, Blizzard’s latest roadmap has confirmed that the Cataclysm Classic will be coming later than first expected.

Over the course of the next year, the developer has huge plans for Classic more generally. Season of Discovery is set to cycle through its phases until players reach the original level cap of 60 towards the end of the summer.

WoW Classic’s long-awaited Hardcore mode breathed new life into the game in 2023. Though popular streamer Asmongold initially rejected the chance to play, many others pushed the premise to its limits.

The mainline Classic series is currently sitting at the end of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Players have successfully conquered The Ruby Sanctum, and the content is largely winding up. Many will be looking to the game’s next steps, but they may have to wait longer than originally expected.

Cataclysm Classic Beta delayed until Spring

In an official post on the Blizzard website, Executive Producer Holly Longdale confirmed how their plans are progressing. The biggest takeaway from this is that the Beta for Cataclysm Classic will now come after the release of Hardcore Self-Found mode in late February.

This is a notable change from the original plan, which had the Cataclysm Classic Beta arriving between Season of Discovery Phase Two and the new Hardcore mode. The reason for the change is unclear, and there has been no confirmation that this decision is related to the recent layoffs at the company.

Debates over the endgame for Classic continue to rage, with some arguing that Cataclysm should mark its natural conclusion. Others vehemently argue in favor of the return of Mists of Pandaria, which would be the next in the series after Cataclysm.