WoW: Cataclysm Classic devs confirm Rise of the Zandalari release date & features

Rise of the Zandalari is one of the most beloved content updates in World of Warcraft history, and players are about to get the chance to experience it all again in Cataclysm Classic.

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

Part of the reason that Rise of the Zandalari proved so popular the first time around was the precedent for quality it set for iconic zones from Vanilla WoW. Starting by answering Vol’jin’s calls for help, players had to investigate a new threat in the jungles of Stranglethorn.

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As well as one of the more enthralling narratives in WoW, it also added several pieces of impressive content for players to conquer. The first was a refreshed version of Zul’Gurub, where empowered Gurubashi protected the Heroic dungeon’s many secrets (there is a treasure map and unique ring to discover).

Additionally, Zul’Aman has been converted into another five-man Heroic dungeon. Though the experience will be immediately familiar to anyone who took on Zuljin in The Burning Crusade, there are refreshed mechanics and encounters throughout.

Both dungeons require a 346 item level to enter, with the bosses dropping gear at 353 item level when defeated. The developer also confirmed that gear has been designed to allow players to fill slots that can otherwise prove awkward to nail down in Cataclysm.

Lastly, it’s also possible to pick up three rare mounts from the dungeons – the Amani Battle Bear, Swift Zulian Panther and Armored Razzashi Raptor.

Cataclysm’s launch has proven surprisingly popular among the player base, particularly considering how divisive it was the first time around and the other flavors of WoW that exist. This next update will do little to dent that, as players experience a great period in WoW’s history for the second time.