WoW: Cataclysm Classic pre-patch DPS charts reveal one class is dominating the competition

With World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic set to release on May 20, the final throes of Wrath of the Lich King are now well underway. The latest DPS charts show that the next expansion has a lot to do when it comes to balancing between classes and specs.

According to Warcraft Logs, the Fire Mage is comfortably the highest-performing spec in the game at the moment. The data is taken from the 95th percentile of players or, in simpler terms, the top five percent of players in 25-man Icecrown Citadel for that week.

Though that isn’t particularly surprising on its own, as Fire Mage has been strong throughout the expansion, the gulf between it and the nearest competition is impressive. The number two spot heading into Cataclysm also goes to the Arcane Mage, putting the class as far and away the best option for those looking for pure DPS.

Rogues are also putting out highly respectable numbers specced into both Assassination and Subtlety. Combat Rogues are struggling to keep up, and don’t appear until the bottom half of the charts.

Paladins and Warriors could rightly feel somewhat aggrieved. Both Fury and Arms Warriors are struggling to keep up, whilst the Paladin’s only DPS spec also appears towards the very bottom.

It is important to note the inherent flaws in this tracking system. Though it’s a good way of getting a general idea of the DPS landscape, the top players generally won’t play specs that are severely underperforming. This can then lead to the gaps between specs becoming significantly more pronounced.

With Cataclysm Classic less than two weeks away, this meta is going to shift significantly. The Retribution Paladin was historically quite strong during the expansion, so we won’t have long to wait to see if it can recapture that form.