World of Warcraft is gearing up for the release of Wrath of the Lich King Classic, a return to one of the most beloved expansions in the MMO’s long history. After the recent announcement of its launch date, World of Warcraft just announced the roadmap for the Pre-Patch and subsequent events, and players won’t have to wait long.
The Wrath of the Lich King Pre-Patch signifies the official start of the next era of World of Warcraft Classic. While WoW Classic players won’t get to travel to Northrend or level beyond 70 quite yet, they will be able to create Death Knights and join Fresh Start realms starting August 30.
World of Warcraft fans will have a couple events to look forward to in the following weeks. On September 6, the Zombie Plague begins, a terrifying event where players can turn into ghouls and can kill other players to raise them as well. Starting September 13, the Scourge Invasion event will replace the Plague event, giving players the opportunity to face down the Lich King’s army in select places around the world to earn special rewards before the Wrath of the Lich King launches on September 26. World of Warcraft Classic also has an ongoing Joyous Journeys experience buff active, which will run until the expansion's launch.
If that were not enough to get excited for, World of Warcraft Classic also begins its Brewfest event on September 20, which runs until October 6, giving players plenty to do both before and after Wrath of the Lich King returns. October 6 is also when Wrath of the Lich King Classic opens up its first three raids: Naxxramas, the Eye of Eternity, and The Obsidian Sanctum. Players will have just over a week to get their characters to max level and gear up to tackle these raids once more.
Many players can’t wait for the Wrath of the Lich King Pre-Patch. The Death Knight was the first new class introduced in World of Warcraft’s history, and its starting experience is considered to be one of the best. The Wrath of the Lich King Pre-Patch events are also some of the most renowned, especially the Scourge Invasion event. This incredibly fun and dynamic event set a high bar for World of Warcraft’s Pre-Patch events, which an unfortunate few expansions have met by the standards of many.
On the other hand, some players are dreading the Wrath of the Lich King Pre-Patch, especially the Zombie Plague. The infamous event–which returned for Shadowlands to disastrously hilarious results–involves forced PvP, and attracts as much griefing as it does fun. Luckily, the intrusive event only lasts for a short while, so players who don’t wish to participate might want to take the week off–or avoid major cities at the very least.
World of Warcraft is available on PC. Wrath of the Lich King Classic launches September 26.