WoW Classic Season of Discovery: Release Date, Runes, Features & Raid

At BlizzCon 2023, not only did Blizzard reveal the Cataclysm Classic expansion for the World of Warcraft (WoW) fans, but we also saw a very exciting Season of Discovery announcement, and heroes of Azeroth won't have to wait long to experience it.

In this guide, we outline all the features of WoW Classic Season of Discovery, such as Rune Engraving and the 10-man Blackfathom Deeps raid, alongside its exact release date so you can mark those calendars.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery Release Date

WoW Classic Season of Discovery releases "in the week of 30 November 2023," according to Blizzard. We do believe that the release date is 30 November for those in the US and 1 December for those in Europe. However, there is a small chance that the release date could actually be after server maintenance on 28 November in the US. We will keep you updated once we know more.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery Content

In Season of Discovery, WoW Classic players will discover secrets across Azeroth, earning Runes to Engrave to alter their abilities. Yes, you will be able to create Mage healers or even Warlock tanks!

The initial level cap is 25 in Season of Discovery. At max level, there's a new endgame, including a 10-player Blackfathom Deeps raid with "new and reimagined bosses, mechanics, and rewards."

More content will be added to WoW Classic Season of Discovery, and the level cap will increase with a "few levels" as Blizzard will release more endgame content.

Check out the list of features and content in WoW Classic Season of Discovery below with official descriptions from the developers, including Rune Engraving, making Discoveries, and more.

Discoveries

"Discoveries are new, hidden secrets all over Azeroth designed to feel at home in Original WoW and bring about a unique experience of social interaction and information sharing. There will not be a public Beta or PTR for Season of Discovery to ensure that the first few weeks feel as exciting and fresh as possible."

Level-banded Content

"Level-banded content phases were inspired by the WoW Classic Beta, where level caps brought about a new and interesting take on gameplay and community. By stepping up to a new level cap after a period of time, we hope to make the season feel approachable, with lots to do but never a feeling of being left behind. To that end, we're working on low-level XP boosts for use in later phases."

Endgame Gameplay

"New mechanics to familiar settings and characters are being introduced. Each Raid that marks the level cap of a phase will be fully redesigned with new loot and new experiences. World PvP events for players who'd prefer to go head-to-head are also being added."

Rune Engraving

"Rune Engraving is a new set of skills for all players that exists outside of the talent system. It allows you to apply new abilities to your equipment and swap them at any time. To start at level 25, you'll have three slots to engrave: chest, legs, and hands, with additional rune slots unlocking at higher levels."

Class Design:

"The team's goals were to shake up the Classic meta, give each class something fun drawn from some of our favorite abilities across the first several expansions of World of Warcraft, with some fun new abilities tossed in as well, and focus on class fantasy while staying true to the Classic game."

Blackfathom Deeps

"We got a big-picture look at Season of Discovery and learned about the first fully redesigned Raid for the level 25 endgame: Blackfathom Deeps. For the first three challenging bosses—Baron Aquanis, Ghamoo-ra, and Lady Sarevess—players will be pressed to learn new tactics and strategies. This was followed by a quick look at the other four bosses and then a sneak peek at some level 25 Raid loot that will drop."

In case you couldn't watch BlizzCon 2023 live, check out the 40-minute-long developer panel video focusing on what's next for the WoW Classic era, including the Season of Discovery below.

It will be interesting to see how many Rune Engraving combos players can come up with and how the level cap of 25, including the 10-man Blackfathom Deeps raid, will be received by the community. All I can say for sure is that players are intrigued by this very unique new twist on WoW Classic.

Check out our video below, where we dive deep into the lore of the Dragon Aspects in World of Warcraft, discussing all the leaders, their history, and some family drama!

For more World of Warcraft news, be sure to check out our dedicated section or some of our WoW Guides & Tutorials below:

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Dragonflight Tier Lists - Best DPS Class & Build | Best Healer Class & Build | Best Tank Class & Build

Dungeon Guides - Nokhud Offensive | Neltharus | The Azure Vault | Brackenhide Hollow | Ruby Life Pools | 

WotLK Classic Guides - Best Death Knight Builds| Retribution Paladin PVE| Herbalism Leveling| PvE Beast Mastery Hunter DPS| Shadows of Doom| Cold Weather Flying| Fire Mage PvE| Flying Carpet 

Holiday Events - Hallow's End| Feast of Winter Veil  

Featured image courtesy of Blizzard.