The Alpha of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has been running for some time now, and first players had the opportunity to fight through the new leveling process. Their conclusion: It goes surprisingly fast.
How long does leveling take? As reddit user DesMephisto reports, he needed just under 13 hours to level a new character to level 50 before the start of Shadowlands – about as much time as players currently need with the 100%-XP buff at level 120.
He achieved all of this without heirlooms. These would provide a significant XP bonus and save time. In general, leveling in Shadowlands should go significantly faster overall. Based on reports and personal experience, we estimate about:
- 12-15 hours for new players to level 50
- under 24 hours to level 60
- 10-13 hours for twinks to level 60 if they wear heirlooms
The time can be shortened further by perfecting leveling routes, experience, and useful items like XP potions. Other players are already impressed by the performance, such as batze_91 on reddit: “Pretty impressive without heirlooms or buffs.”
What does fast leveling bring? With Shadowlands, there is a level squish with level 60 as the new maximum level. From level 50 onwards, you can start with the new content and explore new features like the covenants and their abilities or Torghast, the Tower of the Damned.
A significant advantage is that new players have easier access. Currently, the high level and the time it takes for a new player to reach level 120 tends to deter newcomers. With Shadowlands, you might be able to convince friends to play together better.
However, we cannot say whether the XP rates will remain the same. Like much in the alpha, this may still undergo changes before release.
Leveling in Shadowlands – faster and more pleasant?
DesMephisto has, however, cheated a bit, as he started at level 10 instead of level 1 as is usual. He began with an allied race that has a higher starting level – at least in the alpha.
New players can either choose the new leveling area Exile’s Reach or another starting area. Afterwards, there is an option to choose an expansion of WoW to reach level 50 in it. However, this is currently not possible in the alpha.
This new system brings several advantages:
- you level up noticeably faster
- you avoid tedious grinding in dungeons or areas that do not interest you
- new players have easier access and can play faster with friends
- twinks reach endgame faster if you want to try a new class
For veterans with a bit more time, it makes sense with Shadowlands to level up a twink instead of spending money on a level boost. This is just one of the changes for the new expansion. If you want to learn more about the next addon, visit our collection article on Shadowlands with all the information.
