Today, on August 31, 2022, the Pre-Patch for WoW WotLK Classic begins. To get you in the mood, there is a new trailer in which the Lich King himself introduces you to the new class of Wrath of the Lich King: the Death Knight. And it is already playable.
What kind of class is this? The Death Knight is the first new class in WoW ever and also the first hero class of the game. Death Knights start at level 55, thus skipping a good part of the leveling process.
As plate wearers, they are suitable both as tanks and as DPS and excel in both roles. Compared to the modern Death Knight, the WotLK version is even slightly stronger.
The trailer introduces you to the three specializations of the class:
- Frost generally works with two weapons and frost damage. The spec is traditionally played as a tank, but with the patch status of WotLK Classic, mainly as DPS.
- Unholy Death Knights summon hordes of undead and are particularly strong DPS with their diseases.
- Blood Death Knights have strong self-healing and are particularly popular as tanks, but also in PvP.
Since the current Pre-Patch, you can create one Death Knight per server, as long as you have at least one character at level 55 there. You can even start right away so that you can level up to level 80 with the new class at the release of WotLK Classic on September 27. In our overview, you’ll find all the info on the new expansion:
Pre-Patch brings new class and faster leveling
Why should I level up now? With the Pre-Patch, there is an adjustment of the experience points in the game. You need fewer XP for levels 60-70 of the leveling phase. Meanwhile, the “Rushing Travel” buff is still active, granting you an additional 50% experience points.
Since you start as a Death Knight at level 55 and only leave the starting area at level 58, you benefit from all the advantages for almost the entire time and are thus faster at the (still) highest level 70. Perfect to kick off right in time for the release.
Anyone who wants to start fresh can also check out the “Fresh Start” realms. They offer a new beginning for everyone, so no one has an advantage through gold or equipment.
What else is in the Pre-Patch? Together with the Pre-Patch, the probably best event of all time is starting soon: all of Azeroth will be afflicted by a new plague that turns players into zombies. As a zombie, you are hostile to Horde and Alliance and create chaos and devastation in all major cities. The Pre-Patch is divided into several phases:
- August 31: The Pre-Patch will be released and will bring the major system changes of Wrath of the Lich King, including dual talent specialization, achievements, and inscription as a new profession.
- September 6 – 13: The “Zombie Plague” event begins, where you can spread chaos across the game world.
- September 13 – 26: The Scourge invasions begin everywhere in the world. In the fight against the necropolises, you can receive particularly powerful rewards.
- September 27: Wrath of the Lich King Classic will be released at midnight (00:01).
- October 5: Arena Season 5 begins.
- October 7: The first 3 raids open – Naxxramas, the Eye of Eternity, and the Obsidian Sanctum.
Information about the release of the additional raids Icecrown Citadel, Ulduar, and the Trial of the Crusader is still missing. However, we already know that some modern mechanics will also find their way into the classic version:
WoW WotLK Classic: Blizzard brings more modern retail mechanics into the old raids
