WoW Classic Season of Discovery guide: Release date, new raids, Rune Engraving, and more

During BlizzCon 2023, WoW Classic: Season of Discovery was unveiled. It’s an incredible new take on a classic formula, and many fans are already chomping at the bit to get started.

There’s going to be a little wait as it launches later this month, but it’s filled with unique ideas and promise.

This could be the beginning of the Classic+ content that players have been whispering about over the past few months. These servers will offer never-before-seen content and change how players approach the game.

From classic dungeons transformed into raids to Mages healing and Rogues tanking, WoW Classic: Season of Discovery is going to be a massive change for the positive in the world of classic Warcraft. There’s so much to be excited about. Let's dive right into the details.

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When is WoW Classic: Season of Discovery beginning?

Among the Blizzcon 2023 announcements, we learned that on November 30, 2023, WoW Classic: Season of Discovery begins on a set of fresh servers, much like the Season of Mastery did. Players will be able to take part in these for about a year, with plenty to do between now and then.

For instance, the level cap at launch is going to be 25 but will be upgraded slowly as time progresses.

With each new level cap introduced, reaching the previous caps will become easier. It’s likely that the cap will be 60, as this only takes place in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.

One thing to note here is that this will be classic only, not Retail WoW.

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What’s new and exciting in WoW Classic Season of Discovery?

There are numerous fresh and exciting features coming to WoW Classic: Season of Discovery. Since the level cap will start at 25, as previously mentioned, we need some new endgame content.

With that in mind, several classic dungeons will be converted into raids. The first of these is Blackrock Depths. It will become a new, 10-person dungeon for level 25 players.

Whether on accident or on purpose, the developers teased a few other dungeons that will get this treatment:

• Gnomerregan
• Scarlet Monastery
• Karazhan Crypts

This could mean the Season will go beyond level 60, but we’ll just have to see what comes of it all. We do know that there will be new bosses and that they will have three-day lockout periods.

When it comes to major changes, though, nothing is bigger than Rune Engraving. All players will have access to it, and it lets them add these special runes to their character.

Most notably, they teach new class abilities. Have you ever wanted to heal on a Mage or tank as a Shaman? This is now more viable than ever.

Once you have access to a rune, you have it forever, and you can swap them around as you wish. It’s going to be very interesting to see what players can do with these.

Furthermore, the Runes are tied to gear, so you’ll have a total of 12 to equip at once.

Not much is known about the other new feature: Discoveries. They promise to be interesting, however. As players explore Azeroth during WoW Classic: Season of Discovery, they’ll find secret boxes and similar things.

The purpose of them is to share information with the populace of Azeroth. Not much is known yet, but it promises to be intriguing.

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WoW Classic: Season of Discovery begins on November 30, 2023, only on the classic servers in World of Warcraft. A subscription is required, but Retail WoW gives players access to both server types. This is as close as players will get to WoW Classic+ for the time being.