Pandaria just opened up, and there's a ton of content waiting for you. You've got new systems, zones, and completely different ways to play. Traditional dungeons are here alongside brand new scenario instances that work nothing like regular group content.
Here's what Phase 1 brings to the table:
What's New in Pandaria
Seven New Zones
Pandaria gives you six leveling zones plus Vale of Eternal Blossoms as your endgame hub. Each zone has its own personality, from the mystical Jade Forest to the harsh Dread Wastes where everything wants to kill you.
Group Content Everywhere
Nine dungeons total (six new, three completely redone classics), three raids releasing over time, two world bosses, plus something called Challenge Mode that'll test even veteran players. Plus there are scenarios, which are basically mini-dungeons for three players. They care more about story than having a tank, healer, and DPS.
PVP Gets Fresh Blood
Two new battlegrounds that actually try different mechanics instead of "capture the flag again." Plus a new arena that's all about positioning and line of sight.
Reputation and Progression
Eight new factions to grind rep with, each offering different rewards and storylines. Some are straightforward, others involve farming or fishing. Your choice how deep you want to go.
Getting to Level 90
The Journey from 85 to 90
Those five extra levels matter more than you'd expect. Each level gives you more power, but hitting 90 unlocks that final talent tier. Most of those talents completely change how your spec plays. Don't rush through the leveling just to get there faster. The zones tell a story, and you'll miss important context if you skip around too much.
Smart Leveling Through Pandaria
Jade Forest is your only real option here, and that's fine. It introduces you to Pandarian culture and gets you familiar with the new quest types. You'll also unlock your first dungeon and start building rep with the Order of the Cloud Serpent.
Now you've got choices. Valley of the Four Winds, Krasarang Wilds, and Kun-Lai Summit all open up at 86. Pick based on what you want to do: Valley focuses on farming and peaceful content, Krasarang has varied outdoor activities, and Kun-Lai starts introducing you to the more serious lore.
Townlong Steppes and Dread Wastes are where things get real. Harder quests, better rewards, and storylines that set up endgame content. Dread Wastes especially, that place is brutal but has some of the most interesting faction content in the game.
Vale of Eternal Blossoms becomes your new home. Portals to every major city, access to high-level dungeons, and all the daily quest hubs you'll be visiting for weeks.
Zone Guide: Where to Go and Why
Jade Forest (85-87)
Your introduction to Pandaria starts here whether you like it or not. Good news is it's actually well-designed. You'll learn about the conflict between Alliance and Horde forces, meet the Pandaren, and get your first taste of how different this expansion feels. Temple of the Jade Serpent dungeon is here, along with the start of the Cloud Serpent rep grind.
Valley of the Four Winds (86-90)
Farming simulator meets World of Warcraft. This zone introduces the Tillers faction, which is all about growing crops and building relationships with individual NPCs. Sounds boring, but it's actually pretty relaxing after all the combat-heavy content. Stormstout Brewery dungeon is here, plus the Sha of Anger world boss.
Krasarang Wilds (86-90)
Probably the most diverse zone in terms of activities. You've got jungle, coast, and inland areas with completely different feels. The Anglers faction hangs out here if you're into fishing. Several scenarios start here too, so you'll be back even after you outlevel the zone.
Kun-Lai Summit (86-90)
Mountain zone with some of the best views in the game. Home to the Shado-Pan Monastery dungeon and where you'll meet both the Shado-Pan and August Celestials factions. Galleon world boss spawns here, and there are multiple scenarios based in this zone. The storylines get more serious here compared to the lighter tone in Valley.
Townlong Steppes (88-90)
War-torn zone where the serious business happens. Siege of Niuzao Temple dungeon is here, along with continued Shado-Pan storylines. The quests ramp up in difficulty and complexity. You'll start seeing mechanics that prepare you for endgame content.
Dread Wastes (89-90)
Insect hell. Everything is hostile, the environment wants to kill you, and the storylines get weird with the Klaxxi faction. But the rewards are worth it, and you'll need the rep for endgame gear. Heart of Fear raid entrance is here too.
Vale of Eternal Blossoms (90)
Your new capital city basically. Two dungeons (Mogu'shan Palace and Gate of the Setting Sun), portals everywhere, Golden Lotus faction headquarters, and daily quest hubs. You'll spend a lot of time here once you hit max level.
Dungeon Content: Nine Different Challenges
New Pandarian Dungeons
| Dungeon | Zone | Level | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple of the Jade Serpent | Jade Forest | 85+ | Easy |
| Stormstout Brewery | Valley of the Four Winds | 85+ | Easy |
| Mogu'shan Palace | Vale of Eternal Blossoms | 87+ | Moderate |
| Shado-Pan Monastery | Kun-Lai Summit | 87+ | Moderate |
| Gate of the Setting Sun | Vale of Eternal Blossoms | 88+ | Hard |
| Siege of Niuzao Temple | Townlong Steppes | 88+ | Very Hard |
Temple of the Jade Serpent (Jade Forest, 85+)
First dungeon most people will see. Good introduction to Pandarian enemy types and mechanics without being overwhelming. Both Normal and Heroic versions available.
Stormstout Brewery (Valley of the Four Winds, 85+)
Brewery-themed dungeon with alcohol-based mechanics. Fun atmosphere, moderate difficulty. Some of the encounters play with intoxication effects in interesting ways.
Mogu'shan Palace (Vale of Eternal Blossoms, 87+)
Mid-range dungeon featuring the ancient Mogu empire. More complex mechanics than the earlier dungeons. Good stepping stone toward heroic content.
Shado-Pan Monastery (Kun-Lai Summit, 87+)
Martial arts theme with positioning-heavy fights. Encounters focus on movement and timing rather than just burning down targets.
Gate of the Setting Sun (Vale of Eternal Blossoms, 88+)
One of the harder new dungeons. Siege warfare mechanics and defensive scenarios. Good preparation for raid-level coordination.
Siege of Niuzao Temple (Townlong Steppes, 88+)
Most complex of the new dungeons. Multiple phases, advanced coordination requirements. If you can handle this on heroic, you're probably ready for raids.
Reworked Classic Dungeons
Three old dungeons got complete overhauls for current content:
- Scarlet Halls and Scarlet Monastery (Both in Tirisfal Glades) - The Scarlet Crusade dungeons got split up and redesigned. New level 85 heroic versions keep the original atmosphere but update the mechanics for modern gameplay.
- Scholomance (Western Plaguelands) - Completely rebuilt from the ground up. The old version was a confusing maze. The new one actually makes sense while keeping the necromantic school theme.
All of these support both LFG queue and manual groups. If you want to control your group composition or practice specific strategies, travel to the entrance manually. Otherwise, the dungeon finder works fine for most runs.
Raids: Three Major Encounters
Release Schedule and What to Expect
Mogu'shan Vaults opens July 31, 2025 in Kun-Lai Summit. This is your entry-level raid, still challenging, but designed to be accessible to most organized groups. Good place to learn the new raid mechanics and start building a regular team.
Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring will release later (dates TBA). Heart of Fear is in Dread Wastes and ties into the Klaxxi storyline. Terrace of Endless Spring is back in Jade Forest and represents the hardest content in Phase 1.
Getting Raid Ready
Rep Requirements
Golden Lotus becomes important for endgame gear and services. Other factions provide specialized gear and consumables. Don't ignore the rep grinds, they matter for progression.
Team Building
Raids require more coordination than previous expansions. Mechanics matter more than gear checks. Practice in heroic dungeons first, then move to Challenge Modes if your team can handle them.
World Bosses: Weekly Gear Opportunities
Sha of Anger (Valley of the Four Winds)
Corrupted emotion made physical. Requires large groups but scales reasonably well with more players. Weekly lockout means you get one chance per week for loot. Mechanics are straightforward but require basic coordination.
Galleon (Kun-Lai Summit)
Massive proto-drake with adds. More positioning-dependent than Sha of Anger but still accessible to casual groups. Same weekly lockout system.
Both bosses reset weekly and provide loot to all participants who contribute meaningfully. You'll need to coordinate with your realm or use cross-realm tools to find groups. Success depends more on having enough people than perfect execution.
Challenge Mode: Skill-Based Dungeon Racing
How It Works
All nine max-level dungeons have Challenge Mode versions. Your gear gets scaled down to item level 463, so everyone's on equal footing. You need a premade group of five (no LFG queue). Time limits determine your medal: Bronze, Silver, or Gold.
Rewards Worth Chasing
Silver Medal (All Nine Dungeons)
Complete all nine dungeons within silver time to get Challenge Conqueror: Silver. This gives you an Ancestral Phoenix Egg that trades for one of four phoenix mounts: Ashen, Emerald, Violet, or Crimson Pandaren Phoenix.
Gold Medal (All Nine Dungeons)
Gold completion unlocks two things: unique class transmog sets that look incredible, and personal teleports to each dungeon where you got gold. The teleports unlock individually, so you can get partial benefits.
Strategy Requirements
You need premade groups since there's no matchmaking. Route planning matters more than gear. Crowd control usage, cooldown timing, and perfect execution determine success. Each dungeon needs specific strategies built around speed while staying alive.
Scenarios: Three-Player Story Content
Scenarios change up the group content formula. Three players, flexible roles, story focus instead of strict tank-healer-DPS requirements. Most scenarios let you bring whatever composition you want.
Available Scenarios
| Scenario | Zone | Level | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Brewing Storm | Jade Forest | 85+ | Introduction |
| Greenstone Village | Jade Forest | 85+ | Story |
| Arena of Annihilation | Kun-Lai Summit | 85+ | Combat |
| Unga Ingoo | Krasarang Wilds | 86+ | Culture |
| Brewmoon Festival | Kun-Lai Summit | 86+ | Festival |
| Crypt of Forgotten Kings | Kun-Lai Summit | 90 | Endgame |
You can queue through LFG or find the quest givers to enter manually. Scenarios provide experience, gold, and unique items. They're also the best way to understand Pandarian lore without reading quest text.
PVP: New Ways to Fight
Temple of Kotmogu
Completely different from traditional battlegrounds. Four orbs spawn around the map. Teams earn points by holding orbs over time. More orbs held simultaneously means faster point gain.
Orb carriers get powerful but become targets for the enemy team. Map control matters for protecting your carriers and stopping theirs. Victory comes from reaching the point target through sustained orb control.
Silvershard Mines
First escort-style battleground in WoW. Multiple minecarts move along tracks toward each team's destination. You earn points for successfully escorted carts reaching your side.
Cart control requires continuous player presence and can change hands during escort. You'll need to balance offensive escort with defensive disruption. Route timing and team coordination matter more than individual PVP skill.
Tol'viron Arena
Large, open arena with three statues in the center. No elevation changes, everything happens on one level. The statues provide line-of-sight breaks, making positioning crucial.
Open design favors mobile comps over defensive setups. Different from other arenas since you can't use verticality for advantage. Pure horizontal combat with strategic positioning around the central obstacles.
Reputation Systems: Eight New Factions
Faction Breakdown
Rep Strategy
Each faction needs different approaches. Some want daily quests, others prefer exploration or profession work. Balancing multiple factions becomes important for accessing all content and rewards. Plan your daily routine around the reps that matter most for your goals.
Professions: New Materials and Epic Patterns
All professions get expanded skill caps and new materials from Pandarian zones. The focus shifts toward quality over quantity. Epic patterns provide real alternatives to raid gear instead of just being stepping stones.
Epic crafting patterns require significant material investment and often involve multi-step processes. Unlike previous expansions, professions tie into faction reputation, scenario rewards, and exploration achievements. Your profession choices affect your overall progression path.
Timeline and Planning
Phase 1 Launch Timeline
Everything available immediately except raids. Leveling, dungeons, scenarios, PVP, and reputation grinds.
First raid opens, giving players 10 days to level and gear up.
Future phases add more content:
- Phase 2: Brawler's Guild and Legendary questlines
- Phase 3: Throne of Thunder raid and new zones
- Phase 4: Heroic Scenarios and more PVP content
- Phase 5: Siege of Orgrimmar raid and Timeless Isle
First Week Strategy
Focus on leveling to 90, then start heroic dungeons and faction rep. Don't ignore the rep grinds, they matter for raid preparation. PVP players can jump into the new battlegrounds and arena immediately.
First Month Goals
Get comfortable with Challenge Modes if you're up for them. Start raid preparation through heroic dungeons and world bosses. Build relationships with other players for consistent groups.
Phase 1 has enough content to keep you busy for months, whether you're casual or hardcore. Pick your priorities based on what you enjoy most, but don't sleep on the new content types. Scenarios and Challenge Modes offer completely different experiences from traditional WoW content.