Blizzard Entertainment launched Mists of Pandaria Classic on July 22nd, opening the mysterious continent of Pandaria to players worldwide. The expansion delivers the complete original experience, including eight new zones, ten dungeons, three raid tiers, and unique features like player-owned farms.
Players can now explore the ancient pandaren homeland that's been hidden behind magical mists for thousands of years. Blizzard describes the launch as an opportunity to "uncover forgotten wonders and unravel deepest secrets" across this mystical continent.
Level Cap Jumps to 90 with Reworked Talent Trees
Characters can now progress to level 90, gaining access to completely overhauled talent systems along the way. The new trees provide fresh build options as players advance through increasingly challenging content.
This represents the highest level cap available in any Classic iteration so far. Players will earn new abilities and talents throughout their journey defending Azeroth from emerging threats.
Eight Zones Span from Beginner to Endgame Content
Pandaria's landmass covers a wide range of level brackets and environments. The Wandering Isle introduces new pandaren characters from levels 1-10, while the main continent offers seven distinct zones.
The Jade Forest welcomes players at levels 85-86 with ancient temples and lush forests. Valley of the Four Winds and Krasarang Wilds both serve the 86-87 bracket, offering agricultural communities and untamed wilderness respectively.
Higher-level zones include Kun-Lai Summit (87-88) with its harsh mountain terrain, Townlong Steppes (88-89) featuring active conflict zones, and the dangerous Dread Wastes (89-90) dominated by hostile insectoid creatures.
Vale of Eternal Blossoms caps off the experience as the primary level 90 hub. This endgame zone serves as the central meeting point for maximum-level activities.
Dungeon Roster Includes Six New Instances Plus Heroic Versions
Ten total dungeons await players across different difficulty levels. Six brand-new Pandarian instances take adventurers through sacred temples, corrupted breweries, and imposing seats of power.
Four existing dungeons return as revamped Heroic versions, providing familiar content with increased difficulty and better rewards. Each instance targets specific level ranges with appropriate challenges and loot.
Challenge Mode Dungeons add a competitive twist to the dungeon experience. These 5-player time trials push coordination and skill to the limit while offering prestigious rewards for successful teams.
First Raid Opens July 31st in Kun-Lai Summit
Mogu'shan Vaults launches globally on July 31st at 3:00 PM PDT, giving players nine days to level up and prepare. This level 90 raid accommodates both 10-player and 25-player groups across Normal and Heroic difficulties.
The six-boss encounter takes place within ancient mogu record vaults that predate written pandaren history. According to the lore, these mysterious chambers once contained a sealed army, making them the first target when pandaren rebels overthrew the mogu empire.
Two additional raid tiers will follow, though Blizzard hasn't announced specific release dates yet.
PVP Season 12 Starts Next Week
Competitive players get one new arena and two fresh battlegrounds when PVP Season 12 begins the week after launch. This staggered release gives everyone time to hit level cap and gear up before structured PVP begins.
The delay mirrors the original expansion's rollout, preserving the authentic progression experience that defined the classic servers.
Sunsong Ranch Lets Players Run Their Own Farms
One of Pandaria's most unique features returns with player-owned farming operations. Sunsong Ranch allows characters to plant and harvest crops while building relationships with the Tillers faction in Valley of the Four Winds.
The Tillers are dedicated farmers who preserve Pandaria's agricultural traditions around the village of Halfhill. Players can earn reputation with this faction to unlock rare crops and expanded farming capabilities.
This system offers a peaceful alternative to combat-focused progression. Players can contribute to shared agricultural goals while developing meaningful relationships with a vibrant cast of NPCs.
Scenarios Introduce Flexible 3-Player Content
Seven new Scenarios provide queueable "micro-dungeon" experiences for three-player groups. These encounters focus on cooperative objectives like defending against monster invasions rather than traditional dungeon progression.
Scenarios offer more flexibility than standard dungeons, emphasizing teamwork and goal achievement over linear instance completion. They represent a fresh take on small-group PVE content.
Limited-Time Mount Available Through Classic Play
Players who complete the pandaren starting experience between July 1st and July 30th can earn Shaohao's Sage Serpent mount for modern World of Warcraft. The promotion requires installing Cataclysm Classic, creating a pandaren character, and finishing the entire starting zone including faction selection.
The Skyriding mount gets delivered automatically to Collections in modern WoW upon completion. However, it requires an active subscription or game time to use and won't appear in Classic versions.
Staggered Release Preserves Original Experience
Today's launch includes all zones, dungeons, scenarios, and progression systems for immediate access. The delayed raid and PVP openings mirror the original expansion's rollout schedule.
This approach gives players adequate time to explore new content, level characters, and prepare for endgame activities without feeling rushed into high-level encounters.
Mists of Pandaria Classic represents the most content-rich Classic launch yet, delivering the complete expansion experience that originally introduced pandaren culture and philosophy to World of Warcraft. The staggered release schedule maintains the authentic progression that made the original so memorable while adapting to modern Classic server expectations.
