WoW Classic: Season of Discovery launched back in November of last year to great reception, offering a new take on the classic WoW experience with new mechanics and ideas that freshened up the OG MMORPG, including a staggered launch that would see the seasonal content and experience released through phases.
With phase 2’s release date and details on the upcoming additions coming to the game, players will soon have even more new, remixed, and classic content to enjoy as Season of Discovery prepares to enter the next phase of its life.
Related: How to Play WoW Classic: Season of Discovery
When Is the Release Date of WoW Classic: Season of Discovery Phase 2?
Phase 2 of WoW Classic: Season of Discovery will launch on February 8, 2024, and the seasonal servers will update to the second of four main phases for WoW Classic‘s seasonal content.
Season of Discovery began on November 30, bringing a new way to enjoy Classic WoW with new and remixed content. By the time phase 2 begins, it will have been just over two months since Season of Discovery began, which some players feel has been a little longer than expected. Regardless, it’s not long until players can tackle the next step in WoW Classic‘s seasonal content.
What to Expect from WoW Classic: Season of Discovery Phase 2?
Players can look forward to a ton more content, both old and new, being added to the Classic formula with the next phase of Season of Discovery, and we’ve listed out each of the biggest changes and worthwhile additions players can expect when they jump into this next stage of the season.
Level Cap Increase to 40
Season of Discovery introduced a staggered leveling experience that saw the max level capped at 25 for phase 1, a far cry from the usual 60 seen in Classic. With phase 2, this will be increased to 40, becoming the new maximum level for the foreseeable future. With that, players will have access to more spells and abilities, zones to explore and quest in, and dungeons they can undertake as the game opens up more.
This staggered level cap was done to help more players enjoy the game at a different pace and allow new content to be designed for different levels rather than the initial max of 60. It also meant players would have less catching up to do, and the sense of FOMO would be far less than usual. For many, this will be a big addition since they can get back to the fun of leveling up, see their class become more well-rounded, see more areas, and tackle the game’s new and classic challenges.
New Runes Add More Options and Variety
The new Rune Engraving system was the most significant addition to Season of Discovery. It saw players find new and remixed abilities from across WoW‘s history they could add to their armor. This allowed for more refinement of players’ classes and introduced new roles for class, such as Warlock tanks and Mage healers.
With this new phase, players can expect to see more Runes to come, which will add even more options and potentially new ways to play the game’s classes. The new Runes will also be attached to two new slots, belts and boots, and in some cases look to further refine new roles that classes have undertaken in Season of Discovery. For example, Hunter’s new Melee Specialist will further enhance a melee-focused Hunter, while other Runes will add much-loved abilities like Rallying Cry for Warriors into the mix. We can also expect some new Runes in previous slots.
Gnomeregan Will Become the New Capstone Raid and Dungeon Updates
For phase 1, we have seen the Blackfathom Deeps dungeon converted into a ten-player raid, with new mechanics and items that acted as the capstone for the first phase of Season of Discovery.
In phase 2, the dungeon Gnomeregan will become the new capstone raid and, once again, will see new mechanics and items added to create a fresh experience for this fan-favorite classic dungeon. Along with that, we can expect a new world buff from the dungeon and a few new twists thrown in as well.
The dungeon will be for level 40, feature six bosses, and once again be a 10-player raid. It will also feature a new profession quest chain that leads players to new materials used to craft some powerful items, and players can expect plenty of new items and loot from the raid, including item sets and some more toys.
Related: Should You Play Alliance or Horde in WoW Classic Season of Discovery?
Dungeons will also be getting some new items, though not in the form of loot. Phase 2 will see the introduction of Skill Books, a new item that can drop from various creatures in 5-player Dungeons. These new quality-of-life style items will not replace Runes but will help to address some of the issues surrounding them, which, according to the team, include “short Aura durations for Paladin Blessings, totem control for Shaman, or even as a part of manipulating combo points for Rogues and the target these are on.” Not much detail has been given yet, but we imagine they will become sought-after items as Season of Discovery continues.
New World PvP – Stranglethorn Vale and The Blood Moon
For PvP players, there will be a new world PvP activity to enjoy, and this time, it will take place in Stranglethorn Vale. In addition, this new PvP event has been given a name and details on what players can expect.
The event is called The Blood Moon and will occur every three hours in Stranglethorn Vale. During this event, you can earn currency by killing players and use it to get various rewards not found anywhere else. Unlike Ashenvale, there will be no objectives to complete during the vent. However, this event will have a unique catch.
The official blog post explains, “While you can still group-up with your allies for the event, the Blood Moon is a harsh mistress and will punish those in raid groups.” Not much detail is given on what this will entail, but it could make for an interesting expereince in the next PvP event. Those who wish to avoid this event can do so by talking to the Zandalari Emissary NPC, of course, at the expense of not earning any of the rewards, including two new mounts. There will also be several changes to PvP aimed at helping balance and fairness.
Professions Updates
Professions will be getting a lot of love in Phase 2, with around twenty new recipes added to the game for Professions like Enchanting, Alchemy, and Blacksmithing. There will be new epic questlines to unlock these, including new materials that will be added to the game. This is all in addition to the increase to the Profession skill cap, which will become 225.
Increased EXP for Phase 1 Content
As an added gesture, players from levels 1 to 25 will see a 50% EXP increase, meaning it will be faster to level up and get into Phase 2 quicker. Additionally, the Blackfathom Deeps raid dungeon will reward increased EXP but will no longer get the world buff from this dungeon after level 39.
Lastly, Wayladi Supplies will get tweaks to grant more EXP when turned in, making them even more valuable.
