Shadowlands Class Updates
Originally Posted by Blizzard
UPDATE: We have made a few changes to this blog to reflect the accuracy of class abilities in the beginning of alpha. You can find these updates in the Affliction Warlock, Frost Mage, General and Discipline Priest, Mistweaver Monk, and Unholy Death Knight sections. Please keep in mind that Shadowlands class updates are still in development and subject to change.

Shadowlands Leveling Changes and Level Squish
In Shadowlands, new players that have never created or leveled a character will automatically begin in Exile's Reach. Veteran players will be able to opt out of this zone and complete the starting zone for their race.

Allied Race characters (including Death Knights) start at Level 10, however Demon Hunters and non Allied Race Death Knights start at Level 8 and have to go through their starting zone experience before they can progress further.


ExpansionLevel in BFALevel in Shadowlands
Vanilla6025
The Burning Crusade7027
Wrath of the Lich King8030
Cataclysm8532
Mists of Pandaria9035
Warlords of Draenor10040
Legion11045
Battle for Azeroth12050


Shadowlands Riding and Flying Changes
In addition to the Leveling Changes and Level Squish mentioned above, Riding and Flying Skills are getting a few quality of life changes in Shadowlands!

  • The first level of riding Apprentice Riding is now learned at Level 10 from a Riding Trainer or Flying Trainer. Characters leveled through the new player starting experience in Exile's Reach will have to finish the zone and get to Orgrimmar or Stormwind to learn Apprentice Riding.
  • Artisan Riding has been removed, which means players can upgrade from Expert Riding (150% Flying Speed at Level 30) directly to Master Riding (310% Flying Speed at Level 40).
  • The other Riding Skills can now be learned every 10 Levels instead of every 20 Levels. Journeyman Riding (Max Riding Speed) is now learned at Level 20 and Expert Riding (Flying) is now learned at Level 30.
  • It's currently unknown if characters that bought Artisan Riding will automatically learn Master Riding. We'll see if this is the case once the "copy character" option is available on Shadowlands Alpha.
  • Faction discounts are still present in Shadowlands. For example, characters that reach Level 40 and are Exalted with their appropriate faction will benefit from a 20% discount and will be able to purchase flying (Master Riding) for 4000.
  • The achievements Draenor Pathfinder and Broken Isles Pathfinder, Part Two are no longer required for flying in Draenor and Broken Isles.

Riding RankMount SpeedRequired LevelCost
Apprentice Riding60%Level 101
Journeyman Riding100%Level 2050
Expert Riding150%Level 30250
Master Riding310%Level 405000


Shadowlands - Icecrown Skybox
The Icecrown Skybox has been updated to reflect the aftermath of the fight between Sylvanas and Bolvar.

This article was originally published in forum thread: Shadowlands Leveling Changes and Level Squish, Flying Changes, Icecrown Skybox started by Lumy View original post
Comments 85 Comments
  1. Omedon's Avatar
    Ooooh boy, getting popcorn for the realization that we’ll be on the ground for 15 levels while possessing full pathfinder achievements for various expansions!
  1. ChaosWolf's Avatar
    Wonder how the squish will affect the leveling requirements for allied-race heritage armor?
  1. TigTone's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ChaosWolf View Post
    Wonder how the squish will affect the leveling requirements for allied-race heritage armor?
    Probably set to 50 or 40.
  1. Synical123's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Omedon View Post
    Ooooh boy, getting popcorn for the realization that we’ll be on the ground for 15 levels while possessing full pathfinder achievements for various expansions!
    What do you mean?
  1. Omedon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Synical123 View Post
    What do you mean?
    You can’t fly until 25.

    You can enter WOD, Legion or BFA at 10.

    You can’t fly until 25, even with pathfinder.
  1. Synical123's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Omedon View Post
    You can’t fly until 25.

    You can enter WOD, Legion or BFA at 10.

    You can’t fly until 25, even with pathfinder.
    I mean... then don’t go into those zones lol. There was a post on Reddit of a guy saying level 1-50 took like 12 hours of casual play not trying to speed run. I think you can handle a couple hours without flying
  1. Omedon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Synical123 View Post
    I mean... then don’t go into those zones lol. There was a post on Reddit of a guy saying level 1-50 took like 12 hours of casual play not trying to speed run. I think you can handle a couple hours without flying
    I mean, yeah, you know that, and I know that, but it's still going to be a bit of an eruption once that dawns on some people. It does arguably devalue the achievement. New value for a new reality, sure, but not everyone will take that without batting an eye.
  1. Synical123's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Omedon View Post
    I mean, yeah, you know that, and I know that, but it's still going to be a bit of an eruption once that dawns on some people. It does arguably devalue the achievement. New value for a new reality, sure, but not everyone will take that without batting an eye.
    I call those people cry babies and just move on. The leveling without flying is still faster than it was with it with 120 levels so who cares lol
  1. Drusin's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Synical123 View Post
    I mean... then don’t go into those zones lol. There was a post on Reddit of a guy saying level 1-50 took like 12 hours of casual play not trying to speed run. I think you can handle a couple hours without flying
    I'll reserve my comments for PTR when I know xp gains likely aren't being inflated for alpha
  1. Lucetia's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Synical123 View Post
    I mean... then don’t go into those zones lol. There was a post on Reddit of a guy saying level 1-50 took like 12 hours of casual play not trying to speed run. I think you can handle a couple hours without flying
    That's also highly inaccurate at the moment.

    1) He's a speed runner so he knows the paths.
    2) Chromie isn't in so he had to go around manually to do things instead of the proper level setup since they said the goal is to go 10-50 in one expansion.
    3) It was without heirlooms

    There are probably a lot more variables unaccounted for since it is Alpha. I'd wait until it's more fleshed out before we start throwing time numbers out and stuff.
  1. Fawkess's Avatar
    Hopefully they remove past pathfinder achievements, Imagine buying flying as a new player only to realize you can't use it in BFA levelling
  1. Misuteri's Avatar
    So what’s going to happen to BG splits?

    If you have a 19, 29, 39, 49, 70 etc.... what happens to them if doing BG’s?
  1. Bane-Thunder-God's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Misuteri View Post
    So what’s going to happen to BG splits?

    If you have a 19, 29, 39, 49, 70 etc.... what happens to them if doing BG’s?
    Same brackets as Vanilla dude.

    Considering the new level cap is 60. Assume the brackets will match vanilla.
  1. Ragnarohk's Avatar
    Glad I used this XP event to level 5 more classes to 120. Sitting at 9/12 (Can't get myself to level DK/Warlock/Mage).

    What do 120s start as? lvl 50?
  1. Synical123's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lucetia View Post
    That's also highly inaccurate at the moment.

    1) He's a speed runner so he knows the paths.
    2) Chromie isn't in so he had to go around manually to do things instead of the proper level setup since they said the goal is to go 10-50 in one expansion.
    3) It was without heirlooms

    There are probably a lot more variables unaccounted for since it is Alpha. I'd wait until it's more fleshed out before we start throwing time numbers out and stuff.
    Wouldn’t this just make his time... faster? Also he mentioned he was in no hurry he was just casually leveling. Also, I know it could for sure change in time and difficulty but even if this time was doubled that’s a really fast leveling experience
  1. Ielenia's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lumy View Post
    Shadowlands Leveling Changes and Level Squish
    In Shadowlands, new players that have never created or leveled a character will automatically begin in Exile's Reach. Veteran players will be able to opt out of this zone and complete the starting zone for their race.

    Allied Race characters (including Death Knights) start at Level 10, however Demon Hunters and non Allied Race Death Knights start at Level 8 and have to go through their starting zone experience before they can progress further.


    <table class="news-table" style="max-width:500px;"> <thead><tr><th>Expansion</th><th>Level in BFA</th><th>Level in Shadowlands</th></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Vanilla</td><td style="text-align:center">60</td><td style="text-align:center">25</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">The Burning Crusade</td><td style="text-align:center">70</td><td style="text-align:center">27</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Wrath of the Lich King</td><td style="text-align:center">80</td><td style="text-align:center">30</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Cataclysm</td><td style="text-align:center">85</td><td style="text-align:center">32</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Mists of Pandaria</td><td style="text-align:center">90</td><td style="text-align:center">35</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Warlords of Draenor</td><td style="text-align:center">100</td><td style="text-align:center">40</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Legion</td><td style="text-align:center">110</td><td style="text-align:center">45</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align:center">Battle for Azeroth</td><td style="text-align:center">120</td><td style="text-align:center">50</td></tr> </tbody></table>
    Wait. What?

    I thought they said that, once we're out of the starting area, we get to pick which expansion content we want ot level through, from 10 to 50. What is this?
  1. Tatakau's Avatar
    It's like treading in dog shit, no matter how much you wash your shoe it's still gonna smell.
  1. Lucetia's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Synical123 View Post
    Wouldn’t this just make his time... faster? Also he mentioned he was in no hurry he was just casually leveling. Also, I know it could for sure change in time and difficulty but even if this time was doubled that’s a really fast leveling experience
    It could be faster, it could be slower. It's really hard to say. I was just saying we shouldn't be throwing around times as facts (not that I'm saying you are at all) because we know how the community will try to use it as facts or why something should be one way.

    12 hours for 10-50 though imo is still a bit long. Granted it's about ~18 minutes per level which doesn't sound bad, but idk. For new players this isn't bad, but I feel like if you've leveled so many times it should be faster. Yeah we have heirlooms, but currently getting them on Alpha is a pain so we don't know what kind of reduction we are looking at. Depends on how much it is then it might not be bad at all.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ragnarohk View Post
    What do 120s start as? lvl 50?
    Yes. There's a chart in the news post showing the breakdown on levels.
  1. Omedon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Riptor View Post
    Hopefully they remove past pathfinder achievements, Imagine buying flying as a new player only to realize you can't use it in BFA levelling
    You know... I hadn't thought of that angle.

    This points strongly to one of two outcomes:

    1) Pathfinder is dead and purchased flight covers all but the most current expansion (assuming 10-50 has a new expansion added to it every 2 years)

    2) Pathfinder expansion zones' flight will be gated behind the achievements, and this will be disclaimed with the purchase of base flight, that it doesn't work in WoD or later.

    Option 1 potentially tips their hand about the future of level cap, that it may be 60 forever.

    Option 2 is... messy. But again, a new player only has access to BFA. Maybe the new player is meant to... stay grounded until the level cap?
  1. Lucetia's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Ielenia View Post
    Wait. What?

    I thought they said that, once we're out of the starting area, we get to pick which expansion content we want ot level through, from 10 to 50. What is this?
    Chromie leveling isn't in right now so you don't get to pick anything. It's still in development and just hasn't been added in. You also wouldn't pick your expansion at the login screen. That's something you'd do in-game.

Site Navigation