Shadowlands Leveling Changes and Level Squish
The pre-expansion patch will squish levels and make significant changes to leveling in World of Warcraft.
- Level Squish - Level 120 characters will now be Level 50, with Shadowlands capping at Level 60
- Heirloom Changes and New Set Bonuses - Players will level much faster, so Heirlooms now provide different bonuses
- New Starting Experience - New players will start in a new zone that gives them a better gameplay experience. Alts can skip this zone.
- Timewalking Campaigns - You'll be able to level your alts from 1 - 50 in any previous expansion
- Death Knights and Demon Hunters Changes - Hero classes will no longer start at high levels
- Shadowlands Riding and Flying Changes - The levels that riding and flying are earned at have been changed
Shadowlands Level Squish
A level squish will be applied with the pre-expansion patch. Your level will be reduced, with a Battle for Azeroth cap of Level 50 and an eventual Shadowlands cap of Level 60.
Expansion Level in BFA Level in Shadowlands Vanilla 60 25 The Burning Crusade 70 27 Wrath of the Lich King 80 30 Cataclysm 85 32 Mists of Pandaria 90 35 Warlords of Draenor 100 40 Legion 110 45 Battle for Azeroth 120 50
Level in BFA Level in Shadowlands Level in BFA Level in Shadowlands 1 1 64-67 26 2-4 2 68-71 27 5-7 3 72-75 28 8-9 4 76-79 29 10-11 5 80-81 30 12-13 6 82-83 31 14-15 7 84-85 32 16-17 8 86-87 33 18-19 9 88-89 34 20-22 10 90-91 35 23-25 11 92-93 36 26-28 12 94-95 37 29-30 13 96-97 38 32-34 14 98-99 39 35-36 15 100-101 40 37-38 16 102-103 41 39-40 17 104-105 42 41-42 18 106-107 43 43-44 19 108-109 44 45-47 20 110-111 45 48-50 21 112-113 46 52-53 22 114-115 47 54-56 23 116-117 48 57-59 24 118-119 49 60-63 25 120 50
Heirloom Changes and New Set Bonuses
The new leveling system also brings a few changes to heirlooms. Since players will now level twice as fast as before, the XP bonus has been removed from all heirlooms.
Heirloom armor, necklaces and rings will now form the Regalia of Fabled Adventurers, a heirloom set with unique bonuses.
Regalia of Fabled Adventurers Armor Pieces
- Heirloom Helm
- Heirloom Necklace
- Heirloom Shoulders
- Heirloom Cloak
- Heirloom Chestpiece
- Heirloom Legs
- Heirloom Ring
Regalia of Fabled Adventurers Set Bonuses
- Maximizing Rests (2 Set) - Rested experience consumed is reduced by 30%.
- Battlefield Resourcefulness (3 Set) - Increases your out-of-combat regeneration in the outdoors, normal dungeons and battlegrounds.
- Flash of Brilliance (5 Set) - Gaining a level triggers Burst of Knowledge, dealing Holy damage to nearby enemies and granting you 40% Primary Stat for 2 min. Defeating enemies extends this effect, up to an additional 2 min.
- Maximizing Rests (6 Set) - Rested experience consumed is reduced by 30%.
New Starting Experience
New players to World of Warcraft will start their adventure in Exile's Reach. Veteran players can choose to opt out of this zone and complete the starting experience for their race.
Upon reaching Level 10, players receive the quest Tides of War (Alliance) or Mission Statement (Horde) to start leveling in Battle for Azeroth. Veteran players have an additional option to level through Timewalking Campaigns by talking with Chromie in capital cities.
Chromie Timewalking Campaigns
Chromie Timewalking Campaigns is a new feature that lets players level their characters from 10 to 50 through any zone and expansion from Vanilla to Legion.
This feature is available only to veteran players that have already leveled a character to 50. New players to the game will have to level a character from 10 to 50 through Battle for Azeroth to unlock this feature.
Originally Posted by MMO-ChampionThe Cataclysm
The people of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor are fighting to survive after the events of the Cataclysm that occurred after Deathwing's reemergence.
Aid Azeroth's many civilizations in the wake of the aftermath of the Shattering.
Portal to Outland
The Dark Portal to Outland has opened once again, and heroes are needed to answer the call and step bravely onto the shattered world of the orcs.
Conquer this ancient and dying world and stop the Burning Legion from invading Azeroth!
Fall of the Lich King
The frozen wastes of Northrend is where the Lich King, previously known as Arthas Menethil, resides, sending his undead forces to destroy all life on Azeroth.
Answer the Argent Crusade's call to disrupt Arthas's plans, and put his undead scourge on ice!
Wilds of Pandaria
Untouched by war for over 10,000 years, the Horde and Alliance are at war after the disappearance of the White Pawn, but a dark secret lives within the earth. The factions of Azeroth ignored the pandaren's warnings that emotions manifest in dangerous ways in their mystic land.
Pierce the mists and explore the beauty of Pandaria!
The Iron Horde
Garrosh Hellscream has opened the Dark Portal yet again, allowing the Iron Horde to pour forth from Draenor and march against our world.
Establish your garrison and fight alongside the great orcs and draenei of lore!
The Legion Invasion
Powerful Artifact weapons and a foothold to launch strategic strikes in the Broken Isles with your order will be required to stop the Burning Legion's invasion on Azeroth.
Claim your weapon, establish your order hall, and stop the demonic assault on our world!
Death Knights and Demon Hunters Changes
Beside the Level Squish mentioned above, there are several changes coming to Death Knights and Demon Hunters in Shadowlands.
- To unlock Death Knights and Demon Hunters, players have to finish the Exile's Reach starting experience and reach Level 10.
- Death Knights start at Level 8 (instead of Level 58) and have to go through their starting experience in Eastern Plaguelands.
- Allied Race Death Knights start at Level 10 (instead of Level 60) and have to swear fealty to The Lich King in Icecrown Citadel.
- Demon Hunters start at Level 8 (instead of Level 98) and have to go through their starting experience in Mardum.
- Upon completing the starting experience of the hero class, players can continue to level their character in Battle for Azeroth or through a Timewalking Campaign (if unlocked).
Shadowlands Riding and Flying Changes
To accommodate the Leveling Changes and Level Squish mentioned above, Riding and Flying Skills are getting a few quality of life changes in Shadowlands!
- Riding: Apprentice Riding is now learned at Level 10 and Journeyman Riding is now learned at Level 20.
- Flying: Expert Riding is now learned at Level 30 and Master Riding is now learned at Level 40.
- 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). Characters that have learned Artisan Riding will continue to have 280% Flying Speed.
- 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 max flying speed (Master Riding) for 4000.
- All characters can now fly in Draenor and Broken Isles, the achievements Draenor Pathfinder and Broken Isles Pathfinder, Part Two are no longer required.
Riding Rank Riding Type Mount Speed Required Level Cost Apprentice Riding Ground 60% Level 10 1 Journeyman Riding Ground 100% Level 20 50 Expert Riding Flying 150% Level 30 250 Master Riding Flying 310% Level 40 5000