Cataclysm WoW Expansion Rumors

Well, the latest big World of Warcraft rumor is that the next expansion will be named Cataclysm. This is supposed to be taking place in the Maelstrom, in and below the Great Sea between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, in the game world of Azeroth. Here we will encounter many unfriendly Naga, and friendly Goblin NPCs. A leaked zone list published before the Burning Crusade release, which has been accurate so far in the two current expansions, gives us this list for Cataclysm, with level ranges for each zone:

• Gilneas - 77 to 80
• Grim Batol - 78 to 81
• Kul Tiras - 79 to 82
• Kezan - 81 to 86
• Tel Abim - 83 to 85
• Zandalar - 84 to 87
• Plunder Isle - 86 to 88
• The Broken Isles - 87 to 90
• The Maelstrom - 89 to 90

You might be thinking, "Interesting, but how can I make gold from this information?" Well, having a head start on the lay of the land never hurts! For example, we can tell that Gilneas, Grim Batol and Kul Tiras will all be early locations where the new Cataclysm cloth and mote types can be farmed, new herbs and minerals harvested, and the first powerlevelling spots will be in these zones.

Speaking of powerlevelling, we can see that Kezan has the largest level range of any Cataclysm zone, 81 through 86 (similar to Nagrand in the Burning Crusade, and Sholazar Basin in Wrath of the Lich King). My guess is that we'll see the longest lasting grind spots, the longest harvesting circuits, and the best overall gold farming in the Kezan zone. And with a starting monster level of 81, any epic level 80 characters will be able to jump right into Kezan and skip the green gear rewards in the lowbie zones.

As soon as specific Beta information for the expansion is known, I'll be analyzing the new professions, items and loot tables in depth, so you can get a jump on the auction house competition on your server when Cataclysm patch day hits!