Everything new in WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic pre-patch

WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic’s pre-patch hit on July 1, 2025, but not everyone might be clear on what exactly that changes for the game. Whether it’s been a long time since you’ve thought about Pandaria, or you weren’t playing back then, we’ve compiled everything that’s important from yesterday’s pre-patch. There’s even something for the retail players, making it worthwhile for those players to come back, at least, for a little while.

Whether you want a new class in Classic, a new race, or maybe you just want to start playing Pokemon in World of Warcraft again from the beginning, there’s something for you. Here’s everything you have to look forward to in the WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic pre-patch.

WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic offers players Monks, Pandaren, a free Retail Mount and more

There’s still a few weeks before WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic goes live, but the pre-patch is here, and dropped quite a bit of useful content into the game. This is a rich tradition in World of Warcraft, putting the most important features in before the expansion actually launches.

This mount can be yours if you do the pre-patch content (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The most important part of the pre-patch in WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria is the free mount! Players have until July 30, 2025 to earn the Shaohao’s Sage Serpent mount by simply playing Classic Mists! Just make a Pandaren character, and complete the starting experience, until you’ve chosen Alliance or Horde. That will immediately unlock the mount for you.

So much about the game changed in Mists of Pandaria, too. We have a new race, in the Pandaren, a Panda race from the Wandering Isle (Pandaria) itself. It’s also the first race to be playable by both factions. This also comes with the new Monk class, with a Tank (Brewmaster), Healer (Mistweaver), and Melee DPS (Windwalker) specs.

All classes were overhauled for the WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic pre-patch too, with a new talent system, and improved abilities. Not everyone’s going to feel overpowered, but some classes, such as Survival Hunters, Unholy Death Knights, Arcane Mages, Restoration Shaman, and Retribution Paladins are going to feel very strong - so go with one of those, perhaps.

It's time to make a Pandaren! (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

There’s the Attack on Theramore Isle World Event to take part in as well, which is a brand-new scenario, as well as the introduction of Pet Battles. This system hasn’t seen many changes since, but it’s a fun way to make the various critters in the world worth collecting. In addition, looting got easier, as AOE Looting was finally introduced. Instead of one at a time, you’ll loot everyone nearby.

Now that pre-patch is here, the next step is the full expansion launch of WoW Mists of Pandaria Classic. There will be even more great content, such as the new raids that open on July 31, and the new dungeons that kick off with the launch of the actual expansion, as well as the whole of the new continent, challenge mode dungeons, and more.

We first got a glimpse of this during the WoW Classic 2025 Roadmap, and now it’s almost here. If you missed Pandaria, it’s time to go back. Other content, such as the Isle of Giants, will no doubt come at a later date after Pandaria Classic has launched.

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About the author

Jason is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda holding an amazing 11 years of experience under his belt. Having put out 4000-plus articles and amassing over 12 million reads for Sportskeeda, he is among the company’s most experienced writers. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in English from UNC Pembroke and was inspired to become a gaming journalist very early on in life after reading Nintendo Power.

Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to gaming journalism. He’s a key writer in Sportskeeda's MMO department, but he also likes to help out in other categories, like streamers, RPG, card games, and whatever else is needed. A solo gamer at heart, Jason's favorite titles include Earthbound and Dragon Warrior.

Jason places high value on accuracy and relevance in his write-ups. He achieves this with thorough research to sift facts from rumors. One of the biggest highlights of his career is his interview with Canadian pro wrestler Kenny Omega about his inclusion in the Like a Dragon game series. He is also good friends with journalist Kazumo Hashimoto, who he admires for the kind of stories he works on and his deep ethics.

A true cinephile, one of Jason’s primary hobbies involves enjoying cinematic experiences. He also loves reading, be it fiction or manga, when not working. Additionally, he streams on Twitch and posts his gaming insights on YouTube.

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Edited by Jason Parker