WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria release date, and what you need to know

WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria has been teased for a while now, but thankfully, a release date has finally been given. According to Blizzard Entertainment, the journey to Pandaria will kick off again in July 2025, with a pre-patch on July 1, and then the full launch later in the month. That means the Pandaren race, the island itself, Pet Battles, and so much more will be coming to the Classic-era servers.

In addition to the content coming with the WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria expansion, Blizzard also launched a series of cosmetics/upgrade packs to give players Pandaria-themed armor, pets, and mounts across the Retail and Classic-era servers. While optional, they are very cool, and some players may want a level 85 boost to skip all the leveling if they haven’t been playing Classic until now.

WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria’s release date and much more

WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria’s release date is July 21, 2025, with a July 1, 2025 pre-patch. The Pre-Expansion patch is a tradition in World of Warcraft, where the bulk of the important content gets added to the game. That’s when Pandaren become available, along with the Monk class.

Various balance adjustments also get added at this point, as do quality-of-life changes like AOE Looting — one of the best changes to come to World of Warcraft.

AOE Looting allows players to loot everything near them at once, instead of one body at a time. The World Event: Attack on Theramore Isle, which acts as a prologue to the Mists of Pandaria storyline, also kicks off. This pre-patch will also add in Pet Battles, adding value to all those cute little critters across the world.

Then, on July 21, 2025, after maintenance, when the WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria expansion officially begins, the real content hits the game. There are seven new zones, not counting the Pandaren starting zone, and each one has its own levels to keep in mind:

The Jade Forest: 85-86
Valley of the Four Winds: 86-87
Krasarang Wilds: 86-87
Kun-Lai Summit: 87-88
Townlong Steppes: 88-89
Dread Wastes: 89-90
Vale of Eternal Blossoms: 90

Like other Classic-era content, various major patches will come later, bringing with them a variety of raids and extra content. This includes the Isle of Giants and its many dinosaur mounts you could farm.

WoW Classic Mists of Pandaria will also bring back the classic dungeons and revamped Heroic Dungeons that players are familiar with from the expansion’s original launch. It will also bring back the battlegrounds, Scenarios, and Challenge Mode Dungeons that players remember from the expansion's initial launch.

A free mount, just for playing the starting area? Sign me up! (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Many players are no doubt excited for the more relaxed content too, like Sunsong Ranch, which lets players live the quiet farmer's life on Pandaria, alongside the Tillers faction. There’s really something for everyone on Pandaria. That being said, there is also something new, connecting Retail to Classic.

Between July 1 and July 30, 2025, players can unlock the Shaohao’s Sage Serpent mount for Retail WoW, by completing just a few very basic steps. Just create a Pandaren character on the Mists Classic server, complete their starting area, and pick to play on either the Alliance or Horde side. Finishing this will unlock the gorgeous Shao hao’s Sage Serpent mount for Retail.

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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