WoW: Cataclysm Expansion Announced

Blizzard today announced a new World of Warcraft expansion dubbed "Cataclysm" during the opening ceremony at its BlizzCon convention.

Posted on Aug 21, 2009 - 8:30pm EST

Rumors of a world-changing expansion proved true, with Cataclysm seeing a chaotic revamp of existing Azeroth zones.

"As the terrible war against the Lich King continues, the proud defenders of Azeroth fight to secure a lasting peace," said the trailer. "But there can be no peace when the world itself is devoured by rage."

Goblins were confirmed as the new Horde race, while the werewolf-esque Worgen were announced for the Alliance. New race and class combinations were promised, as were heroic versions of classic dungeons such as Deadmines. Dragon boss Deathwing will return, and the new level cap will be to 85. Cataclysm is targeted for release in 2010.

Two New Playable Races: Adventure as the cursed worgen with the Alliance or the resourceful goblins with the Horde.
Increased Level Cap: Advance to level 85 and earn new abilities, tap into new talents, and progress through the path system, a new way for players to customize characters.
Classic Zones Remade: Quest to level 60 as you never have before. Familiar zones across the original continents of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been reforged by the cataclysm and updated with new quests and content.
Flying Mounts in Azeroth: Explore Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms from a whole new perspective.
Guild Advancement: Progress as a guild to earn guild levels and guild achievements.
New High-Level Content: Explore newly opened parts of the world, including Uldum, Grim Batol, and the great sunken city of Vashj'ir beneath the sea, and enjoy even more high-level raid content than in previous expansions.
New PvP Zone & Rated Battlegrounds: Take on PvP objectives and daily quests on Tol Barad Island, a new Wintergrasp-like zone, and wage war in all-new rated Battlegrounds.
Archaeology: Master a new secondary profession to unearth valuable artifacts and earn unique rewards.
New Race and Class Combinations: Explore Azeroth as a gnome priest, blood elf warrior, or one of the other never-before-available race and class combinations.