To capture the World of Warcraft “vanilla” experience as accurately as possible, Blizzard has included phases in Classic, each with shiny new raids, battlegrounds, and gear.
The next patch, and the final phase of Classic, will unlock Naxxramas, a giant floating necropolis in Eastern Plaguelands.
The 40-man raid is one of the toughest in the game and a huge step up from Ahn’Qiraj, Blackwing Lair, and Molten Core. It’s the most mechanically intensive raid in Classic and will almost certainly require a team of skilled, knowledgeable, and well-prepared players.
The raid consists of four different wings that, when cleared, will grant players access to the Frostwyrm Lair where they’ll fight the dreaded lich Kel’Thuzad and his gigantic frost wyrm guardian Sapphiron.
Players will select their own paths and battle through the Arachnid, Plague, Military, and Construct wings, taking out bosses one by one. In total, there are 15 encounters in the raid, each with unique mechanics and a set of new gear.
To enter Naxxramas, you’ll first need to be Honored with the Argent Dawn. You can do this by grinding through quests, killing undead mobs in the Eastern or Western Plaguelands, farming Scholomance and Stratholme, or turning in Scourgestones and using Argent Dawn Valor Tokens.
Blizzard has confirmed that Naxxramas and Classic Patch 1.13.6 will go live on Dec. 1. The raid and the Scourge Invasion will unlock in the early hours of the morning on Dec. 3.
