Biggest differences between WoW Classic and Season of Discovery

World of Warcraft Classic and Season of Discovery are basically the same game, except the latter is the new and improved version of the original game from 2004. There are a ton of differences between WoW Classic and Season of Discovery, and this article will cover them all.

Season of Discovery was announced during BlizzCon 2023. The devs outlined all new features coming to the game, including new abilities, level-banded content, and zone-wide PvP events. Again, this game is supposed to have the same flavor and feel as WoW Classic, and all the changes are meant to be in line with the game’s philosophy. By game’s philosophy, I mean WoW Classic focuses on the journey, not the destination and it’s a full-blown MMORPG where all your actions have consequences.

Here are all the biggest differences between WoW Classic and Season of Discovery.

The biggest differences between WoW Classic and Season of Discovery

Server types

While WoW Classic is a permanent mode, Season of Discovery is a seasonal server and it’s supposed to last roughly one year. This means that after one year, Season of Discovery realms will be shut down, and you can’t access them afterward. Your characters will most likely be moved to WoW Classic realms.

Level cap and level-banded content

At the beginning of Season of Discovery, the level cap is 25, and this will gradually increase with each update. Season of Discovery is supposed to have three additional updates after the release, and the level cap should increase to 40, 50, and 60, respectively. Each update will introduce additional features and more end-game content fans have never before seen in WoW Classic. While that stands for Season of Discovery, the level cap in WoW Classic is 60 from the very start. 

Dungeons and raids

WoW Classic has a steady rotation of dungeons and raids that most players know by heart. Season of Discovery will shake that up, and Blackfathom Depths, an iconic dungeon in Ashenvale, will be revamped as a raid. In future updates, Gnomeregan, Scarlet Monastery, and Karazhan are supposed to be converted into raids as well. This means that you can’t access original dungeons or get the loot from them.

New abilities

Unlike WoW Classic, which hasn’t changed class abilities since it released, Season of Discovery comes with a ton of new abilities, or Runes for each class. These need to first be found in the wide world of Azeroth and learned, and only then can you use them. On top of that, new abilities are tied to your gear slots. Initially, you’ll have three new abilities, and each next update will introduce three more, with you ending up with 12 fresh spells in your kit. 

Since Season of Discovery will freshen up classes, you can expect more tuning changes coming in frequently. Unlike WoW Classic, where class balance has been left untouched for years, Season of Discovery should make the game feel like every class is broken—not just Warriors.

Zone-wide PvP events

In WoW Classic, PvP consists of battlegrounds and open-world skirmishes in Stranglethorn Vale and other similar zones. Season of Discovery, however, should have all that, and even zone-wide PvP events located in the zone with the new raid. Ashenvale will be the first zone, then it’s supposed to be Dun Morogh, Tirisfal Glades, and finally, Deadwind Pass. Naturally, these events come with new gear and other similar rewards. 

New features

Season of Discovery comes with never-before-seen features in WoW Classic like Discoveries, dual spec in one of the future updates, and many more neat changes that have yet to be announced. 

This is supposed to freshen up the game, while still making it feel like the same old WoW Classic we all love.

Less gold in circulation

Since lower-level quests and items sell for way less gold, players in Season of Discovery won’t have much money. This means materials and consumables will sell for less and you’ll need to be more mindful of what you spend your riches on.