What’s next for WoW after WoTLK Classic? Blizzard just gave us a huge hint

World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King Classic is nearing its end with only phase five, Ruby Sanctum, left on the release schedule. While many are busy guessing what’s next for the Classic version of the game, Blizzard just dropped a big hint.

The official Blizzard store has recently been updated for the upcoming BlizzCon, and if you dig deep enough, you’ll find there’s a new Deathwing T-shirt that’s up for grabs. This surely points toward Cataclysm classic.

In all honesty, this is the biggest hint Blizzard has given us so far for two clear reasons—Deathwing is the main villain in the Cataclysm expansion, and the image used is clearly from the expansion that revamped the old world Azeroth.

If you’re unfamiliar with lore or who Deathwing is, let me quickly break it down for you. Neltharion used to be one of the Dragon Aspects, but he succumbed to the whispers of Old Gods, and, driven mad, became Deathwing. As this unique character, Deathwing wreaked havoc on Azeroth, especially during Cataclysm. 

It’s true that Neltharion, the original version of Deathwing, appears in Dragonflight, but it’s merely as a memory of the past, as players dive into his origins and learn more about the history of Dracthyr Evokers. 

Cataclysm was first released in 2010 and came with four major patches. While the patches following the release introduced new raids and revamped dungeons, the expansion released with an overhauled talent system, class changes, and a revamped old world. 

I know a lot of you were hoping for Classic+, an expanded version of Classic, but it’s highly likely this will never happen. Rereleasing Cataclysm is way simpler, and cheaper since Blizzard doesn’t have to design new content or go through a balancing nightmare.