The Cataclysm Is Upon Us

Cataclysm boasts two new classes, the Goblin and the Worgen, and will bring players back home to Azeroth where the world has literally been rocked by the biggest baddest dragon we've seen so far. The level cap is currently set to 82 for testing, and both the Goblin and Worgen starting zones are available. Certain parts of the Eastern Kingdoms are available for play, whereas most of Kalimdor is open for testing. Looks like a lot of development still needs to be done, along with the fine tuning process Blizzard loves to tack on at the end.

Some of the new instances are also open for testing. Blackrock caverns for level 79 - 81 toons, and Throne of Tides which according to Blizzard is "Partially open." The real highlight of the Beta is the new DirectX 11 configurations along with some major graphical overhauls to water and lava, making this one of the best looking expansions so far.

Check out the Press Release for all the epic details, and keep an eye on your Battle.net accounts in the coming weeks. Also keep an eye and ear here at Aggrogamer.com for reviews and podcasts covering all the new details.

Blizzard Entertainment announced today that the closed beta test for its highly anticipated new expansion for World of Warcraft® has begun. The company has started issuing invitations to participate in the testing process to a wide range of players from around the world who signed up via their Battle.net® accounts. While enjoying an early look at the game, beta testers will provide valuable feedback to help Blizzard Entertainment find bugs, address balance issues, and polish the new content.

Cataclysm has been to build on the knowledge we've gained through the previous expansions to deliver the best, most compelling World of Warcraft content for our players to date," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Gathering focused feedback during the beta test will go a long way in helping us reach that goal when we launch Cataclysm later this year."

Cataclysm is the third expansion for World of Warcraft, the most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the world. The first two expansions, The Burning Crusade® and Wrath of the Lich King®, each shattered PC game sales records upon their release. In Cataclysm, the face of Azeroth will be forever altered by the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing. Players will explore once-familiar areas of the world that have now been reshaped by the devastation and filled with new adventures. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races -- worgen and goblins -- will join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. As players journey to the new level cap of 85, they'll discover newly revealed locations, acquire new levels of power, and come face to face with Deathwing in a battle to determine the fate of the world.