The mists have parted — again. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Classic is officially live with its pre-patch, letting players revisit one of WoW’s most polarizing expansions. First launched in 2012 to raised eyebrows and whispered “Kung Fu Panda” jokes, Pandaria has aged surprisingly well. And now, on July 21 at 3:00 PM PDT, it’s getting a full do-over. The pre-patch is your early boarding pass — pandas, monks, and cloud serpents included.
The Pandaren Are Back — Just Like You Remember Them
The Pandaren starting zone, the Wandering Isle, is open now. You’ll once again meet turtle statues, sparring trainees, and that one grumpy guy with a broom. It’s a lovingly restored experience that plays almost identically to its 2012 counterpart. The only major choice: do you go Horde or Alliance after your crash course in enlightenment?
Then there’s the Monk, a class that confused a lot of players back in the day by not using auto-attacks. That’s still true. Instead, you’ll be rolling, jabbing, and chi-spending your way through mobs with Windwalker, Brewmaster, or Mistweaver specializations. They’re all back, with minimal changes — just like nature (and Blizzard) intended.
To tempt modern players into logging into Classic, Blizzard’s added Shaohao’s Sage Serpent, a new cloud serpent mount for retail WoW. To earn it, you just need to complete the Pandaren starting experience before July 30. That means level up, pick a faction, and enjoy the intro cinematic — no raids, no rep grind, no soulbinding. It’s a smart cross-promo move, and let’s be honest: who doesn’t want another sleek glowy dragon thing in their mount tab?
You’ll also get another shot at the Attack on Theramore Isle, the limited-time scenario that set the stage for Pandaria’s faction war. It hasn’t changed much, but if you missed it the first time — or just enjoy reliving tragic Warcraft moments with slightly better UI — now’s your chance. Also back: AoE looting, one of the best quality-of-life changes WoW ever added. No more looting murlocs one at a time like a peasant. Just hit the button and vacuum up everything.
Pet Battles are back in full force, too, bringing with them the original 3v3 tactical system, wild encounters, and trainer fights. It’s the same system that turned WoW into Pokémon Lite, and it holds up surprisingly well. Meanwhile, the revamped talent trees from Pandaria make a return, ditching the “one point per level” grind for modular upgrades that actually feel meaningful. Every spec has been tuned slightly, but don’t expect major rewrites. This is still Classic, not a reimagining.
Mogu’shan Vaults Opens July 31
The first raid — Mogu’shan Vaults — unlocks globally on July 31. It features six bosses, 10- and 25-player difficulty options, and a hefty dose of ancient mogu architecture. Expect angry statues, confusing trash pulls, and at least one wipe you’ll definitely try to blame on lag.
If you’d rather not start from scratch, Level 85 character boosts are available via Battle.net or through the Sha-Infused Epic Pack, which bundles the boost with cosmetics and other shiny things. Not mandatory, but useful if you want to jump straight into the good stuff.
Mists of Pandaria Classic isn’t reinventing anything — and that’s kind of the point. It’s a clean, mostly untouched revival of an expansion that was underestimated at launch and has only grown in fan esteem. This re-release is for the players who loved the original and those who might finally “get it” this time around.
Whether you’re rolling a new monk, revisiting your pet battle addiction, or just farming mounts in two versions of the game simultaneously, Pandaria’s back — and still surprisingly chill. Need a refresher or just want to hear that music again? Watch the pre-patch trailer below.
