WoW Classic’s Season of Discovery is set to launch on Nov. 30, and on that day, the Classic experience will receive a monstrous facelift. Every class in the game will receive gameplay updates, secrets across all of Azeroth will be uncovered, and endgame content will begin at level 25 instead of the usual mark of level 60.
With that in mind, leveling shouldn’t take that long in the Season of Discovery, and if you’re a seasoned WoW Classic pro, you can probably get to the maximum level in SoD’s first phase in one or two gameplay sessions.
For both Alliance and Horde players, the first 10 levels of the questing experience should be relatively familiar and straightforward. During this time, focus on completing your race’s introductory quest lines and getting to level 10. This process should take you a few hours, and if you’ve played WoW Classic before, you should be well-experienced with the content that’s present in this portion of the game. At level 10, you’ll start to have access to more of the game’s zones, and by level 25, you’ll be able to enter a revamped, 10-player version of the Blackfathom Deeps dungeon, which will serve as the new season’s first raid.
Here’s how to level quickly in WoW Classic’s Season of Discovery and reach the first phase of the endgame.
Ideal Alliance Season of Discovery leveling route
Alliance players will have an extremely favorable leveling route in Season of Discovery, with plenty of zones being available off the jump. With three different paths to take, you’ll be able to split up your time across zones pretty effectively, and when things get too competitive in one zone, you can always bounce to another for more dependable XP.
- Complete quests in your starting zone (Elwynn Forest/Dun Morogh/Teldrassil)
- Move into secondary zones at level 10, split time between Westfall, Loch Modan, and Darkshore
- Westfall has a ton of mobs but competition is usually stark during launch periods. We recommend spending more time in Darkshore due to the zone’s spread-out objectives.
- Run the Deadmines for gear and flat XP before seeking more level-appropriate quests in Redridge Mountains, Ashenvale, Duskwood, and the Wetlands.
- If you’re completing elite quests in any of these zones (especially Redridge Mountains), we recommend doing so with a group.
Best Horde leveling route in WoW Classic Season of Discovery
Horde players’ options for open-world questing are a bit more limited, meaning you’re more likely to run into competition when completing objectives and killing mobs. Thankfully, Horde players have three early-game dungeons found in their zones, and each one of them is definitely worth completing.
- Get as much value as your starting zone as possible (Durotar, Mulgore, Tirisfal Glades), potentially even staying until level 11.
- The majority of Horde players tend to rush into secondary zones ASAP, so if you have the chance to milk your starting zones for more XP before quests get too easy, you should do so.
- Split time between the Barrens and Silverpine Forest between levels 10-20.
- Prioritize running Wailing Caverns and Ragefire Chasm as early as possible. Be sure to have gathered all of the quests for those dungeons before entering.
- Wrap up the phase one leveling process in zones like Ashenvale and Hillsbrad Foothills.
Should I run dungeons while leveling in Season of Discovery?
You should absolutely make it a priority to run dungeons during the Season of Discovery. Unlike WoW Classic Hardcore, where dungeons were a threat, they’re a bountiful resource in the Season of Discovery, especially while leveling. The amount of gear and experience that dungeons yield while leveling cannot be beaten, especially once you grab all of the quests related to the dungeon you’re running.
If you enter a dungeon during the leveling process and have all of the quests for it beforehand, you can exit that dungeon with a full level of experience under your belt, greatly expediting the grind up to level 25.
How long should it take to hit level 25 in WoW Classic Season of Discovery?
Depending on your WoW experience, as well as how well you understand your pre-planned leveling route, it should take you anywhere between 24 and 48 hours of playtime to reach level 25 in the Season of Discovery. We understand that’s a wide bracket of time, but considering how much room for experimentation there’s going to be in the new season, it’s likely that you’re going to spend some downtime figuring out your new skills and exploring the secrets SoD has to offer.
Plus, you always have to account for some of the longer quests in the game, as well as the heavy competition for mobs and quest objectives within the first few zones. If you’re a powerleveler who can get ahead of the pack and grind XP at a faster rate without competition, you could definitely exceed the average leveling rate.
The WoW Classic Season of Discovery will begin on Nov. 30, with a global release set to take place around the world.
