World of Warcraft: Cataclysm targeted for a 2010 release date
by Adam Holisky 
Aug 23rd 2009 at 1:03PM
But this time, things are a little bit different.
WoW.com has been able to confirm that during a DirecTV interview, Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard, revealed that Cataclysm is targeted for a 2010 release date.
Now a targeted release date should be clearly understood for what it is. It is a date that Blizzard wants to ship their game, nothing more, nothing less. It means that they have a plan and schedule to get the game ready by then. But as everyone knows, long term schedules can and do change. Please limit the QQ if we don't see Cataclysm next year.
Interesting news nonetheless!
Filed under: Blizzard, News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Jeff Aug 23rd 2009 1:16PM
Heh, I've got people in my guild who are absolutely convinced that Cataclysm will hit "In 6 months at the latest", which strikes me as woefully unlikely. Methinks they'll be disappointed.
Antiquity Aug 23rd 2009 1:52PM
Meethinks they are spot on. Subscriptions are vastly down across all realms. You can tell by the LFG system and BG ques and by /who XYZ (being raids)....they are just pretty barren.
WotLK failed the game big time. They need to get people back ASAP..the longer they are away, the better chance they have of not coming back.
Mr. Tastix Aug 23rd 2009 3:22PM
So you want them to release in six months and have another expansion ruined? Sounds like a nice plan. Changes such as cross-server instances or the class changes may come sooner, and I won't be surprised if they do. But the meat of the expansion won't come until next year because let's face it, it doesn't take 6 months to make a game. Not a good one. And not one to the scale they've showed us.
Chances are all the expansions started development immediately after the last one was released. So we can probably bet safely that Cataclysm was in development since the start of this year. But do note that people like Ghostcrawler, who also work on the expansion, also work on patches for the live game as well. Making updates to the current version of the game takes time and they lose expansion development time for doing that.
Within the next 6-months we will probably see Icecrown Citadel, which is a feat in and of itself since it's going to be big and hopefully have a damn good cinematic at the end. IC isn't some petty boss we farm after a week. This is the LICH KING, who has had multiple games made after him!
SO WE WILL FIGHT HIM. AND FARM HIM AFTER TWO WEEKS.
Sparta Aug 23rd 2009 9:26PM
The xpac was stared BEFORE WotLK was...that means they have had 9+ months already and with another 6 like the person said above, a Spring release is highly likely.
You do realize they have more then GC working on stuff...he's just the lead but there are a ton of people that do class stuff, along with development.
ICC will be out around Nov/Dec...guaranteed.
Slog Aug 25th 2009 2:13PM
People acting like they are building the game from ground zero. Not the case, they are modify textures, quests, and the problem area's (Stormwind's Castles illusions).
Slog's prediction: 3.3 by xmas, WoW 4.0 by spring (May/June), more than enough time specially since they already have been working on it. And just because 3.3 is only going to be out a few months prior, thats not a "pass-over Arthas" thing. You really think Deathwing is going to wait til we have finished with Arthas to return? Very likely he will strike when we are our weakest (e.g: fighting Arthas).
stephenfroud Sep 22nd 2009 9:11AM
The crap graphics are what let this game down, unless Blizzard start investing more of their billions into a decent graphics engine, then it's game over.
Blizzard just treat us as cash cows, the clocks ticking on WoW Blizzard, better hurry up and give us all some decent 21st century graphics, not the lame out-dated trash we're all getting sick of.
Lol and don't say the graphics are ok 'cus they aint, they're bloody awful!
Luisette Aug 23rd 2009 1:14PM
There's always going to be QQing if tentative schedules don't work out as planned, but any news is good news!
grump-e Aug 23rd 2009 1:48PM
A 2010 release sounds great and I am currently sending blizzard a formal warning, if they are late there WILL be QQ.
Massive QQ.
That will sure make em hurry up with the game.
crsh Aug 23rd 2009 3:02PM
I'm more worried about what will be left to do in Northrend until Cataclysm ships; 3.3 is (was?) supposed to be the final content patch of this expansion, and if we're lucky that'll come out before end's year.
That is unless almighty Bizz has more content planned for WotLK, we are after all still missing a Troll raid/dungeon. ;-)
Jimmy Aug 23rd 2009 10:39PM
crsh, remember, 3.2.2 is coming out in nov. so 3.3 will be next year (likely) AND thats only 3.3, there is still more ;)
Leviathon Aug 23rd 2009 1:14PM
There is also the part where Metzen said 'players will probably be complaining about goblin rogues by next years blizzcon'. I really think we ca see this expansion some time next summer.
CARVER:Nether Aug 24th 2009 9:30AM
@Leviathon:
either that or the beta for cataclysm is planned before the next blizzcon.
JoeHelfrich Aug 24th 2009 11:10AM
3.2.2 isn't a huge content patch. 3.2 won't last long past the last of the bosses being available in a couple weeks, and the novelty of groups who had been struggling in Ulduar gearing up in ToC and then heading back will only buy it another month or so.
3.3 will have to be on the PTR by October. They'll probably aim to have it on live by the Christmas holidays to drive up interest for Christmas purchases and returning players.
Unless they're going to turn Mal'Ganis into Sunwell Mk II, the expansion HAS to be out by summer. 3-6 months without a content update will not keep players coming in.
dan Aug 28th 2009 3:49PM
Mainly agreed with Joe. Frankly I think a mar/apr release isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Summer I'd worry would run the risk of players simply not being available to play (just look at how the raiding community suffers absences and invite issues during the summer season).
Barinthos Aug 23rd 2009 1:16PM
People will QQ if it doesn't come out soon enough, and people will QQ if it does since they didn't experience all of Ulduar, Argent Tournament, Ice Crown and whatever else.
Either way I'm excited for this game to come out. And regardless of when it comes out doesn't bother me. If it comes out early 2010 that'd be sweet, if it doesn't come out until December 2010 then so be it.
zombiesauridae Aug 23rd 2009 2:20PM
People will QQ even if there is nothing to QQ about.
Mailia Aug 23rd 2009 1:16PM
Oh the crying when and if it ships before Diablo III and StarCraft II.
kabshiel Aug 23rd 2009 1:49PM
It'll definitely come out before D3.
sprout_daddy Aug 23rd 2009 4:35PM
I believe it will have to come out before Diablo III, which is going to approaching vaporware status soon :-) Give us a demo, for god's sake, please.
Dreadskull Aug 23rd 2009 1:17PM
I'm kind of predicting/speculating it to go like this time-line-wise:
Onyxia Patch - Obviously by November, though chances are it'll probably be coming out this next month or October-ish.
Patch 3.3/Icecrown Citadel - They'll most likely get this out by December, at the latest probably January, -maybe- February.
Cataclysm Beta - Sometime during the spring, possibly late February.
Cataclysm Release - Late spring at the earliest, late fall probably at the latest. Probably would come out sometime around... maybe August?
Here's hoping at least xD