WoW’s third expansion pack, Cataclysm, was just revealed at Blizzcon and that means there is a slew of new information being tossed around the Internet right now as millions of people strive to figure out exactly what this new content change is going to mean for your current characters and account.

The New Races in Cataclysm

The biggest news in Cataclysm is probably the addition of the two new races to the game. A familiar face will be joining up with the Horde in the form of the Goblins while the Alliance will be getting the Worgen race, a group of wolfmen. The game has been teasing at these new races for years now – they’ve finally arrived and will probably be an interesting diversion. But, will they be worth setting up new characters for?

After what we saw with the addition of the Death Knight class in Wrath of the Lich King, I think we can safely say that yes, these two new races will be something else when they start out. The starting areas will likely be progression based instances for a period of time (as much of Azeroth will become as the Cataclysm affects the continent).

As a result, there is going to be quite a bit of new lore, interesting game dynamics, and new NPCs to encounter. Goblins may not be Werewolves, but the Horde will likely gain a nice little discount on some trade goods as a result, and besides, who wouldn’t want a goblin mage running around?

The New Class Combos in Cataclysm

This is a big hot button topic that a lot of players have been arguing about. The truth is that there is no way to know how these new combinations will actually affect anyone. Technically, they have no impact on the gameplay. It’s not a new class after all. However, there are dozens of people out there who are going to want to try this stuff out, whether because they are huge fans of one particular race and could never be a Priest or because they’re still reeling from the fact that their Human can be a Hunter now.

The New Levels

Only 5 new levels of content this time around means that everyone is going to be a lot less focused on power leveling to the next mark and more focused on enjoying the content that’s in those levels. It also probably means that those levels are going to take a long time to complete. What remains to be seen is exactly how Azeroth is going to provide enough new leveling content to move up 5 levels without destroying old starting areas. This will be interesting as we all know how big Azeroth zones already are.

In the end, Cataclysm is a huge event in the game and is going to change a lot about how we understand and play World of Warcraft. But, is it as major an upheaval as everyone seems to think? I suppose we’re going to have to wait and find out when the expansion finally arrives.

Check out Zygors New Leveling Guide. These guys have put a lot of work into 2.0 and I’m sure you’ll find it useful.

Death Knights – Don’t expect much Death Knights. Blizzard has been back pedaling on this class since it was launched, trying to find the right balance and their next expansion is the perfect chance. Whatever they get will be undoubtedly cool to watch, but probably not that useful.

Druids – Druids have always been the beneficiaries of some mighty nice talents. However, there is little buzz coming out these days about what could be the next big attack for these guys. I imagine the Feral Druids among you will probably benefit from some increased Druidic powers in tanking, but that’s a mighty thin guess.

Hunters – Damage, damage, damage. Don’t expect anything less. Whether it’s a new pet class or a series of new talent points to help avoid damage, Hunters are all about the DPS. Expect bigger and badder Mark talents and some really cool pet effects.

Mages – Time Stop – a really good Time Stop too. We don’t know anything for sure, but Cataclysm is sure to bring some big fireworks to the Mage. They are getting up there in power and we’ve seen some pretty spectacular spells being cast by raid bosses.

Paladin – Restoration is probably set, but Protection and Retribution are going to get some major boosts to PvE effectiveness. For the most constantly changed class in the game, expect another series of buffs that are too heavy and then get scaled back for a while after 4.0 is released.

Priest – I’d imagine we see some more debuffs and buffs in the upper end for the Priests out there. Healing spells are good right now and can be scaled up for levels, but the buffs and debuffs are what really add value to this class and I think we’ll see that in Cataclysm.

Rogue – Rogues, much like our Hunter friends are all about DPS and will see the same kinds of insane boosts in their DPS in Cataclysm that we’ve come to expect. Don’t be surprised though if we finally see a couple of nerfs to this class, making them less “all powerful” in PvP. It’s been a long time since they’ve been at the top of the PvP charts and Blizzard has been thinking about retooling for a good long time.

Shamans – Who knows. Shamans have undergone a lot of changes since 3.0 was released (almost all of it good), but it’s impossible to know for sure when those changes will stop). I’d look for something non-totem related though. The totems are becoming ever more powerful but are largely support.

Warlock – Time to fix the Warlocks. All you locks are probably rubbing your hands in anticipation of Cataclysm because this class needs some love. Hard to tell what they’ll do, but a major retooling is likely.

Warriors – Don’t fix what’s not broken. Warriors have been the most stable class for 5 years now and will likely remain that way with minimal changes and few buffs. More damage absorption and a higher AoE threat generation are likely, but nothing else too spectacular.

Cataclysm is a long ways off, so it’s impossible to know what changes are coming, but when they do start coming, you can bet that there will be a lot of discussions and arguments over just how useful the new class setups are. It’ll be an interesting winter.