Phase 1 of TBC Classic Anniversary: Zones, Dungeons, Raids, and PvP
Phase 1 of TBC Classic Anniversary introduces the full launch of The Burning Crusade content, raising the level cap to 70 and opening the Dark Portal to Outland. This phase includes new zones, dungeon hubs, Heroic dungeons, PvP Arena Season 1, and the first raid tier.
Whether you are leveling fresh or preparing for endgame, here is everything you can expect in Phase 1.
Level Cap Increase and Outland Zones
Players can level from 60 to 70 and travel through the Dark Portal into Outland. Phase 1 opens all seven Outland zones:
- Hellfire Peninsula
- Zangarmarsh
- Terokkar Forest
- Nagrand
- Blade’s Edge Mountains
- Shadowmoon Valley
- Netherstorm
These zones introduce new questlines, reputations, dungeons, and profession materials needed for endgame progression.
New Dungeon Hubs
Phase 1 unlocks five major dungeon hubs across Outland:
- Hellfire Citadel
- Coilfang Reservoir
- Auchindoun
- Caverns of Time
- Tempest Keep
These hubs contain the core leveling and level 70 dungeons that players will run for gear, reputation, and Heroic attunement.
Heroic Dungeon Changes in TBC Anniversary
Heroic dungeons become available at level 70 once players reach Revered reputation with each dungeon’s associated faction. You can purchase the Heroic key from that faction’s quartermaster.
New for TBC Anniversary, once your first character earns Heroic attunement for a dungeon, you can purchase a bag from the faction quartermaster that contains a Bind-on-Battle.net-Account key to send to alts.
Alt characters must still reach at least Friendly reputation to use the key and gain Heroic attunement on that character, but they no longer need to grind all the way to Revered.
PvP Arena Season 1
Arena Season 1 begins shortly after launch and introduces several changes:
- Each character’s rating starts at 1500 instead of 0
- Once per week, per character, you can pay gold to reset your rating back to 1500 (only if you are currently below 1500)
- Each bracket (2v2, 3v3, 5v5) has its own weekly reset
- Most PvP gear has no rating requirement, except:
- Weapons require 1700 rating
- Shoulders require 2000 rating
- The overall cost of PvP gear has been lowered slightly
- Faction reputation PvP sets are available starting with the first Arena Season
- Faction reputation PvP set bonuses are combined with Honor gear equivalents, so you can mix pieces to unlock 2-piece and 4-piece bonuses
Phase 1 Raids
Phase 1 includes the first raid tier of The Burning Crusade:
These raids provide the initial endgame progression path for level 70 players and are core targets for gearing up in Phase 1.
Flying Mounts at Level 70
At level 70, players can unlock flying mounts. You can pick up the quest Learning to Fly from Nutral the Flight Master, which sends you to Shadowmoon Valley.
- Expert riding requires level 70, riding skill 150, and costs 800 gold base
- Artisan riding is 5000 gold
- Flying mounts are purchased separately (typically 100 gold)
For the final step, Alliance players speak to Ilsa Blusterbrew, and Horde players speak to Olrokk.
Prepare for Phase 1
Phase 1 of TBC Classic Anniversary delivers the complete Outland experience, combining leveling, dungeon progression, PvP, and raiding into a single launch phase.
If you want to be ready early, focus on:
- Leveling efficiently through Outland zones
- Building reputation with dungeon factions
- Preparing for Heroic dungeon attunement and alt keys
- Understanding Arena Season 1 rules and rating requirements
- Planning your first raid clears