World of Warcraft has begun sending out surveys gauging interest in a return to the Cataclysm expansion in Classic. These surveys have gone out only a couple of weeks before Wrath of the Lich King Classic becomes available for World of Warcraft players.
When World of Warcraft Classic first moved from Vanilla WoW to Burning Crusade, it was all but inevitable Wrath of the Lich King Classic would follow, given the expansion’s overwhelming popularity. Cataclysm Classic, on the other hand, is not so certain.
The recent survey Blizzard has distributed seeks to determine whether such a progression would be desired by World of Warcraft Classic players. After a series of general questions, the survey asks players about specifics pertaining to World of Warcraft Classic and the history of the Cataclysm expansion. It goes into detail about the features of the expansion, allowing players to comment on the parts they liked and disliked from the original Cataclysm, and what parts of the expansion they would want to see come to World of Warcraft Classic. Lastly, it asks if players would be interested in Cataclysm Classic at all, with or without changes from the first iteration.
Previously, World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas and other WoW developers stated the fate of Classic was in players' hands. World of Warcraft Classic exists because of player demands, and its future will be defined by their desires. While World of Warcraft Classic could just keep churning through expansions year after year, it would rather focus on the parts of WoW’s history which provide the most nostalgic experiences for fans.
That is precisely why World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic’s fate is not yet set in stone. Though Cataclysm did a lot of incredible things, like introducing the Transmogrification system and the Azeroth world revamp, it is not as fondly remembered as its neighbors, especially Wrath of the Lich King. Cataclysm represented a drastic shift in how World of Warcraft did things and was a major step on the path to more modern expansions.
Though the nostalgia for Cataclysm is not as strong, it is still a vital chapter in Warcraft’s history–and one many consider worthy of the Classic treatment. Though it was the first divisive World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm still scored a 90 on Metacritic, only ranked below the expansions which came before it. World of Warcraft Classic players should make their opinions on Cataclysm known, with or without the survey, so they can help plot the course for Blizzard’s ongoing trip down memory lane.
World of Warcraft is available on PC. Wrath of the Lich King Classic launches September 26.