Removed Content Guide

Author: Luxrah
Date: October 30, 2023
Updated: October 30, 2023
Expansion: Cataclysm

It’s a whole new World of Warcraft in Cataclysm, with the entire map of Azeroth being revamped. Whether you’re a collector or just want to see everything before it disappears, we’ve compiled it all for you in this handy guide!

Achievements

A number of achievements will be disappearing in Cataclysm, with many of them becoming Feats of Strength. A Feat of Strength is a special achievement that is either extremely difficult or no longer possible to obtain. Achievements that will become a Feat of Strength are noted with an asterisk (*).

The following raid achievements will be removed from the game in Cataclysm:

With the removal of most Wrath of the Lich King emblems, the achievements for acquiring them will also be going away:

Since Wrath of the Lich King daily dungeon quests will no longer be relevant, the achievements for completing them will become Feats of Strength:

As weapon skills are being removed, so are the achievements you get for leveling them:

Pre-WotLK 10- and 20-man raids are getting an overhaul, and their current achievements are being removed:

*Zul’Aman – Zul’Aman
*Zul’Gurub – Zul’Gurub
*Hero of the Zandalar Tribe – Zul’Gurub
*Deadliest Catch – Zul’Gurub
*Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj – Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj

The paladin and warlock class mount quests are being removed, and so are the achievements for completing them:

Titles

Since the achievements that grant them are going away, the following character titles will no longer be obtainable. You will still be able to use these titles on your characters if you have already earned them.

The Undying – Naxxramas (10)
The Immortal – Naxxramas (25)
Champion of Ulduar – Ulduar (10)
Conqueror of Ulduar – Ulduar (25)
The Argent Defender – Trial of the Grand Crusader (25)

Mounts

Several mounts will no longer be available in Cataclysm. You will be able to continue using these mounts if you have already acquired them, and each one will grant a Feat of Strength.

With the removal of the original version of Zul’Gurub, the following mounts will no longer be obtainable:

Swift Razzashi Raptor – Zul’Gurub
Swift Zulian Tiger – Zul’Gurub

The Argent Tribute Chest is being removed from Trial of the Grand Crusader, and without it, the following mounts will not be obtainable:

The following mounts will still be obtainable, but at a significantly lower drop rate:

Mimiron’s Head – Ulduar (25)
Invincible’s Reins – Icecrown Citadel (25)

Pets

There are no pets that are going away completely in Cataclysm. Some pets, such as the Razzashi Hatchling, will drop from different sources than they used to.

Currency

All Wrath of the Lich King emblems and PVP marks will be going away in Cataclysm. The achievements for collecting these are also going away.

The following emblems will be converted to Justice Points, which can be used to purchase gear in Cataclysm:

The following emblems will be converted to gold instead:

The following PVP marks will be converted to Honor Points, which can be used to purchase PVP gear:

It’s unclear what will happen to the Titan Rune Dungeon currencies, Defiler’s Scourgestone and Sidereal Essence.

Factions

Two factions are being removed in Cataclysm, so you will no longer be able to obtain reputation with them:

Shen’dralar – Dire Maul
Zandalar Tribe – Zul’Gurub

The Shen’dralar faction will no longer be required for the Insane in the Membrane achievement. Instead, if you are exalted with this faction before Cataclysm launches, you will earn a Feat of Strength, Agent of the Shen’dralar.

With the Zandalar Tribe gone, the achievement Hero of the Zandalar Tribe will become a Feat of Strength as well.

Dungeons

Most vanilla dungeons will see some minor changes in Cataclysm. Their level ranges will be adjusted and quest givers will now be located inside the instances.

Some of the larger dungeons will be broken up into two separate dungeons:

Two low-level dungeons are being completely overhauled for the expansion, with new Heroic difficulty modes for max-level characters:

Raids

Both of the current 20-man raids are seeing some changes as well.

Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj will become a 10-man instance, but is otherwise unchanged. The achievement Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj will become a Feat of Strength.

The Zul’Aman raid is being removed, and a revamped 5-man dungeon version will be added in the first content patch for Cataclysm. The Zul’Aman achievement will become a Feat of Strength.

Zul’Gurub will also be removed from the game at launch, but will return in the first content patch as an overhauled 5-man dungeon. The achievements Zul’Gurub and Deadliest Catch will each become a Feat of Strength. Tome of Polymorph: Turtle will be obtainable through fishing. The two mounts in the raid, Swift Razzashi Raptor and Swift Zulian Tiger, will become unobtainable, with each granting a Feat of Strength if you have them.

Class Weapons

Three vanilla class weapon quests are being removed from the game, so their weapons will no longer be obtainable. Characters who have already obtained these weapons will still be able to equip them and use them for transmogrification:

Benediction/Anathema – Priest
Rhok’delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers – Hunter
Quel’Serrar – Paladin & Warrior

Two of these weapons will also award a Feat of Strength to characters who have acquired them: Benediction/Anathema will reward The Balance of Light and Shadow while Rhok’delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers will reward The Ancient Keeper.

Stats

Cataclysm will completely overhaul the stat system, removing some stats and adding others. The following stats will be completely removed from equipment in the game:

Attack Power
Spell Power
MP5
Armor Penetration
Block
Defense

Characters will now get their attack power or spell power through their primary stat (Strength, Agility, or Intellect) at a rate of 2 power per stat point.

All healers will now get their mana regeneration from Spirit instead of MP5. Caster DPS won’t need either. Shadow Priests, Balance Druids, and Elemental Shamans will have talents that convert Spirit to Hit, making it easier to use the same gear for both roles.

Armor Penetration and Block will be partially replaced by the new Mastery stat for classes that use them.

Tank specializations will now have built-in crit immunity and won’t need to worry about the Defense cap anymore.

Recipes

Many crafting recipes are being removed from the game. You’ll still be able to craft these items if you already have their recipes. Many of them can also be traded or sold on the Auction House.

No recipes were removed for the two professions that were added in TBC and WotLK, Inscription and Jewelcrafting.

Crafting specializations are also being removed. Their recipes can now be learned by anyone with the profession.

Alchemy
Blacksmithing
Cooking
Enchanting
Engineering
Leatherworking
Tailoring

Recipes:

Miscellaneous:

Recipes:

Armorsmithing Trainer:

Weaponsmithing Trainer:

Recipes:

Dirge’s Kickin’ Chimaerok Chops – Recipe: Dirge’s Kickin’ Chimaerok Chops
Thistle Tea – Recipe: Thistle Tea (the rogue-only version, Recipe: Thistle Tea, will still be available)

Recipes:

Bloodvine Goggles – Schematic: Bloodvine Goggles
Bloodvine Lens – Schematic: Bloodvine Lens
Flawless Arcanite Rifle – Schematic: Flawless Arcanite Rifle
Hyper-Radiant Flame Reflector – Schematic: Hyper-Radiant Flame Reflector
Ice Deflector – Schematic: Ice Deflector
The Mortar: Reloaded – learned automatically with Goblin Mortar

Recipes:

Quests:

Gordok Ogre Suit

Leatherworking Trainer:

Knothide Quiver

Dragonscale Trainer:

Elemental Trainer:

Tribal Trainer:

Recipes:

Quests:

Gordok Ogre Suit

Reagents

Many class abilities are going away or will no longer require reagents to cast. These items will all disappear from vendors and become gray junk items in your bags:

Ammo, Quivers, & Pouches

Similar to the reagents listed above, ammunition for bows, crossbows, and guns is being removed. You won’t be able to buy or craft bullets, arrows, or bolts anymore. Any that are already in your inventory will become gray junk items.

Since they aren’t used anymore, quivers and ammo pouches will be converted into regular bags of similar size.

Skills

Weapon skills are going away, including the Unarmed skill. The achievements for leveling them, Master of Arms and Did Somebody Order a Knuckle Sandwich?, will both become Feats of Strength. Your character will be able to use any weapon they are able to equip as if they had the maximum skill.

The Defense skill is also going away, being replaced by built-in features of tank specializations.

Argent Tribute Chest

The Argent Tribute Chest is being removed from the Trial of the Crusader raid. The mounts and gear that drop from the chest will also be going away, along with all of the achievements associated with it.

Classic World Bosses

The Dragons of Nightmare, the four green dragons that guard the portals to the Emerald Dream, will be removed from their zones with the overhaul, and all of the loot they drop will become unobtainable. These world bosses are Emeriss, Lethon, Taerar, and Ysondre, spawning regularly in Duskwood, Hinterlands, Feralas, and Ashenvale.

Scarab Lord

The entire Scepter of the Shifting Sands quest chain is being removed with Cataclysm, so you won’t be able to complete it anymore. This already-rare accomplishment and all of its associated rewards will no longer be obtainable. Characters who have already completed the entire chain will receive the Scarab Lord Feat of Strength.

About the Author

Luxrah

I've been playing World of Warcraft on and off since vanilla, usually as a healer or caster and often as a guild leader. I play both retail and classic. I also love RPGs, sandboxes, and sims.

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Jindo

#11639

15 days ago

What about Battle Tabard of the Defilers? I think they will remove quest to get it. Also I think they will remove tabards for WSG and AV as well.

Passion(@passion)

Editor

#11648

Reply to Jindo

Battle Tabard of the Defilers, and the other BG tabards are still available even to this day on Retail. The quest to obtain it will be removed in patch 5.0.4, but the Tabard remains obtainable forever.