Blizzard has officially announced that Phase 3 of WoW Classic’s 20th Anniversary Edition will go live on March 20, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. PDT. This content update brings a host of new PvE and PvP features.
What Phase 3 Brings?
According to Blizzard’s release timetable, the Phase 3 patch on March 20 will introduce several major pieces of content:
Blackwing Lair
The eight-boss Blackwing Lair (BWL) 40-player raid opens at the peak of Blackrock Mountain, where players will face Nefarian and his draconic minions. This raid offers Tier 2 set pieces to continue filling out your class’s Tier 2 armor, with the remaining pieces still obtained from Onyxia and Ragnaros.
Attunement
An attunement quest (“Blackhand’s Command”) is required to enter BWL, sending players through Upper Blackrock Spire. Gather your allies and prepare for a new challenge in this iconic dungeon.
Level 50 Class Quest
Phase 3 adds the long-awaited class-specific quests for characters at level 50+. Players can visit their class trainers in capital cities to begin these questlines, which ultimately lead into the Sunken Temple (Temple of Atal’Hakkar) in the Swamp of Sorrows. Each class quest chain rewards a choice among several unique rare-quality items tailored to that class. These quests provide a great Opportunity to obtain useful gear while delving into class lore.
New Reputation Rewards
Various factions will unlock new reputation reward items with the Phase 3 update. Notably, the Argent Dawn, Timbermaw Hold, and Thorium Brotherhood PvE factions, as well as the Warsong Outriders (Horde) and Silverwing Sentinels (Alliance) PvP battleground factions, are all receiving new gear recipes and items at their vendors.
This means players who have advanced their reputation with these groups can purchase new rewards, including profession recipes (e.g. new enchanting formulas and crafting patterns) and epic gear pieces, when Phase 3 hits. Be sure to check the reputation vendors in Ironforge/Orgrimmar (for PvP factions) and elsewhere for the newly available items.
Darkmoon Faire arrives i Azeroth
The mystical Darkmoon Faire makes its debut in WoW Classic with Phase 3. Starting March 20, Silas Darkmoon and his traveling Faire will periodically arrive in Elwynn Forest (near Goldshire) for Alliance and Mulgore (near Thunder Bluff) for Horde, bringing carnival games, exotic vendors, and rare reward opportunities. Players can complete Darkmoon Faire quests, earn Darkmoon Prize Tickets, and turn in decks of cards for trinkets. Watch for barkers in Ironforge and Orgrimmar announcing when the Faire is in town, and don’t miss this monthly event to pick up profession skill points, unique trinkets, and other prizes.
Eternal Quintessence
Phase 3 will also allow players exalted with the Hydraxian Waterlords to obtain the Eternal Quintessence. This item is an upgrade to the Aqual Quintessence from Molten Core, allowing unlimited use to douse the runes in Molten Core without consuming the item. In short, it’s a quality-of-life improvement for raid groups farming Molten Core, so getting exalted with Hydraxian Waterlords will be rewarding once Phase 3 drops.
PvP Updates
Phase 3 also comes with significant PvP updates, although some groundwork was laid earlier in Phase 2. It’s important to clarify the timeline of PvP content to avoid confusion:
Phase 3 brings
- Warsong Gulch faction vendors (Alliance Silverwing Sentinels and Horde Warsong Outriders) will finally unlock their Reputation reward.
- April 3, 2025, Blizzard will remove the Honor Rank 11 cap, allowing players to progress to ranks 12–14 and earn the highest PvP titles and gear rewards.
- April 3, 2025, the gates of the Arathi Basin battleground will open, introducing the 15v15 resource-race battleground to the game. Arathi Basin features five capture points (Farm, Lumber Mill, Blacksmith, Mine, Stables) and will be available for players level 20 and above to queue.
- April 4, 2025, Battleground Holiday weekends will begin. One battleground will be featured each weekend with bonus Honor and faction reputation gains as an incentive.
These PvP updates mean that by early April, players can enjoy all three original battlegrounds (WSG, AV, AB) and push toward the coveted High Warlord/Grand Marshal ranks that were previously unreachable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blackwing Lair?
Blackwing Lair is a challenging 40-player raid that opens on March 20, 2025. Players will face Nefarian and his draconic minions, and the raid offers Tier 2 set pieces for progression.
What is the attunement quest for Blackwing Lair?
The attunement quest for Blackwing Lair is called ‘Blackhand’s Command’. Players must complete this quest to access the raid, which involves traveling through Upper Blackrock Spire.
What are Level 50 Class Quests?
Level 50 Class Quests are class-specific quests that reward players with unique, rare-quality items tailored to their class. These quests are available for players at level 50 and above and lead into the Sunken Temple.
What new reputation rewards are being introduced in Phase 3?
Phase 3 introduces new reputation rewards from factions like Argent Dawn, Timbermaw Hold, and Thorium Brotherhood. Players can purchase new gear and profession recipes at these vendors.
What is the Darkmoon Faire?
The Darkmoon Faire will debut in WoW Classic with Phase 3. It brings carnival games, exotic vendors, and rare rewards. Players can earn Darkmoon Prize Tickets and unique trinkets by completing quests during the event.
What is the Eternal Quintessence?
The Eternal Quintessence is a quality-of-life upgrade for players exalted with the Hydraxian Waterlords. It allows unlimited use of the item to douse the runes in Molten Core without consuming the item.
What PvP changes are coming in Phase 3?
Phase 3 will unlock new PvP features, such as the removal of the Honor Rank 11 cap, enabling players to progress to ranks 12-14. It also brings the Arathi Basin battleground and Battleground Holiday weekends starting on April 3, 2025.
