Summary
World of Warcraft Classichas officially launched Phase 8 of Season of Discovery, an all-original update focused on the Scarlet Crusade in Tyr’s Hand. Players can begin new quest content in the Eastern Plaguelands and explore the town of New Avalon inWorld of Warcraft ClassicSeason of Discovery right now as they gear up for the Scarlet Enclave raid, which opens on April 10.
Season of Discovery isWorld of Warcraft Classic’s ongoing experimental server in which Blizzard adds twists to the familiar formula. Some of these changes have included class-altering Rune Engravings, brand-new items and questlines, and even completely original dungeons like theKarazhan Crypts fromWoW ClassicSeason of Discovery Phase 7.
Now,World of Warcraft ClassicSeason of Discovery has officially dropped its most ambitious update yet. Phase 8 of Season of Discovery goes beyond whereClassic WoWhas ever been before, featuring only original content. Fans can speak with Leonid Barthalomew the Revered at Light’s Hope Chapel to accept the “Unrest at Tyr’s Hand” quest, provided they complete “Scarlet Activities” from Phase 7, to begin a series of storylines related toWorld of Warcraft ClassicSeason of Discovery’s new Scarlet Enclave raid. Additionally, players can infiltrate the town of New Avalon to earn new crafting recipes and other rewards, so long as they can avoid the Scarlet Bloodhounds who can see through their disguises.
On April 10 at 1 PM PDT, the Scarlet Enclave opens. The eight-boss instance is tuned for between 20 and 40 people, and is currently only available in a single, high-difficulty mode, promising a challenge for even seasoned raiders with best-in-slot gear. The Scarlet Enclave requires no attunement to enter, thoughWorld of Warcraftrecommends fans complete the questlines from Leonid Barthalomew to fully immerse themselves in the raid’s story. Warriors, Hunters, and Paladins can also loot the Ruined Lightforge Blade from one of the bosses, which begins a brand-new Legendary weapon questline – ostensibly toobtain the iconic Ashbringer ofWorld of Warcraftfame.
This patch also introduced some never-before-seen class balance as well. Beyond a slew of buffs and nerfs to certain talents and abilities, all pets from classes like Hunters, Shamans, and Warlocks now benefit from the character’s Haste stat. Additionally, several Tier 3 set bonuses have been tweaked to ensure gear progression feels satisfying in Scarlet Enclave, and that no single playstyle dominates each class.
While there hasn’t been official confirmation yet, evidence suggests this may be thefinal major patch forWorld of Warcraft ClassicSeason of Discovery. Regardless of whether it is the experiment’s last hurrah, Phase 8 promises to be one of the most exciting updates to date.
World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery Phase 8 Patch Notes – Jun 25, 2025
New Quest Content in Eastern Plaguelands
Players who have completed the Phase 7 Eastern Plaguelands quest “Scarlet Activities” may speak with Leonid Bartholomew the Revered at Light’s Hope Chapel to accept the quest “Unrest at Tyr’s Hand”. This quest splits off into a few different questlines related to Scarlet Enclave content.
New Area - New Avalon
Go behind enemy lines in disguise as you infiltrate the town of New Avalon within the Scarlet Enclave, prior to the events that transpire within the raid. This is a small crafting-focused town with access to a few common city services, such as a bank, a neutral auction house, and an alchemy lab.
New Raid Dungeon – The Scarlet Enclave
Starting at 1:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, April 10, the Scarlet Enclave raid will be available for players to enter.
New Legendary Weapon Questline
Raid groups progressing through The Scarlet Enclave may encounter a “Ruined Lightforge Blade” legendary quest item as a drop from a certain boss encounter. This item is the quest starter for the legendary weapon questline.
Classes
Going into Phase 8, we want to make some changes to damage numbers coming out of Naxxramas, refine and align the durability profile of tanks, and create more room for healers to coexist. You’ll notice a lot of changes are to previous tier’s set bonuses. We wouldn’t normally touch these bonuses, but with access to these via shoulder enchants, and some Tier 3 bonuses doing a lot of the heavy lifting for some classes inside of Naxxramas,we felt these were the correct adjustments to make to ensure that gear upgrades going forward remain meaningful.
