From a realistic standpoint. When do you expect Cataclysm?

[Shodokan]

End game raids are generally expected to hold the player base for ~6 months. (Naxx went live 11/08, figure 1-2 months for player base to level and start raiding, Ulduar went live 6/09, ICC 12/09 - see a pattern?)

3.3.3 is expected to go live very soon. (maybe next week?)

3.3.5 is adding a new raid instance. I bet it'll be mid to late April on the release - maybe even May. They're probably banking this will hold players for 4 - 6 months (typical raid life). (ICC = Dec ... +6 months = May... wow, Ruby Sanct is on the horizon? talk about predictable!)

The "opening" event for the next expansion will last approx 2 - 4 weeks. You've all seen the Gnomergon / Echo Isles information.

So - ICC + BG LFG System + Ruby Sanct + Cat. Opening Event = ~ 1 full year of content (lolwut?)

Start the timer when ICC was released in December.... now do the math. With all these things on the horizon - November / December at the VERY earliest. I think its pretty obvious at this point.

My friend has acheivements from 4/14/09 for Ulduar.

Naxx/maly/saph = november
Ulduar = april
Toc = august
Onixia = november
Icc = december

So there was a 6 month period between naxx and ulduar, a 5 months period till TOC, and a 5 month period till ICC with ony being thrown in as a random addition (which is what ruby is suppose to be)

But yeah i understand what you are saying.

[Mosg2]

November 16th too.

[Fursphere]

My friend has acheivements from 4/14/09 for Ulduar.

Naxx/maly/saph = november
Ulduar = april
Toc = august
Onixia = november
Icc = december

So there was a 6 month period between naxx and ulduar, a 5 months period till TOC, and a 5 month period till ICC with ony being thrown in as a random addition (which is what ruby is suppose to be)

But yeah i understand what you are saying.

Lol - totally forgot about ToC and Onyxia (which was a 5 yr anniversary raid, but still an end game raid). /facepalm.

If you want more evidence to a Nov release, Gamestop had it posted as a 11/1/2010 date. Now, everybody assumes thats just a placeholder date and all - so why'd they remove the date? (Me thinks Blizzard bitch slapped them, because it was a leak, not a placeholder)

If you look at the history of WotLK leaks - all sites with accurate information got cease and desist orders. The ones with crap info got left alone....

[Zaelar]

t7 to t8 was a longer wait then the others.
Ulduar(april) - Toc(august) = 4 months
Toc(august) - Icc(dec) = 4 months

[Shodokan]

t7 to t8 was a longer wait then the others.
Ulduar(april) - Toc(august) = 4 months
Toc(august) - Icc(dec) = 4 months

They had been working on ICC the entire expansion though.

[Ogloo]

put me down for after dec. 21 2012.. so we will never play cata i guess..

** sorry must watched 2012 which btw was beast.

[Stealthy]

Blizzard traditionally aims for a November launch with the WoW games since it coincides with the anniversary of Warcraft franchise.

WoW classic was launched November 2004 (on the 10th anniversary of Warcraft)

Burning Crusade was supposed to launch in November 2006 but was pushed back to Jan 2007 (ref here).

Wrath of the Lich King was launched in November 2008

Note the 2 year gap in between each release.

Cheers,
S.

[EaTCarbS]

I'm thinking Novemberish.

this

[Maxion]

I've been thinking november myself too, and reading this thread only enforces it.

[Fat Tire]

Nov is my vote also.

However, I am really curious or wanting the Battlechest including wrath and I am hoping its for sale before cata.