World of Warcraft is bringing the holiday cheer with a massive boost to experience in Wrath of the Lich King Classic. The Joyous Journeys experience buff is currently live in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic, and will run through the rest of the year and into early 2023.
The Joyous Journeys experience buff is a special 50% experience boost available for Wrath of the Lich King Classic players. The experience boost is automatically activated on all characters under level 80, though it can be deactivated at an innkeeper in Stormwind, Orgrimmar, or Dalaran.
This run of the Joyous Journeys buff began on December 13, and is scheduled to run through January 16, 2023. This gives players over a month to benefit from the 50% experience boost. Wrath of the Lich King Classic players should be sure to level their existing alt characters or make new ones to capitalize on this buff while it lasts.
Many players couldn’t help but notice that January 16 was just about four months after Wrath of the Lich King Classic first launched. If World of Warcraft Classic keeps its patch and raid cadence as consistent as it has been, mid-January would be right around when players could expect Ulduar, the next major Wrath of the Lich King raid, to come to Classic. Unconfirmed leaks also suggested the patch would be coming around the same time, leading many players to suspect Ulduar will likely arrive when Joyous Journeys goes away again.
Most players are thrilled to have an extended period of time to benefit from Joyous Journeys. Leveling in modern World of Warcraft is much faster than in Wrath of the Lich King Classic, and few players mind a helping hand during an otherwise lengthy process. Some players wish World of Warcraft would keep the Joyous Journeys buff as an option in Classic permanently so players with less time on their hands could still enjoy the nostalgic experience.
On the other hand, some players think these experience boosts miss the point of World of Warcraft Classic. The throwback servers were originally created as a nostalgic experience, and to some, the longer, more difficult leveling process is a part of the charm of old-school World of Warcraft. Luckily, the Joyous Journeys buff is and always has been optional, so Wrath of the Lich King Classic players who want a pure, unmodified leveling experience can easily opt out of the buff as they prepare to challenge Ulduar.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic is available on PC.