<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Cataclysm	I-Protocol
is	O
the	O
third	O
expansion	O
set	O
for	O
the	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
following	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ten	O
new	O
dungeons	O
and	O
five	O
new	O
raids	B-Protocol
were	O
added	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
new	O
secondary	O
skill	O
,	O
Archaeology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Last	O
seen	O
in	O
Warcraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
which	O
took	O
place	O
more	O
than	O
two	O
decades	O
earlier	O
,	O
Deathwing	O
has	O
spent	O
that	O
time	O
healing	O
himself	O
,	O
and	O
plotting	O
his	O
fiery	O
return	O
from	O
the	O
elemental	O
plane	O
of	O
Deepholm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
the	O
cataclysm	O
,	O
the	O
Horde	O
's	O
leader	O
,	O
the	O
orc	O
shaman	B-Protocol
Thrall	O
,	O
stepped	O
down	O
from	O
his	O
duty	O
as	O
Warchief	O
of	O
the	O
Horde	O
to	O
better	O
help	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Azeroth	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
duty	O
was	O
relinquished	O
to	O
the	O
former	O
overlord	O
of	O
the	O
Warsong	O
Offensive	O
,	O
the	O
Mag'har	O
orc	O
warrior	B-Protocol
Garrosh	O
Hellscream	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Zandalari	O
restored	O
the	O
fallen	O
cities	O
of	O
Zul'Gurub	O
and	O
Zul'Aman	O
,	O
and	O
begun	O
to	O
conduct	O
bloody	O
raids	B-Protocol
on	O
territories	O
that	O
had	O
once	O
been	O
"	O
theirs.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Yet	O
,	O
threats	O
to	O
Hyjal	O
persisted	O
,	O
including	O
traitorous	O
druids	B-Protocol
who	O
had	O
abandoned	O
their	O
allies	O
and	O
joined	O
forces	O
with	O
the	O
elementals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
being	O
attacked	O
by	O
the	O
mysterious	O
Infinite	O
Dragonflight	O
as	O
they	O
travelled	O
the	O
timeways	O
,	O
the	O
champions	O
returned	O
the	O
artifact	O
to	O
the	O
present	O
and	O
delivered	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
wise	O
shaman	B-Protocol
Thrall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
primary	O
features	O
of	O
Cataclysm	O
is	O
the	O
redesign	O
of	O
the	O
continents	O
of	O
Eastern	O
Kingdoms	O
and	O
Kalimdor	O
introduced	O
with	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
makes	O
heavy	O
usage	O
of	O
phasing	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
first	O
seen	O
in	O
the	B-Protocol
Wrath	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
30	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Cataclysm	O
entered	O
closed	O
beta	O
testing	O
,	O
sending	O
invitations	O
to	O
gamers	O
who	O
had	O
signed	O
up	O
through	O
their	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
account	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reporting	O
their	O
first	O
quarter	O
financial	O
earnings	O
in	O
a	O
webcast	O
,	O
Activision	O
CEO	O
Bobby	O
Kotick	O
all	O
but	O
confirmed	O
that	O
latest	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
expansion	O
,	O
Cataclysm	O
,	O
would	O
be	O
out	O
on	O
store	O
shelves	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2010	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
the	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	O
Cataclysm	O
Collector	O
's	O
Edition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
7	O
(	O
8	O
in	O
Europe	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
pre-Cataclysm	B-Protocol
quest	O
chains	O
were	O
released	O
to	O
live	O
servers	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
later	O
,	O
Patch	O
4.0.1	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
public	O
test	O
realms	O
,	O
indicating	O
that	O
a	O
release	O
date	O
might	O
be	O
in	O
the	O
not	O
too	O
distant	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
reported	O
that	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
customers	O
who	O
had	O
pre-ordered	O
the	O
Collector	O
's	O
Edition	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
sent	O
notifications	O
that	O
they	O
estimated	O
the	O
arrival	O
date	O
would	O
be	O
between	O
January	O
4	O
to	O
18	O
,	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
other	O
websites	O
such	O
as	O
Kotaku	O
were	O
emailed	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
notifications	O
sent	O
to	O
Amazon	B-Application
customers	O
and	O
posted	O
it	O
on	O
their	O
website	O
marking	O
the	O
release	O
date	O
as	O
January	O
5	O
,	O
2011	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
for	O
the	O
past	O
two	O
expansions	O
overestimated	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
date	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
give	O
their	O
sales	O
a	O
safety	O
buffer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
digital	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
pre-purchase	O
through	O
Battle.net,	O
and	O
gives	O
gamers	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
new	O
expansion	O
pack	O
the	O
moment	O
the	O
servers	O
go	O
live	O
(	O
at	O
12:01am	O
PST	O
,	O
December	O
7	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	O
Cataclysm	O
cinematic	O
trailer	O
and	O
login	O
screen	O
were	O
also	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
changes	O
include	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
two	O
new	O
heroic	O
5-man	O
dungeons	O
(	O
revamped	O
from	O
earlier	O
raids	B-Protocol
)	O
:	O
Zul'Aman	O
and	O
Zul'Gurub	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
a	O
new	O
10-man	O
and	O
25-man	O
Firelands	O
raid	B-Protocol
taking	O
the	O
fight	O
to	O
Ragnaros	O
,	O
who	O
rose	O
again	O
from	O
his	O
demise	O
in	O
the	O
previous	O
Molten	O
Core	O
raid	B-Protocol
from	O
a	O
previous	O
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
raid	B-Protocol
was	O
added	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
Dragon	O
Soul	O
,	O
which	O
Blizzard	O
stated	O
will	O
be	O
the	O
final	O
raid	B-Protocol
of	O
the	O
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
raid	B-Protocol
has	O
7	O
unique	O
bosses	O
and	O
8	O
boss	O
fights	O
;	O
the	O
final	O
two	O
both	O
being	O
against	O
Deathwing	O
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
raid	B-Protocol
came	O
with	O
a	O
third	O
,	O
easier	O
difficulty	O
option	O
for	O
groups	O
formed	O
through	O
the	O
new	O
Raid	B-Protocol
Finder	O
tool	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Dungeon	O
Finder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
are	O
accessible	O
through	O
the	O
Caverns	O
of	O
Time	O
and	O
introduce	O
the	O
story	O
for	O
the	O
new	O
raid	B-Protocol
instance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
new	O
legendary	O
set	O
of	O
daggers	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Fangs	O
of	O
the	O
Father	O
"	O
were	O
added	O
,	O
only	O
acquirable	O
by	O
rogues	B-Protocol
after	O
completion	O
of	O
a	O
quest	O
line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
held	O
the	O
distinction	O
as	O
the	O
fastest	O
selling	O
PC	O
game	O
,	O
overtaking	O
the	O
former	O
holder	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Wrath	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
which	O
sold	O
2.8	O
million	O
copies	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
24	O
hours	O
,	O
until	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
also	O
a	O
game	O
released	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
took	O
its	O
place	O
by	O
selling	O
3.5	O
million	O
copies	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
24	O
hours	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
remains	O
the	O
fastest	O
selling	O
PC	O
game	O
to	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
used	O
to	O
hold	O
the	O
record	O
for	O
the	O
most	O
number	O
of	O
copies	O
sold	O
for	O
a	O
PC	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
month	O
,	O
selling	O
4.7	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
until	O
Diablo	B-Application
III	I-Application
took	O
over	O
its	O
place	O
with	O
6.3	O
million	O
copies	O
sold	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
placed	O
3rd	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
Top	O
10	O
Entertainment	O
Software	O
(	O
All	O
Prices	O
)	O
;	O
Week	O
Ending	O
December	O
11	O
,	O
2010	O
"	O
behind	O
Call	B-Application
of	I-Application
Duty	I-Application
:	I-Application
Black	I-Application
Ops	I-Application
(	O
Activision	O
)	O
and	O
FIFA	B-Application
11	I-Application
(	O
EA	O
Games	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
later	O
became	O
a	O
UK	O
bestseller	O
,	O
replacing	O
Gran	B-Application
Turismo	I-Application
5	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Cataclysm	I-Protocol
has	O
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
8.5/10	O
and	O
with	O
a	O
critic	O
score	O
of	O
9.1/10	O
declaring	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
"	O
in	O
the	O
best	O
shape	O
of	O
its	O
life	O
"	O
though	O
stating	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
content	O
is	O
"	O
mind-numbing	O
and	O
that	O
there	O
are	O
n't	O
enough	O
new	O
zones	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
with	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Cataclysm	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
saw	O
a	O
gradual	O
decline	O
in	O
subscribers	O
through	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Cataclysm	O
,	O
subscription	O
levels	O
reached	O
a	O
peak	O
of	O
12	O
million	O
subscribers	O
but	O
soon	O
dropped	O
to	O
pre-Cataclysm	B-Protocol
levels	O
of	O
11.4	O
million	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
March	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
