Patch 1.1.0 marked the legendary 2004 launch of World of Warcraft, establishing the foundational "Vanilla" experience with a level 60 cap across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. It introduced the original eight races and nine classes—with Paladins and Shamans famously locked to their respective factions—and featured the classic three-tree talent system. In this era, gameplay was defined by a challenging leveling journey, the absence of Battlegrounds (relying solely on Open World PvP), and the first 40-man raids like Molten Core and Onyxia’s Lair. It was a time when traveling to dungeons was mandatory, and earning a mount at level 40 was considered a major achievement.

See more on TIMELINE.