TBC Classic Phase 2 launched on September 15, 2021, opening Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep along with Arena Season 2. Phase 3 (Black Temple and Mount Hyjal) followed on January 17, 2022. If you play on a newer fresh or Anniversary TBC realm, the content order repeats, but Blizzard confirms every date in its own announcement first.
Here is the full Burning Crusade Classic phase schedule as it actually ran, so you can see both the dates and the gaps between them:
| Phase | Release | Main content |
| Phase 1 | June 1, 2021 | Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, Magtheridon's Lair, Arena Season 1 |
| Phase 2 | September 15, 2021 | Serpentshrine Cavern, Tempest Keep, Arena Season 2 |
| Phase 3 | January 17, 2022 | Black Temple, Battle for Mount Hyjal, Arena Season 3 |
| Phase 4 | May 2022 | Zul'Aman, Arena Season 4 |
| Phase 5 | Later in 2022 | Sunwell Plateau, Isle of Quel'Danas |
Two patterns are worth reading off that table. First, phases landed roughly every three to four months, not monthly. Second, "phase" is a Classic-era concept only — the original 2007 Burning Crusade shipped its raids in ordinary content patches, so there is no historic "TBC Phase 2" outside the Classic re-releases.
TBC Raid ClearKarazhan to Sunwell clears with loot reserved for you.from 18 EURGet it doneWhen does WoW TBC Phase 3 come out?
On the 2021-2022 TBC Classic timeline, Phase 3 went live on January 17, 2022 and brought the two big Illidan-era raids: Black Temple and the Battle for Mount Hyjal, plus Arena Season 3.
For any newer fresh or Anniversary TBC cycle, the ordering of raids is the same, but the calendar is not. Blizzard posts phase dates on the official WoW news feed usually a few weeks ahead, and in-game the realm's PvP season timer is the earliest reliable hint that a transition is close. Don't trust a date you saw on a fan wiki without checking the announcement it links to.
How long does each TBC phase last?
Around three to four months on the original Classic run. Phase 1 held for about fifteen weeks, Phase 2 for about eighteen, and later phases stretched out as guilds cleared content faster than it released. Plan your goals in that window: a fresh 70 with a serviceable pre-raid set can realistically be raid-ready inside a phase, not scrambling on the day it drops.
What should I do before a new TBC phase goes live?
- Finish attunements early — Blizzard has trimmed older raid attunement chains as later phases landed, but never assume the one you need is gone until patch notes say so.
- Bank consumables and flasks. Prices on the auction house spike in the first week of a phase, every time.
- Push your professions to the tier that matters: crafted gear and gems from the previous phase are usually the cheapest power upgrade available on launch night.
- Farm your gold buffer before the rush, not during it.
- Lock in a raid spot. Guilds reshuffle rosters in the two weeks before a phase more than at any other point.
Is Phase 2 gear still worth chasing after Phase 3 lands?
Yes, for most players. Serpentshrine and Tempest Keep drops stayed relevant as entry gear for the Black Temple tier, and the two raids remained the standard proving ground for guilds recruiting mid-phase. If you skipped them, running them after the fact is usually faster than trying to jump straight into current content undergeared.
If you'd rather spend the phase raiding than grinding up to it, PewPewShop can pair you with a vetted human player for coaching, play-together runs, or straight progression help — no bots, no cheats, and a long clean record. Season of Discovery phase catch-up packs start from EUR 32 if you want a sense of what that kind of help costs.