Zone scaling

Hogger, as viewed by two characters of different levels.

Zone scaling, also known as level scaling, causes mobs, quests, and loot to scale with the player character's level over a range. This allows the player more freedom to choose where they level. It was first introduced in Legion for zones in the Broken Isles, but was later expanded to include the entire game. However, scaling usually excludes content that was meant to be part of its expansion's end game: raids, heroic mode dungeons, and end-game zones such as Suramar or Mechagon.

As of patch 9.0.1, all starting zones scale from levels 1 - 10, including those for hero classes; zones from Battle for Azeroth scale to level 50; and all previous expansions scale to anywhere from level 30 to level 45. New characters can also enable Timewalking Campaigns, which causes all content to scale up to level 50. This means that players can spend almost the entirety of a character's leveling journey in the same expansion, allowing them to experience stories more fully than with the previous system.

The below list shows zones' default level ranges. Timewalking Campaigns increase these ranges' upper limits to 60.

Expansion summary

Generally speaking, zones have a maximum level they scale to based on which expansion they are set in, and a minimum level they scale to based on how far into the expansion characters are expected to reach that zone. Dungeons follow this trend as well. All of the maximums instead go to 50 when in a Timewalking Campaigns. Some starting zones are exceptions to this rule.

Expansion	Maximum level	Note
World of Warcraft	30	Zones were updated in Cataclysm but have the lower max level matching other earliest expansions
The Burning Crusade	30
Wrath of the Lich King	30	Death Knight starting area scales to 10
Cataclysm	35	Worgen and Goblin starting areas scale to 20
Mists of Pandaria	35	Pandaren starting zone The Wandering Isle scales to 10
Warlords of Draenor	40
Legion	45
Battle for Azeroth	50
Shadowlands	60	New player starting experience in Exile's Reach scales to 10
Dragonflight	70

The minimum scaling level, or "level requirement", varies within each expansion. For most expansions, the zone encountered first has a minimum level of 10, while the final leveling zone typically has a minimum 5 levels below the maximum for the expansion, with intermediate zones' minimums distributed in between, often in increments of 5. Dungeons follow a similar pattern, while some end-of-expansion content has a level equal to the maximum for the expansion and does not scale. Exceptions include:

• The primary five new Cataclysm zones and their associated dungeons - those introduced as completely new content rather than revised versions of the original zones - all have minimums of 30 rather than a distribution starting at 10.
• Non-endgame Legion content all scales starting with level 10.
• The "starting zones" for each race, composed of the first two to three zones they would encounter, usually have 1, 5, and possibly 7 as minimums.
• Death Knight and Demon Hunter starting areas both scale starting at 8, the starting level for those classes.
• The Exile's Reach starting zone for new players in Shadowlands naturally starts at 1.

World of Warcraft

Eastern Kingdoms

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	8.2.5	9.0.1
Dun Morogh	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Gnomeregan	26 - 29	24 - 60		10 - 30
Elwynn Forest	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Stormwind Stockade	22 - 30	20 - 60		10 - 30
Tirisfal Glades	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Scarlet Halls	Min. 21	26 - 60		10 - 30
Scarlet Monastery	28 - 33	28 - 60		10 - 30
Loch Modan	10 - 20	10 - 60		5 - 30
Silverpine Forest	10 - 20	10 - 60		5 - 30
Shadowfang Keep	16 - 26	17 - 60		8 - 30
Westfall	10 - 15	10 - 60		5 - 30
Deadmines	15 - 21	15 - 60		7 - 30
Redridge Mountains	15 - 20	15 - 60		7 - 30
Hillsbrad Foothills	20 - 25	15 - 60		7 - 30
Duskwood	20 - 25	20 - 60		10 - 30
Wetlands	20 - 25	15 - 60		10 - 30
Arathi Highlands	25 - 30	25 - 60		10 - 30
Northern Stranglethorn	25 - 30	25 - 60		10 - 30
Cape of Stranglethorn	30 - 35	30 - 60		10 - 30
Hinterlands	30 - 35	30 - 60		10 - 30
Western Plaguelands	35 - 40	35 - 60		15 - 30
Scholomance	Min. 33	38 - 60		15 - 30
Eastern Plaguelands	40 - 45	40 - 60		15 - 30
Stratholme - Main Gate	42 - 52	42 - 60		15 - 30
Stratholme - Service Entrance	46 - 56	46 - 60		20 - 30
Badlands	44 - 48	40 - 60		15 - 30
Uldaman	37 - 40	40 - 60		15 - 30
Burning Steppes	49 - 52	40 - 60		15 - 30
Blackrock Depths - Detention Block	47 - 57	47 - 60		20 - 30
Blackrock Depths - Upper City	51 - 60	51 - 60		20 - 30
Lower Blackrock Spire	52 - 60	55 - 60		20 - 30
Searing Gorge	47 - 51	40 - 60		15 - 30
Swamp of Sorrows	52 - 64	40 - 60		15 - 30
Sunken Temple	50 - 60	50 - 60		20 - 30
Blasted Lands	54 - 60	40 - 60		15 - 30
Deadwind Pass	55 - 56			10 - 30

Kalimdor

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	8.2.5	9.0.1
Durotar	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Ragefire Chasm	15 - 21	15 - 60		7 - 30
Mulgore	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Teldrassil	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Azshara	10 - 20	10 - 60		5 - 30
Darkshore	10 - 20	10 - 60		5 - 30
Northern Barrens	10 - 20	10 - 60		5 - 30
Wailing Caverns	15 - 25	17 - 60		8 - 30
Ashenvale	20 - 25	15 - 60		7 - 30
Blackfathom Deeps	20 - 27	20 - 60		10 - 30
Stonetalon Mountains	25 - 30	20 - 60		10 - 30
Southern Barrens	30 - 35	25 - 60		10 - 30
Razorfen Kraul	32 - 35	30 - 60		10 - 30
Razorfen Downs	42 - 45	35 - 60		15 - 30
Desolace	30 - 35	30 - 60		10 - 30
Maraudon - The Wicked Grotto	Min. 25	30 - 60		10 - 30
Maraudon - Foulspore Cavern	Min. 25	32 - 60		10 - 30
Maraudon - Earth Song Falls	Min. 25	34 - 60		10 - 30
Feralas	35 - 40	35 - 60		15 - 30
Dire Maul - Warpwood Quarter	36 - 46	36 - 60		15 - 30
Dire Maul - Capital Gardens	39 - 49	39 - 60		15 - 30
Dire Maul - Gordok Commons	42 - 52	42 - 60		15 - 30
Dustwallow Marsh	35 - 40	35 - 60		15 - 30
Winterspring	50 - 55	40 - 60		15 - 30
Felwood	45 - 50	40 - 60		15 - 30
Thousand Needles	40 - 45	40 - 60		15 - 30
Tanaris	45 - 50	40 - 60		15 - 30
Zul'Farrak	44 - 54	44 - 60		15 - 30
Un'Goro Crater	50 - 55	40 - 60		15 - 30
Silithus	55 - 60	40 - 60		15 - 30

The Burning Crusade

Eastern Kingdoms

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	8.2.5	9.0.1
Eversong Woods	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Ghostlands	10 - 20	10 - 60		1 - 30
Isle of Quel'Danas	70	67 - 80		25 - 30
Magisters' Terrace	68 - 70	68 - 80		25 - 30

Kalimdor

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	8.2.5	9.0.1
Azuremyst Isle	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 60	1 - 30
Bloodmyst Isle	10 - 20	10 - 60		1 - 30
Caverns of Time - Escape from Durnholde	66 - 68	64 - 80		15 - 30
Caverns of Time - Opening of the Dark Portal	68 - 70	68 - 80		15 - 30

Outland

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Hellfire Peninsula	58 - 63	58 - 80	10 - 30
Hellfire Citadel - Hellfire Ramparts	57 - 67	58 - 80	10 - 30
Hellfire Citadel - Blood Furnace	59 - 68	59 - 80	10 - 30
Hellfire Citadel - Shattered Halls	59 - 68	67 - 80	20 - 30
Zangarmarsh	60 - 64	60 - 80	10 - 30
Coilfang Reservoir - Slave Pens	62 - 64	60 - 80	10 - 30
Coilfang Reservoir - Underbog	63 - 65	61 - 80	10 - 30
Coilfang Reservoir - The Steamvault	70	67 - 80	20 - 30
Terokkar Forest	62 - 65	62 - 80	15 - 30
Auchindoun - Mana-Tombs	64 - 66	62 - 80	15 - 30
Auchindoun - Auchenai Crypts	65 - 67	63 - 80	15 - 30
Auchindoun - Sethekk Halls	67 - 69	65 - 80	15 - 30
Auchindoun - Shadow Labyrinth	69 - 70	67 - 80	20 - 30
Nagrand	64 - 67	64 - 80	15 - 30
Blade's Edge Mountains	65 - 68	65 - 80	20 - 30
Netherstorm	67 - 70	67 - 80	25 - 30
Tempest Keep - The Mechanar	67 - 69	65 - 80	20 - 30
Tempest Keep - The Botanica	70	67 - 80	20 - 30
Tempest Keep - The Arcatraz	70	68 - 80	25 - 30
Shadowmoon Valley	67 - 70	67 - 80	25 - 30

Wrath of the Lich King

Eastern Kingdoms

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Plaguelands: The Scarlet Enclave	55 - 58		8 - 30

Kalimdor

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Caverns of Time - The Culling of Stratholme	80	68 - 80	25 - 30

Northrend

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Borean Tundra	68 - 72	58 - 80	10 - 30
The Nexus	71 - 73	59 - 80	10 - 30
The Oculus	80	67 - 80	20 - 30
Howling Fjord	68 - 72	58 - 80	10 - 30
Utgarde Keep	70 - 72	58 - 80	10 - 30
Utgarde Pinnacle	80	67 - 80	20 - 30
Dragonblight	71 - 75	61 - 80	15 - 30
Azjol-Nerub	72 - 74	60 - 80	15 - 30
Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom	73 - 75	61 - 80	15 - 30
Grizzly Hills	73 - 75	63 - 80	15 - 30
Zul'Drak	74 - 76	64 - 80	25 - 30
Drak'Tharon Keep	74 - 76	62 - 80	15 - 30
Gundrak	76 - 78	64 - 80	20 - 30
Sholazar Basin	76 - 78	66 - 80	25 - 30
Crystalsong Forest	77 - 80	67 - 80	25 - 30
The Violet Hold	75 - 77	63 - 80	15 - 30
Storm Peaks	77 - 80	67 - 80	25 - 30
Ulduar - Halls of Stone	77 - 79	65 - 80	20 - 30
Ulduar - Halls of Lightning	79 - 80	67 - 80	20 - 30
Icecrown	77 - 80	67 - 80	25 - 30
Crusaders' Coliseum - Trial of the Champion	80	68 - 80	25 - 30
Frozen Halls - The Forge of Souls	80	70 - 80	25 - 30
Frozen Halls - Pit of Saron	80	70 - 80	25 - 30
Frozen Halls - Halls of Reflection	80	70 - 80	25 - 30
Hrothgar's Landing	77 - 80	67 - 80	25 - 30
Wintergrasp	77 - 80	67 - 80	25 - 30

Cataclysm

Eastern Kingdoms

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Blackrock Caverns	81 - 83	80 - 90	30 - 35
Gilneas	1 - 12	1 - 20
Ruins of Gilneas	14 - 20	10 - 60	5 - 30
Tol Barad	84 - 85		30 - 35
Tol Barad Peninsula	85		30 - 35
Vashj'ir	80 - 82	80 - 90	30 - 35
Throne of the Tides	80 - 81	80 - 90	30 - 35
Twilight Highlands	84 - 85	84 - 90	30 - 35
Grim Batol	85	85 - 90	30 - 35

Kalimdor

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Caverns of Time - End Time	85		35
Mount Hyjal	80 - 82	80 - 90	30 - 35
Uldum	83 - 84	83 - 90	30 - 35
The Vortex Pinnacle	82 - 84	81 - 90	30 - 35
Lost City of the Tol'vir	84 - 85	84 - 90	30 - 35
Halls of Origination	84 - 85	84 - 90	30 - 35
Molten Front	85		32 - 35

The Maelstrom

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	8.2.5	9.0.1
Kezan	1 - 5		1 - 20
Lost Isles	5 - 12	1 - 20
Deepholm	82 - 83	82 - 90		30 - 35
The Stonecore	82 - 84	81 - 90		30 - 35

Mists of Pandaria

Pandaria

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Jade Forest	85 - 86	80 - 90	10 - 35
Temple of the Jade Serpent	85 - 85	80 - 90	10 - 35
Valley of the Four Winds	86 - 87	81 - 90	15 - 35
Stormstout Brewery	86 - 87	80 - 90	15 - 35
Krasarang Wilds	86 - 87	81 - 90	15 - 35
Kun-Lai Summit	87 - 88	82 - 90	20 - 35
Shado-Pan Monastery	87 - 90	82 - 90	20 - 35
Townlong Steppes	88 - 89	83 - 90	25 - 35
Siege of Niuzao Temple	88 - 90	83 - 90	25 - 35
Dread Wastes	89 - 90	84 - 90	30 - 35
Gate of the Setting Sun	88 - 90	83 - 90	25 - 35
Veiled Stair	87		30 - 35
Vale of Eternal Blossoms	90	85 - 90	35
Mogu'shan Palace	87 - 90	82 - 90	20 - 35
Isle of Thunder	90	85 - 90	35
Isle of Giants	90	85 - 90	35
Timeless Isle	90	85 - 90	35

Unknown sea

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Wandering Isle	1 - 10	1 - 20	1 - 10

Warlords of Draenor

Alternate Draenor

Zone	Pre-7.3.5	7.3.5	9.0.1
Assault on the Dark Portal	90		10 - 40
Frostfire Ridge	90 - 93	90 - 100	10 - 40
Bloodmaul Slag Mines	90 - 93	90 - 100	10 - 40
Shadowmoon Valley	90 - 93	90 - 100	10 - 40
Shadowmoon Burial Grounds	100		10 - 40
Gorgrond	92 - 94	92 - 100	15 - 40
Iron Docks	93 - 95	92 - 100	15 - 40
Grimrail Depot	100		35 - 40
The Everbloom	100		35 - 40
Talador	94 - 96	94 - 100	20 - 40
Auchindoun	95 - 98	94 - 100	20 - 40
Spires of Arak	96 - 98	96 - 100	30 - 40
Skyreach	97 - 100		30 - 40
Nagrand	98 - 100		35 - 40
Tanaan Jungle	100		40
Ashran	100		40

Eastern Kingdoms

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Upper Blackrock Spire	100	35 - 40

Legion

Twisting Nether

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Mardum, the Shattered Abyss	98 - 99	8 - 45

Broken Isles

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Assault on Violet Hold	105 - 110	10 - 45
The Battle for Broken Shore	98 - 100	10 - 45
Val'sharah	98 - 110	10 - 45
Darkheart Thicket	98 - 110	10 - 45
Black Rook Hold	110	10 - 45
Stormheim	98 - 110	10 - 45
Halls of Valor	98 - 110	10 - 45
Maw of Souls	110	10 - 45
Azsuna	98 - 110	10 - 45
Vault of the Wardens	110	10 - 45
Highmountain	98 - 110	10 - 45
Neltharion's Lair	98 - 110	10 - 45
Suramar	110	45
The Arcway	110	45
Court of Stars	110	45
Broken Shore	110	45
Eye of Azshara	110	10 - 45
Eye of Azshara	98 - 110	10 - 45

Argus

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Krokuun	110	45
Eredath	110	45
Antoran Wastes	110	45

Battle for Azeroth

Kul Tiras

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Tiragarde Sound	110 - 120 / 120	10 - 50
Freehold	110 - 120 / 120	16 - 50
Tol Dagor	115 - 120 / 120	30 - 50
Siege of Boralus	120	50
Stormsong Valley	110 - 120 / 120	25 - 50
Shrine of the Storm	110 - 120 / 120	35 - 50
Drustvar	110 - 120 / 120	35 - 50
Waycrest Manor	110 - 120 / 120	25 - 50

Zandalar

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Zuldazar	110 - 120 / 120	10 - 50
Atal'Dazar	110 - 120 / 120	10 - 50
The MOTHERLODE!!	115 - 120 / 120	30 - 50
Kings' Rest	120	50
Nazmir	110 - 120 / 120	25 - 50
The Underrot	110 - 120 / 120	25 - 50
Vol'dun	110 - 120 / 120	35 - 50
Temple of Sethraliss	110 - 120 / 120	35 - 50

Zone level not changing

Zone	Pre-9.0.1	9.0.1
Mechagon Island	120	50
Operation: Mechagon	120	50
Nazjatar	120	50

Shadowlands

North Sea

Zone	9.0.1
Exile's Reach	1 - 10

Shadowlands

	9.0.2
Zone	Storyline	Threads of Fate
Bastion	51 - 53	50 - 60
The Necrotic Wake	51	50 - 60
Spires of Ascension	60	60
Maldraxxus	53 - 55	50 - 60
Plaguefall	53	50 - 60
Theater of Pain	60	60
Ardenweald	55 - 58	50 - 60
Mists of Tirna Scithe	55	50 - 60
The Other Side	60	60
Revendreth	58 - 60	50 - 60
Halls of Atonement	57	50 - 60
Sanguine Depths	60	60
The Maw	60	60

Notes and trivia

• Scaling only applies to equipment at the moment it is obtained. Completing a quest at level 40 will reward level 40-appropriate equipment, but leveling up after completing the quest will not cause that equipment to scale to 41 or beyond.
• When scaling was added to old world zones, a number of items that had been made unobtainable by level changes in Cataclysm became obtainable again.

Previous versions

As of patch 8.2.5, most content was scaled based on the following level bands:

• 1 - 60: Old world and starting zones
• 60 - 80: The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King zones
• 80 - 90: Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria zones
• 90 - 100: Warlords of Draenor zones
• 100 - 110: Legion zones
• 110 - 120: Battle for Azeroth zones

Between patch 7.3.5 and patch 8.2.5, starting zones had their own band, which spanned levels 1 - 20. Only a few instanced starting zones (such as Gilneas) retained this level band after 8.2.5.

Patch changes

• Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): Levels squished; max level is now 60. Zone scaling has been changed across the board to match.
  
• Patch 8.2.5 (2019-09-24):
  • Most starting zones that scaled from 1 - 20 have had their scaling increased to 1 - 60.
  • Initial starting areas (e.g. Northshire Valley, Valley of Trials) in the affected zones now scale.
    
• Patch 7.3.5 (2018-01-16): Applied to the rest of the world.
  
• Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Added with the Broken Isles.
  

See also

• Timewalking - scales the player down to the content's level.
• Party Sync - scales the player down to another player's level.

References

es:Escalado de zonas