The Riverglades
A new contested zone for the middle of the climb, wedged between Redridge, the Swamp of Sorrows and the Badlands, with more than 150 quests and the ogre dungeon Krol'dok Stronghold inside it.
Fact-checked against Blizzard's published details. .
Where it is, and what is in it
The Riverglades is a new zone on the east coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, bordered by the Redridge Mountains, the Swamp of Sorrows and the Badlands. Blizzard describes it as a large levelling zone for both factions with more than 150 quests. The people living there are the descendants of humans who once chased the orcs this far east and stayed, and they share the zone with ogres, gnolls and murlocs. There is a neutral goblin port on the coast.
It is also where Krol'dok Stronghold is: the new 40–45 dungeon is an ogre fortress in this zone. The Drowned City, the other new dungeon in the same level band, is not here — it is off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale.
The level range is still reported two ways
Some sources give the zone as 30–45, others as 35–45. That five-level difference is not trivial: it decides whether the zone carries the whole middle of the climb or a narrower band above the thirties. We flag it rather than picking whichever is more convenient, and this page will be corrected the day the answer is visible in game.
The other number that used to be disputed in this band is settled. Early coverage listed Krol'dok Stronghold at 40–55; Blizzard corrected it to 40–45 on 15 September 2026.
Where it fits in the climb
Either range puts The Riverglades in the stretch of WoW Forever where Classic's own content was thinnest, and where two of the new dungeons sit: The Drowned City at 35–40 and Krol'dok Stronghold at 40–45. That makes the zone the outdoor half of the same design intervention the new dungeons represent — filling a gap that has existed since 2004.
For anyone planning a route, the practical effect is that the thirties and low forties stop being a stretch you endure and become one with a destination. Nobody has levelled through it yet, though. The beta is capped at level 30, so the zone is unplayed, and every route and delivery estimate for this band before launch is built on the published description rather than on a run.
Contested, which matters on the PvP ruleset
Both factions level here, and Blizzard has talked the zone up as a place for world PvP, with a contested dungeon in the middle of it. With no level scaling in WoW Forever, a contested mid-level zone is a materially slower place to work on the PvP ruleset, and a quote given for the Normal ruleset does not transfer. Ask which ruleset a delivery estimate was written for.
Frequently asked questions
What level is The Riverglades?
Sources disagree — some give 30–45, others 35–45. The zone is above the beta's level 30 cap, so it will be settled at launch.
Where is The Riverglades?
On the east coast of the Eastern Kingdoms, between the Redridge Mountains, the Swamp of Sorrows and the Badlands. Both factions level there.
Is The Drowned City in The Riverglades?
No. The Drowned City is off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale. The new dungeon in The Riverglades is Krol'dok Stronghold, at 40–45.
Why does the level range matter?
A fifteen-level zone is a destination for the whole middle of the climb; a ten-level one is a narrower stop. It changes how a levelling route through the thirties is planned.
Is it contested on the PvP ruleset?
Yes. Both factions level in the zone and Blizzard has described it as a place for world PvP. With no level scaling, that makes it genuinely slower to work in on the PvP ruleset.