Level cap

A level cap is the maximum level a player character can reach in a game. As of early 2014, this is 85 with the standard game, and 90 with the latest expansion.

At release, World of Warcraft had a hard cap of level 60; no characters could go above this level.

Those playing with The Burning Crusade (now included with the standard game) had their level cap increased to 70.

Those playing with Wrath of the Lich King (now included with the standard game) had their level cap increased to 80.

Those playing with Cataclysm (now included with the standard game) have their level cap increased to 85.

Those playing with Mists of Pandaria have their level cap increased to 90.

In the upcoming Warlords of Draenor expansion players will have their level cap raised to 100.

Additional notes

• The free Starter Edition of the game has a level cap of 20.
• An elite NPC or mob should be much tougher than a character of that level.
• A hostile creature more than ten levels about your own will display its level as either ?? or a skull. Bosses will always appear as level ??, regardless of your level, and are treated as being three levels higher than you for the purposes of level-based combat calculations.

The game is not over at the cap

When the level cap is reached, players who are used to the leveling game sometimes have difficulty working out how to continue their adventures. After reaching the cap, however, is where the game developers are hardest at work for the players.

Some things players can do:

• Build your Reputation with different factions, granting you gear or mounts
• Run instances or raids
• Run Battlegrounds
• Farm or manufacture items to sell at the auction house for gold
• Attempt to gain Achievements
• Do Daily quests
• Build up your professions