This Week in WoW: Icecrown Citadel in WotLK Classic

Key Takeaways

Patch 3.4.3 went live in Wrath of the Lich King Classic on October 10, 2023, headlined by the opening of Icecrown Citadel.
Icecrown Citadel opened on October 12, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 GMT), with all 12 bosses across 5 wings available in both Normal and Heroic, 10- and 25-player, from day one.
The patch added the Frozen Halls 5-player dungeons (the Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and Halls of Reflection), the Random Dungeon Finder, Titan Rune Defense Protocol Gamma, and a new Collections interface.
Shadowmourne, the legendary two-handed axe for Death Knights, Paladins, and Warriors, became obtainable through a long quest chain inside the raid.
On retail Dragonflight that week: Pirate's Day (September 19), the PvP Brawl Shado-Pan Showdown, the World Quest Bonus Event, and Brewfest starting September 20.
This roundup is from September 2023. Icecrown Citadel and Shadowmourne are long-settled WotLK Classic content now, so this is a historical recap.

The week of September 18, 2023 was mostly a countdown. Wrath of the Lich King Classic's final raid was about to open, and the weekly news was built around the run-up. Here is what that preview week covered and how the patch landed.

Patch 3.4.3 Brought Icecrown Citadel to WotLK Classic

Patch 3.4.3 went live on October 10, 2023, the content update that capped off Wrath of the Lich King Classic. Its centerpiece was the long-awaited Icecrown Citadel, the climactic raid where players finally confronted the Lich King at the top of his frozen fortress in Northrend. Alongside the raid, the patch carried a stack of system updates that modernized the Classic experience.

Players who wanted to gear up for the climb had a clear runway: the new 5-player dungeons and the Random Dungeon Finder made it far easier to round out pre-raid gear before the doors opened.

Inside Icecrown Citadel

Icecrown Citadel opened on October 12, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 GMT) worldwide. Inside, players worked through 12 encounters spread across five wings: the Lower Spire, the Plagueworks, the Crimson Halls, the Frostwing Halls, and finally the Frozen Throne. The raid was available in both Normal and Heroic difficulty at 10- and 25-player sizes. Unlike the original 2010 release, the Classic version did not gate the wings week by week, so all of the content was reachable from the start for guilds that could push it.

The most coveted reward was Shadowmourne, a legendary two-handed axe for Death Knights, Paladins, and Warriors. Earning it meant completing the long "The Sacred and the Corrupt" quest chain, which started by reaching Friendly with The Ashen Verdict and speaking to Highlord Darion Mograine inside the raid. Only a handful of players per guild ever finished it. Players who would rather have a team handle the climb can browse our Classic raid carries.

📌 Worth remembering: Because WotLK Classic skipped the original ICC weekly wing-gating, well-organized guilds could pull deep into the Frostwing Halls on opening week. The Lich King himself was reachable far faster in Classic than he was back in 2010.

New Dungeons and System Updates

Patch 3.4.3 was more than a single raid. It bundled several quality-of-life additions that reshaped how players approached endgame:

The Frozen Halls: three linked 5-player dungeons, the Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and Halls of Reflection, telling the story that led directly into Icecrown Citadel.
Random Dungeon Finder: the cross-realm queue tool that made grouping for Normal and Heroic dungeons far quicker.
Titan Rune Dungeons, Defense Protocol Gamma: a new difficulty tier that boosted creature health and damage in five-player content for better gear rewards.
New Collections interface: an account-wide hub gathering pets, mounts, toys, and heirlooms in one place.

Together these changes brought several modern conveniences into the Classic client right as the final raid tier arrived.

Retail Events That Same Week

Over on retail Dragonflight, the September calendar kept its usual rhythm. Pirate's Day ran on September 19, the World Quest Bonus Event was active, and the week's PvP Brawl was the Shado-Pan Showdown, a small-scale arena fight set in Tiger's Peak. Brewfest then kicked off on September 20 and ran through October 6 across both retail and WotLK Classic, bringing back Coren Direbrew, ram racing, and the seasonal brew quests.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Icecrown Citadel open in WotLK Classic?

Icecrown Citadel opened on October 12, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. PDT (22:00 GMT). It arrived with Patch 3.4.3, which went live two days earlier on October 10, 2023. The September 18 weekly roundup previewed the release ahead of those dates.

How many bosses are in Icecrown Citadel?

Icecrown Citadel has 12 bosses across five wings: the Lower Spire, the Plagueworks, the Crimson Halls, the Frostwing Halls, and the Frozen Throne. It was available in Normal and Heroic difficulties at both 10- and 25-player sizes, ending with the Lich King encounter.

Which classes can get Shadowmourne?

Shadowmourne is a legendary two-handed axe, so it can only be used by Death Knights, Paladins, and Warriors. The quest chain to build it, "The Sacred and the Corrupt," started with Highlord Darion Mograine inside Icecrown Citadel once a player reached Friendly with The Ashen Verdict.

What were the Frozen Halls dungeons?

The Frozen Halls were three 5-player dungeons added in Patch 3.4.3: the Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and Halls of Reflection. They formed a connected storyline that set up the assault on Icecrown Citadel and were a key pre-raid gearing path.

Did WotLK Classic gate the Icecrown Citadel wings?

No. Unlike the original 2010 version, which unlocked wings on a weekly schedule, the Classic 3.4.3 release made all five wings and 12 bosses available from opening day. That let progression guilds reach the Frostwing Halls and the Lich King much faster than in the original launch.

When did Brewfest start in 2023?

Brewfest started on September 20, 2023 and ran through October 6, 2023, in both retail Dragonflight and WotLK Classic. It is the autumn beer festival featuring Coren Direbrew, ram racing, Brewfest Prize Tokens, and holiday mounts.

Last reviewed 2026-06-22 against Patch 3.4.3 and the Icecrown Citadel release of October 2023 — Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.