World of Warcraft's The Shattering of Azeroth is now live. The servers are up for one of the patches for the third expansion set of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. The Patch 4.03.a is also set to introduce changes in the old zones.

The Cataclysm marks the return of the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing the Destroyer, originally called Neltharion, the Earth-Warder. His sudden return from the heart of Deepholm tears through the dimensional barrier within Azeroth. This causes a sweeping cataclysm that reshapes much of surface of Azeroth.

"Jagged fissures were torn across the earth, and monstrous waves pummeled coastal regions. From Thousand Needles to the Blasted Lands, the surface of Azeroth was reforged through violent upheavals," says Blizzard Entertainment.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is the third expansion set for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft. It follows the expansion Wrath of the Lich King. Blizzard Entertainment had previously announced the release date of December 7, 2010, with pre-purchasing options made available late last October.