Blizzard Entertainment has finally announced a solid release date for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the developer’s hugely anticipated expansion/world destroyer for the genre-dominating massively multiplayer online RPG.

Cataclysm will hit store shelves on December 7th this year, and will be available for PC and Mac in addition to a digital download option via the Blizzard Store. Naturally, a special collector’s edition (with bonus items) will be available at retail outlets.

CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime, said of the expansion:

“Cataclysm includes the best content we’ve ever created for World of Warcraft. It’s not just an expansion but a re-creation of much of the original Azeroth, complete with epic new high-level adventures for current players and a redesigned leveling experience for those just starting out.”

“With the help of our beta testers we’re putting on the final polish, and we look forward to welcoming gamers around the world to enjoy it in just a couple of months.”

Cataclysm will see the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing return to the land of Azeroth, changing the world forever as it wreaks devastation and chaos throughout the world.

Players will be able to explore this new face of Azeroth and go on new adventures, while the addition of two new races, the worgen and the goblins, will definitely go a long way to further freshening up the World of Warcraft experience. A new level cap of 85 has also been set, which will come in handy as you’ll be tasked with discovering newly revealed locations and eventually facing off against Deathwing “in a battle to determine the fate of the world.”

Epic indeed!

WoW players are in for a treat with Cataclysm, and if you simply can’t wait until December 7th, you can try and sign up for the currently on-the-go beta test for the game.