World of Warcraft's next Shadowlands expansion is still over a month away, but Blizzard wants to make sure it is properly prepared. Pre-expansion patch notes released last night explain the steps being taken to make it easier for new players to join, as well as changes regarding leveling and PvP.

Shadowlands is part of an attempt to make the new player experience a bit more manageable. The new starting area Exile's Reach is a big part of that process, as is the new player chat channel where "you can talk to other new players and seek advice from experienced players of the same faction." Upon reaching level 20, new players are banned from the newcomer chat and left to explore WoW on their own, but upon reaching level 50, they can return as guides as long as their accounts are in good standing.

Blizzard also outlined plans for the final season of PvP in Battle of Azeroth. The main season will end as soon as the patch is released, but a pre-season will be held prior to the launch of Shadowlands. Ladder placement will be locked, so the season rewards cannot be changed, but random loot can be collected.

One of the other major changes coming to WoW in conjunction with Shadowlands is the level squish, which will drop the game's level cap from 120 to 60, and all current max-level players will drop to level 50 when the expansion begins. Levels and items were adjusted in the pre-expansion patch, and a conversion chart is included in the patch notes to help you determine your level after the patch is applied. For example, if your character's current level is 108, it will be pushed down to level 44, but if your current level is between 60 and 63, it will be level 25.

The patch also changes character boosts, with level 120 boosts accelerating to level 50 after the update and level 110 boosts accelerating to level 48. Blizzard recommends planning ahead to take full advantage of boosts. Also, as long as you have at least one level 50 character, you will be able to take advantage of the Time Walking Campaign, which changes certain chunks of content based on level.

An official release date for the pre-expansion patch has not yet been set, but Shadowlands is scheduled to be released on October 27, so the final Battle for Zeroth update should appear fairly soon.