Lost Areas of World of Warcraft

Zones that exist in the game files but were never opened to players, or were changed beyond recognition before anyone could visit them. Some were test maps for developers, some were planned content that Blizzard dropped, and a few later returned in a very different form.

Lost AreasOld IronforgeThe sealed cavern under Magni's throne room, finally returning as the Hall of Thanes dungeon in WoW Forever.Lost AreasAzshara CraterA full battleground in southern Azshara that sat in the game files for years and never opened.Lost AreasIronforge AirportRunways, planes and blocked tunnels on the slopes of Mount Ironforge, sealed a little more each patch.Lost AreasMount IronforgeThe highest peak in Azeroth, with a lone dwarven flag on top and an airstrip on its slopes.Lost AreasWetlands FarmFinished fields, buildings and an empty valley hidden between the Ironforge airport and the Wetlands.Lost AreasShatterspearA troll village between Darkshore and Moonglade where the residents never stop dancing.Lost AreasCaverns of TimeThe sealed gateway in Tanaris that hid three instances until The Burning Crusade.Lost AreasThe VaultStormwind's second prison instance, built for its most dangerous criminals and never opened.Lost AreasDesigner's IslandA sealed test island where designers tried out new content away from players.Lost AreasEmerald DreamAn unfinished, dreamlike test zone in the game files that hinted at the Emerald Dream years early.Lost AreasGM IslandThe Game Masters' hidden island beyond Teldrassil, with a guild house and an interrogation room, removed in 2019.Lost AreasHyjalA finished-looking zone on the world map that stayed closed until Cataclysm.Lost AreasDeveloper's IslandA developer's sandbox full of naga and odd experiments, far from any server players can reach.Lost AreasBlack MorassThe swamp of the Caverns of Time, built long before players could step through the portal.Lost AreasElwynn FallsA detailed waterfall and cabin you can only see from the gryphon, tied to rumors about Nat Pagle.Lost AreasKarazhan CryptA huge crypt behind a locked gate next to Karazhan, opened at last as a dungeon in Season of Discovery.