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After grinding through three expansions, players of Blizzard's hit MMORPG World of Warcraft are now hitting the latest level cap. Since the latest expansion, Cataclysm, was released in December, the number of players who have made the level cap has gone up daily. For players who are at WoW level 85 and now what happens is the question that they are asking. Fortunately, there are several different paths they can take to elongate their playtime.

After grinding through three expansions, players of Blizzard's hit MMORPG World of Warcraft are now hitting the latest level cap. Since the latest expansion, Cataclysm, was released in December, the number of players who have made the level cap has gone up daily. For players who are at WoW level 85 and now what happens is the question that they are asking. Fortunately, there are several different paths they can take to elongate their playtime.

If you're the type to enjoy raiding and instancing, then by all means focus on gearing yourself up. End game raids, like always, need better gear than can be found while questing. Focusing on heroic instances is the best way to find the gear that can help you with Cataclysm raids.

Once you've gotten your raiding gear, start focusing on upgrading through raiding. If you play a hybrid spec, be certain you're gearing your main spec before your secondary: taking off-spec gear over people who need it for their primary is bad form. Once you acquire gear, make sure it's enchanted and gemmed. This gives you a step up on getting a slot in another raid.

Another fun thing to do once you've hit level cap is attacking the opposition. PvP lovers have two new battlegrounds where you can smash alliance or horde, and, like Wintergrasp in Wrath, there are PvP area dailies. PvP is a great way to take out the aggressions of daily life outside of Azeroth, and get some in-game gold, as well.

If battlegrounds aren't your cup of tea, but you still enjoy PvP, find a group and gear up. Arenas are back and better than ever, with new ratings and titles available with the latest season. Before stepping into a rated match, be sure your team is geared up and ready.

If raiding is uninteresting and PvP bores you, take the time after reaching 85 to work on your achievements! Whether you're making friends across Azeroth to get exalted reputations, grinding out quests for Loremaster, or digging up fossils for Archaeology, the satisfaction of completing an in-game achievement is something you can achieve either in a group or playing solo.

Once a player has hit WoW level 85, and "Now what?" crosses his or her mind, the possibilities truly open up. However, before any major in-game decision is made, the player should look at his or her life outside of Azeroth. While World of Warcraft is a truly immersible world, abandoning real life obligations for in game playtime is irresponsible. If a happy balance between offline and online can be reached, players can enjoy their time at 85 and beyond.