Blizzard Entertainment is planning to release the newest expansion pack to its World of Warcraft game in December. The new Cataclysm expansion pack will further enhance the game with new character capabilities, places to explore and more. And unlike previous expansion packs, you won’t have to get a disc to install the expansion pack – instead, the kit will be available for online download.

[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]At Blizzard’s annual BlizzCon event in California this past weekend, the company announced that players interested in playing Cataclysm will be able to purchase the game from Blizzard’s online store and preload the expansion pack by downloading and installing it prior to the December 7th launch date; when Blizzard “flips the switch” on Cataclysm’s release, those customers who pre-ordered the game will be able to begin playing right away.

Of course, Blizzard will continue to sell the expansion pack at retailers; Blizzard’s past WoW expansion releases have set sales records and have also spawned midnight sales for gamers anxious to be the first with the new software.