The content of this article is not part of official Warcraft lore, but has nevertheless become part of the World of Warcraft culture or community.
Sometimes elaborated to Old World Content, Oldworld describes the previous content to a game world post-expansion. Implicit in the term is the opinion that some gamers treat oldworld content with derision; previously difficult-to-obtain quest or reputation rewards are often worthless and superseded by easily acquired new gear. If already familiar old world content is not explicitly modified within the game universe, it may only been seen as interesting to new audiences of the game. Thus it will be played with the expectation of leaving as soon as possible. For example, the Lich King release along with the Death Knight quest lines meant many players would functionally bypass oldworld content and only a minimal amount of time in Outland, leaving previous populous cities such as Shattrah City barren.
Game designers usually combat this by tweaking certain oldworld rewards (making them easier to acquire, increasing the relative speed of the gains). The newly-introduced Achievements is seen as a way to avoid the problems of oldworld rot.