DesMephisto, World of Warcraft's top speedrunner, has released a new guide detailing exactly how he's managed to hit max level in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands in just five hours and 37 minutes—and it doesn't involve any sneaky tricks or exploits to do it, either. Just a little planning and some shopping.
The guide, which you can find here, is a comprehensive Google spreadsheet that includes everything you might need to maximize how quickly you blast through Shadowlands' story campaign. There's step-by-step instructions for each of the four new zones, links to specific addons that DesMephisto uses, an overview of which items and potions will speed up your journey, and even a breakdown of the best armor for each class to wear as they level.
It's a lot to take in, but casual players don't need to feel pressured into following every single step. DesMephisto is a speedrunner competing to set the world record for leveling from 50 to 60 in Shadowlands, but even following some of his advice will shave precious minutes off of your total time. Of course, you can just go at your own pace and enjoy the journey too.
What's fascinating is that DesMephisto isn't relying on any unconventional tricks, either. He doesn't grind monsters in secret areas or exploit game systems. Most of his strategy is just completing the story quests while using potions and items to increase his movement speed and help him get from point A to point B that much faster, along with some clever use of his Hearthstone to teleport around the map.
Aside from being WoW's most notable speedrunner, DesMephisto is also notable for having 49 different max-level warriors (he loves them very much), and his marathon livestreams to raise awareness and money for different mental health organizations. He's a wonderful person, and you can read more about him and how World of Warcraft helped him cope with his autism diagnosis at the age of 29.
- WoW leveling guide: How to get from 1-50
