Azeroth hasn't been destroyed yet, but it's right around the corner.

Patch 4.0.3 is now live in World of Warcaft, and it basically just paves the way for the shattering of Azeroth in patch 4.0.3a. That extra letter makes all the difference. Just to be clear, the world as we know it isn't going to change until shortly before the release of Cataclysm on Dec. 7. When you log in today, things will still be more or less how you left them.

So what exactly does 4.0.3 bring to the table? You can find out in the patch notes after the jump. Also, our friends our at Wowhead have outlined the class changes that are now live, so be sure to head over there for the details.

General

    *     Much of the data being downloaded in patch 4.0.3 will pave the way for the shattering of Azeroth shortly before the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm on December 7.

    *     The leader of Wintergrasp raids can no longer kick players from the raid (this change will also apply to Tol Barad in Cataclysm).

    *     When in a Looking For Dungeon group, using an instance portal to that instance will now take players to the Looking For Dungeon entrance point instead of the normal destination of that portal. This will make it easier to return to the instance after dying in an LFD group.

    *     Honorable Kills are no longer awarded for killing players below level 5.

User Interface

    *     Added pets to the new raid unit frames when displayed in party.

    *     The default UI Scale has been altered so it will be set at a 1:1 pixel/texel ratio. This will result in a smaller UI appearance for higher resolution monitors.

    *     Players may now adjust the local "Lag Tolerance" time for better precision of spell timing. This is an advanced-users-only feature found in the Interface Options (Combat) panel.

Bug Fixes

    *     Macros now handle spell variant transitions better. For example, Trap Launcher causes a different version of Frost Trap to be cast. Previously the macro system was not handling this transition properly.

    *     Queuing in Looking For Dungeon for a different wing of the instance a player is already in now works properly. For example, a party can now queue for Scarlet Monastery - Library after completing Scarlet Monastery - Graveyard.

    *     Killing High Interrogator Gerstahn before killing Emperor Dagran Thaurissan in a Blackrock Depths - Upper City random Looking For Dungeon run will now provide the proper reward. This also applies to Archmage Arugal and the Crown Chemical Company bosses in Shadowfang Keep during the Love is in the Air holiday event.

    *     Repeatedly inspecting other players should now function correctly.

    *     Area heal-over-time effects should no longer cause players to stand up.

    *     Male blood elves have received a crash course in dancing and now know to stop dancing when they run.

    *     Drake mounts have gotten bored with gliding and will flap their wings again when flying forward.

    *     Druid Flight Form now properly appears in the Spellbook before Expert Riding is learned.

    *     Sunfire's damage-over-time effect now deals damage at the same rate as Moonfire's damage- over-time effect.

    *     GM Ticket messages should now displace buff icons instead of obscuring them.