Cataclysm is officially live on European servers! And yes, there are login issues. Those of us on the North American realms have a few hours to go before we can get our hands on the expansion, but you can kill some time by reading the Q&A Blizzard just posted that answers any last-minute launch questions you may have.

Regarding the actual launch of Cataclysm, Blizzard has no maintenance or downtime planned tonight. Once you've installed the expansion from your DVD or completed the background download, you're ready to go. If you're in-game when Cataclysm goes live, you'll receive a message asking you to exit to the login screen and then log back in.

Keep reading after the jump for the full Q&A, which explains how to get to Hyjal and Vashj'ir and covers exactly what you'll gain access to by upgrading to Cataclysm.

Q. When will World of Warcraft: Cataclysm officially launch?

A. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will be released on all North American realms on December 7 at 12:00 a.m. PST (Pacific Standard Time). At that time, those who have installed and upgraded to Cataclysm will be able to access the new expansion content.

Q. Will there be any type of maintenance or downtime tonight?

A. We currently have no maintenance or downtime scheduled for the launch of Cataclysm. This may change depending on how smoothly the launch goes, and we'll be sure to keep you updated should anything change.

Q. So, I won't need to patch or anything?

A. Nope. Once you’ve installed the expansion from the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm DVD or completed the background download (available through the digital pre-purchase: http://us.battle.net/en/info/presale), you're good to go. No additional patching should be necessary.

Q. If I've already installed World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and upgraded my account, will I need to do anything special at midnight in order to access the new expansion content?

A. Once Cataclysm is marked live on all realms, simply exit out to the login screen (the one featuring Deathwing's toothy grin) and log back in. This will provide you full access to the new content -- including the goblin and worgen races and level 80-85 zones.

If you're concerned that you won't know when to re-log, we've got you covered. After Cataclysm is marked live, if you're still logged in and are playing from an upgraded client, you'll be prompted with official in-game messaging that will instruct you to log out and then log back in.

Q. Where do I need to go to access the new level 80-82 zones (Hyjal and Vashj'ir)?

A. Portals to each of these embattled zones have been established in Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Report to your respective faction capitols for transportation assistance.

Q. Will I be able to Race Change or Faction Change one of my characters to a goblin or worgen right away?

A. Yes, you will be able to change your characters' race to goblin or worgen by purchasing a Race Change or Faction Change immediately after Cataclysm is released.

Q. So, what exactly do I receive by upgrading to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm?

A. If you upgrade to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, you will be provided access to the following:

    * Increased level cap (85)
    * Increased profession cap (525)
    * New races: worgen and goblin
    * New secondary profession: Archaeology
    * New level 80-85 content:

          o Five new zones: Hyjal, Vashj'ir, Uldum, Deepholm, and Twilight Highlands
          o Seven new dungeons: Blackrock Caverns, Grim Batol, Halls of Origination, Lost City of the Tol'vir, The Stonecore, Throne of the Tides, The Vortex Pinnacle, as well as Heroic versions of The Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep
          o Four new raids: Baradin Hold, Bastion of Twilight, Blackwing Descent, and the Throne of the Four Winds
          o Three new Battlegrounds: Battle for Gilneas, Twin Peaks, and Tol'Barad (open world PvP similar to Wintergrasp)

    * Rated Battlegrounds
    * Flight Master's License (flying in Azeroth)

Guild leveling and guild reputation will also be available, but you can still benefit from these systems without upgrading to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

Q. Are there any official midnight launch events planned?

A. Absolutely! We've several launch events scheduled across the globe. Check out our official launch event page on Blizzard.com, as well as our recent announcement regarding participating retailers, for all the juicy details.

Launch events page: http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/events/cataclysm-midnight-openings.html#summary

Cataclysm Midnight Launch Event Tonight: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/1339120#blog

Q. Are any new realms being added tonight?

A. No. We've no current plans to release any new North American realms with the launch of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.