Historical Zone Release and Revamp Timeline

This listing is pulled from original patch messages and intended to serve as a historical reference on the original dates new zones were released or revamped. Zones highlighted in green represent that zone's first introduction into the game.

Zone	Original Patch Date	Expansion Era	Continent	Notes
Plane of Fear	26 July 1999	Classic	Planes	Initial release
The Temple of Solusek Ro	13 October 1999	Classic	Antonica	Initial release. Available via the optional patch.
Kedge Keep	28 October 1999	Classic	Faydwer	Enhanced with new items and creatures
Plane of Hate	3 November 1999	Classic	Planes	Initial release. Patch message is released on Wednesday but states actual opening occurred 4 days prior on Sunday (31 Oct 1999) after the Halloween event. Must be 46th level or greater to enter.
Plane of Sky	20 January 2000	Classic	Planes	Initial release
Paineel	17 February 2000	Classic	Odus	Initial release
Kerra Ridge	10 April 2000	Classic	Odus	1st revamp; "Kerra Ridge has been completely revamped. The target level-range for the zone has been slightly increased. In addition, many new quests have been added to the zone. The faction for Kerrans has been changed so that those who killed them indiscriminately before today's update can take part. Be warned that the Kerrans still do not like everyone. "
Splitpaw	10 April 2000	Classic	Antonica	1st revamp
Ruins of Old Paineel (The Hole)	22 June 2000	Kunark	Odus	Initial release
The Warrens	14 March 2001	Scars of Velious	Odus	Initial Release
Plane of Hate	14 March 2001	Scars of Velious	Planes	1st revamp
Plane of Fear	14 March 2001	Scars of Velious	Planes	1st revamp
The Liberated Citadel of Runnyeye	30 May 2001	Scars of Velious	Antonica	1st revamp. "Runnyeye has been changed. Something is up in Goblin land..."
Siren's Grotto	27 June 2001	Scars of Velious	Antonica	1st revamp. "Sirens Grotto has been changed a bit. It should be a more interesting zone now."
Stonebrunt Mountains	29 August 2001	Scars of Velious	Odus	Initial Release
Chardok	8 October 2001	Scars of Velious	Kunark	1st revamp; see A Tale from Norrath which was found in the 8 October 2001 patch message
Lost Temple of Cazic Thule	13 February 2002 (TODO: verify date)	Shadows of Luclin	Antonica	Mob revamp; new zone called The Accursed Temple of Cazic Thule
Jaggedpine Forest	24 July 2002	Shadows of Luclin	Antonica	Initial Release
The Sleeper's Tomb (Kerafyrm's Lair)	26 September 2002	Shadows of Luclin	Velious	1st revamp
Grimling Forest	23 April 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Luclin	1st revamp; "We have updated the content in these zones to more accurately represent their design intentions and to address concerns voiced by players."
Hollowshade Moor	23 April 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Luclin	1st revamp; "We have updated the content in these zones to more accurately represent their design intentions and to address concerns voiced by players."
Acrylia Caverns	23 April 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Velious	1st revamp; "We have updated the content in these zones to more accurately represent their design intentions and to address concerns voiced by players."
Plane of Hate	14 May 2003 (All Servers), 8 April 2003 (Stormhammer),	The Legacy of Ykesha	Planes	2nd revamp
Veksar	11 June 2003 (All Servers), 14 May 2003 (Stormhammer),	The Legacy of Ykesha	Kunark	Initial release
The Temple of Droga	10 July 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Kunark	1st revamp
The Mines of Nurga	10 July 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Kunark	1st revamp
The Halls of Betrayal	10 July 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Kunark	Initial release; This was introduced as a "pocket zone" to Chardok - "a new zone and new zone type."
Caverns of Exile (soldungc)	6 August, 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Antonica	Initial release; This zone is below Nagafen's Lair - you may have to swim through lava to reach it.
The Accursed Temple of Cazic-Thule	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Antonica	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
The City of Mist	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Kunark	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
The Ruins of Old Paineel (The Hole)	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Odus	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
Siren's Grotto	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Velious	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
Dragon Necropolis	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Velious	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
Charasis (Howling Stones)	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Kunark	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
The Deep	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Luclin	Partial revamp. "Gameplay in these zones has been improved, based on feedback from players and careful review of the content. The changes are not dramatic, but make these zones more entertaining to play in. "
Greig's End	26 August 2003	The Legacy of Ykesha	Luclin	1st revamp. "The redesign includes new encounters, items, traps, and events that make the zone a challenge for the experience group, with plenty of events for a raid group. "
Plane of Mischief	9 October 2003, 26 August 2003 (Stormhammer)	Lost Dungeons of Norrath	Planes	1st revamp
Veeshan's Peak	14 July 2004	Gates of Discord	Kunark	1st revamp
The Lair of the SplitPaw (Infected Paw)	26 January 2005, 15 December 2004 (Legends)	Omens of War	Antonica	2nd Revamp; see 15 December 2004 Patch message for lore details; 26 January 2005 patch message; also see EQPlayers: Zone Revamp - Splitpaw!
Mistmoore	26 January 2005, 15 December 2004 (Legends)	Omens of War	Antonica	1st Revamp; see 15 December 2004 Patch message for lore details; 26 January 2005 patch message; also see EQPlayers: Zone Revamp - Mistmoore!
Lavastorm	26 January 2005	Omens of War	Antonica	1st revamp; see 26 January 2005 Patch message for lore details; also see EQPlayers: Hot New Look for Lavastorm
Dragon's of Norrath Released 15 February 2005
Barter Zone	15 February 2005	Dragons of Norrath	Other (off of Plane of Knowledge)	see 15 Feb 2005 patch message; "The entrance to the Barter Zone is in the western section of the Plane of Knowledge."
Barter Zone Merged with Bazaar	3 March 2005	Dragons of Norrath	Other (off of Plane of Knowledge)	see 3 March 2005 patch message
Everquest: Titanium Edition client released on 10 January 2006
Freeport (East, West, and North)	21 February 2006	Prophecy of Ro	Antonica	1st revamp. Complete zone overhaul (textures, physical layout, appearance); "Freeport has been redone. East, West, and North Freeport have been replaced with a brand new East and West Freeport. All your old friends should still be there and more. "
Desert of Ro (North Ro, Oasis, South Ro)	21 February 2006	Prophecy of Ro	Antonica	1st revamp. North Ro and Oasis were combined into one zone; South Ro was also adjusted; requires new zone files (Obsoleted/Removed Oasis as a zone); "Desert of Ro recreated. North Ro, Oasis, and South Ro have been replaced with a new North Ro and South Ro. Watch out for Sand Giants while checking out the new scenery. "
Nektulos Forest	13 June 2006	Prophecy of Ro	Antonica	1st revamp. Graphics were overhauled and the zone file was replaced. "Nektulos Forest got a face lift! Check out the amazing new look. "; see also EQPlayers: Nektulos Gets a New Look! and Nektulos Revamp On the Way (same article with pictures preserved)
Highpass Hold	19 September 2006	The Serpent's Spine	Antonica	1st revamp. Graphics were overhauled and the zone file was replaced when they added an entrance to the new expansion. "The entrance to Serpent's Spine can be found within Highpass Hold. "
Commonlands (East Commons and West Commons replaced)	5 December 2006	The Serpent's Spine	Antonica	1st revamp. Graphics were overhauled and the zone file was replaced when they merged East and West Commons into the same zone.
Toxxulia Forest, Kerra Ridge	13 February 2007	The Buried Sea	Odus	1st revamp Tox, 2nd revamp Kerra Ridge. Graphics were overhauled and the zone file was replaced when they merged Toxxulia Forest with Kerra Ridge and added access to The Buried Sea expansion zones. (Kerra Isle/Ridge was removed)
The Ocean of Tears	16 May 2007	The Buried Sea	Antonica	1st revamp. Graphic overhaul, zone file replaced. "Ocean of Tears: The Ocean of Tears has a new look. Sail over to check it out and to experience the return of the boats! " Also see Ocean of Tears - Past and Present
Misty Thicket	5 July 2007	The Buried Sea	Antonica	1st revamp. Graphic overhaul, zone file replaced. "Misty Thicket Revamp: Halflings across the world of Norrath rejoice as the hills of Misty Thicket flourish into a new paradise." Also see Misty Thicket - Past and Present
Innothule Swamp	25 July 2007	The Buried Sea	Antonica	1st revamp. Graphic overhaul, zone file replaced. "Innothule Swamp Revamp: As the stench of evil pullulates throughout the region surrounding the home of the trolls, the denizens of the Innothule Swamp surface to see the rejuvenated swamplands." Also see Innothule Swamp: Past and Present - 7/25/07.\
Steamfont Mountains	November 13, 2007	Secrets of Faydwer	Faydwer	1st revamp. Graphic overhaul, zone file replaced.

Zone File Changes

The following table shows which zone files were replaced over the years and provides links to the original (classic) versions of those zones.

Classic Zone File	Replacement Zone File	Expansion Replaced	Expansion Release Date	Classic Zone File Links
hateplane.s3d	hateplaneb.s3d	Scars of Velious	December 5, 2000
lavastorm.s3d	lavastorm.eqg	Dragons of Norrath	February 15, 2005	Lavastorm.zip
freportw.s3d	freeportwest.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Freportw.zip
nektulos.s3d	nektolosa.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Nektulos.zip
ecommons.s3d & wcommons.s3d	commonlands.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Commons.zip, Ecommons.zip
freporte.s3d	freeporteast.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Freporte.zip
freportn.s3d	freeportwest.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Freportn.zip
nro.s3d	northro.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Nro.zip
sro.s3d	southro.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Nro.zip
oasis.s3d	southro.eqg	Prophecy of Ro (PoR)	February 21, 2006
arena.s3d	arena2.eqg	Prophecy of Ro? (PoR)	February 21, 2006	Arena.zip
highpass.s3d	highpasshold.eqg	The Serpent's Spine (TSS)	September 19, 2006	Highpass.zip
oot.s3d	oceanoftears.eqg	The Buried Sea (TBS)	February 13, 2007
misty.s3d	mistythicket.eqg	The Buried Sea (TBS)	February 13, 2007
tox.s3d	toxxulia.eqg	The Buried Sea (TBS)	February 13, 2007	Tox.zip
innothule.s3d	innothuleb.eqg	The Buried Sea (TBS)	February 13, 2007
steamfont.s3d	steamfontmtns.eqg	Secrets of Faydwer (SoF)	November 13, 2007

• highkeep was NOT replaced with highkeeppass during TSS.. i don't see highkeeppass ever being used, even on latest live?

See Also

• Zones
• Server Progression
• Category:EQLive Patch History
• Zone Files - download original zone files that may not be included on the client you're using