It’s been 15 years since World of Warcraft first launched, providing both a boost and eventual death knell to the then incredibly popular MMORPG genre. World of Warcraft has chanced in innumerable ways after so many years and half a dozen major expansion packs. But nostalgic veterans (and curious newcomers) can revisit the past with World of Warcraft Classic, available now for all subscribers.
“It’s been a long time coming, but we’re overjoyed to welcome our friends new and old to classic Azeroth,” said J. Allen Brack, president, Blizzard Entertainment. “The community’s excitement is infectious and deeply motivating — it’s clear they’re as thrilled as we are to relive the World of Warcraft Classic experience. We look forward to rediscovering its wonders and challenges together with them, starting today.”
WoW Classic resets the world back during the 2006 era, around the time of the Drums of War update. This predates any of the expansion packs, around the time full scale PvP warfare was being added.
Blizzard Entertainment plans on treating WoW Classic not as a frozen moment in time, but an evolving game just as it was back then. Six update phases are planned to roll out “new” content, such as infmous raids like Blackwing Lair and Naxxramas, PVP battlegrounds including Alterac Valley, and server-wide events such as the Scourge Invasion.
World of Warcraft Classic is available on PC, and included in a standard World of Warcraft subscription. It’s rated T for Teen.
