So it’s finally happening, and fans have finally found out when. What am I talking about? Well, the launch of World of Warcraft Classic of course. World of Warcraft Classic was originally announced back at Blizzcon 2017 and has been met with tons of hype since then. The classic version of the incredibly popular MMORPG has had a long run, and fans were eager to get back to what made them fall in love with the game, a much simpler version of the increasingly complex world of Azeroth.
Here’s the dates since that’s what you’re really here for:
- A first load test will run on May 22 to May 23
- A second load test will run on June 19-20
- A final third load test will run on July 18-19
- Character creation opens on August 13
- The full launch of Classic occurs on August 27
In terms of what content that is included, it will be very interesting for long-term fans of the game. When World of Warcraft Classic launches, it will be in the state of its 1.12.00 patch. That was the “Drums of War” update that released on August 22, 2006. By the way, players will be randomly selected from the pool of applicants for the load tests only if they have an active subscription to the game, and if they opt-in on the relevant section of the account management system.
You can find the details of the launch in the Tweet down below. But that’s not all of the details Blizzard has released about WoW Classic, as there’s some cool new content coming to celebrate the launch and the anniversary of the game’s massively successful launch. These new additions are some cool cosmetic items, which can be seen in the trailer down below.
An anniversary event will be coming later this year, and it will include a special 25-man raid which will essentially be a gamut of iconic raid bosses from the history of the MMO. This little trip down memory lane is a cool nod for long-term fans, and they’ll likely enjoy it for a while.
This new anniversary launch will also include a special “15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition” will be made available, though it will launch nearly two months after Classic on October 8, 2019. The Collector’s Edition will have an Onyxia pin, an Azeroth map mousepad, and art prints alongside and a 10-inch statue of Ragnaros as physical rewards. Players will also be able to claim in-game goodies like Alabaster Stormtalon and Thunderwing as mounts. The $100 pricetag will also grant 30 days of sub time to the base game. And yes, the Classic variant is included for the subscription price.