World of Warcraft Classic has been a quiet success – well, quiet after the initial blitz that featured day-long queues – and players will soon be able to revisit the exceptional Burning Crusade expansion, announced during the BlizzConline Opening Ceremony. It can be argued that Vanilla, Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King were the Golden Era of WoW, so those of you out there who bounced off Classic may find Burning Crusade a little more to your liking.
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic will launch later this year.
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic will function much like World of Warcraft: Classic does today. Many of the original features will return, such as the skill trees and balance from that era. That said, Blizzard acknowledged they are willing to make more “modern” adjustments as needed, since not everything ages well.
The coolest part is how servers will be handled. The majority of World of Warcraft: Classic servers will roll to Burning Crusade when it launches, but there will remain a dedicated Vanilla server for those who want to stay in that version of WoW’s Golden Era. If this keeps up we should hopefully see Wrath of the Lich King Classic in a year or two, and I am 200% here for that. Check out the full press release from Blizzard below.
“Journey through the Dark Portal once again in World of Warcraft®: Burning Crusade Classicâ„¢! Originally released in January 2007, The Burning Crusade summoned the heroes of Azeroth to the shattered and fel-scarred realm of Outland to stop an invasion of the demonic Burning Legion. In 2021, Blizzard Entertainment’s recreation of the first World of Warcraft expansion will give players from around the world a chance to return to Outland as it once was to relive an era of timeless adventure—or experience what awaits beyond the Dark Portal for the first time.
- Rediscover the Broken World of Outland – Flee the fel reavers who roam Hellfire Peninsula, dive deep beneath the swamps of Zangarmarsh to confront what lurks below, and clash with the demonic agents of the Burning Legion in the shadow of the Black Temple.
- Join the Fight as a Blood Elf or Draenei – The ranks of the Horde and the Alliance grow! Fight for the Horde as the blood elves, seeking a new source of the arcane power that once sustained them, or join the Alliance as the draenei, exiles from Outland in search of a new home.
- The Saga Unfolds Over Time – Content from the original game will roll out in phases, at a cadence paced for the WoW Classic community. Prepare for the opening of the Black Temple, gear up to confront the gods of Zul’Aman, and gather your allies to face the fury of the Sunwell.
- Burning Crusade Features Reborn – Prove your prowess in the Arena PvP system, enhance your gear with the Jewelcrafting profession, take to the skies over Outland on flying mounts, choose whether to seek the aid of the Aldor or the Scryers of Shattrath, and much more.
- Choose Your Era – Prior to Burning Crusade Classic’s release, WoW Classic players can decide whether to advance each of their characters to the Burning Crusade era with the rest of their realm, or to continue playing the original WoW Classic content on new Classic Era servers.
- Included With Existing World of Warcraft Subscriptions – As with WoW Classic, anyone who subscribes to World of Warcraft can also play Burning Crusade Classic at no additional cost, giving players the freedom to enjoy multiple eras of Azeroth at their own pace.”
