There’s also a 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition coming in October.
Blizzard has announced the release date for World of Warcraft Classic, which will tie in with the MMO’s 15th anniversary, later this year.
First announced in 2017, World of Warcraft Classic was detailed during last year’s BlizzCon, which included a playable demo on the show floor and at home for Virtual Ticket holders as well as a release window of ‘summer 2019.’
World of Warcraft Classic will come as part of the regular game subscription, allowing existing players to access the original version of the game at no extra cost. It also means that any new subscribers looking to play WoW Classic will also have access to the current game – a win-win situation for Blizzard.
Players have wanted a classic server for years, to recapture the magic (and nostalgia) of the original World of Warcraft and many private “Legacy†servers became so popular that Blizzard took notice and shut them down for violating its Terms of Use. But those servers did prove that there’s a demand for the original game and must’ve gone some way to convince Blizzard to begin Classic development.
“That early experience was incredibly important to Blizzard,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “It taught us many things about ourselves as a developer and publisher, and about the global community of players that we feel honored to be a part of. The World of Warcraft Classic experience is very different from the Azeroth we know today, but we love it for what it is and what it stands for. We can’t wait to get reacquainted with this dangerous, demanding, and rewarding world with all of our friends, new and old.”
Blizzard has also announced a World of Warcraft 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, set for release on October 8 and is available to preorder now. The Collector’s Edition comes includes a statue of Ragnaros, art prints, in-game mounts, and 30 days of game time.
World of Warcraft Classic is set for release on PC on August 27.
