WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade is now front and center on everyone’s mind after the release of phase six content patch in December 2020, including the Vanilla release’s final raid, Naxrammas. With everyone speculating on a World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade announcement and potential release date at BlizzCon 2021 (or BlizzConline, as the all-virtual event on February 19-20, is being called), there’s a lot of chaff to have to wade through.
Fortunately, we’re pulling together all the latest World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade new, rumors, and more as we get closer to a likely announcement in a few weeks. Here’s what we know, what we’ve heard, and when we expect to see the relaunch of one of the most beloved MMO expansions ever.
World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade release date
So far, there hasn’t been an announcement about World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade, so we can’t even say for sure that it will even be released. There are many in the WoW Classic community who want the classic servers to stay as they are with only the original Vanilla release’s content as is.
It seems like many more players want to reexperience The Burning Crusade, though, and Blizzard has every reason to give these players what they want. Blizzard has surveyed World of Warcraft Classic players themselves about the future direction of the classic servers, including gauging interest in dedicated World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade servers, progressing existing Classic servers to The Burning Crusade expansion the same way the original Vanilla servers did, leaving everything as it is, and even a mix of several different options.
All this points to Blizzard trying to find a way to release World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade for those who want to play it. Given the money it would no doubt make by keeping Classic players’ interest – and subscriptions – going, it’s all but guaranteed to happen, it’s really just a matter of when.
The original World of Warcraft launched in November 2004, with The Burning Crusade expansion launching just over two years later in January 2007. World of Warcraft Classic launched in August 2019, so if it were to keep to the original schedule for some reason, that would put a launch somewhere in October or November of this year.
Fortunately, rumors are swirling that we won’t have to wait nearly that long. Flagged by Wccftech, World of Warcraft streamer “StaySafe” claims multiple sources confirmed the launch of some form of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade servers as soon as May 4.
Obviously, without any official confirmation or announcement, such “leaks” and rumors need to be taken with a grain of salt. Even if the leak is legit, circumstances can change quite quickly. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was delayed after an official launch date was given, so there’s only so much faith you can put into leaked info.
Still, a May 4 release date does make some sense. With BlizzCon 2021 running from February 19-20, an announcement at BlizzCon could be followed with a closed beta period or a couple of months, which would put an official launch around the beginning of May.
World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade beta
While no announcement has been made about a World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade beta, it would likely follow closely after an official announcement in February.
As for how to get yourself into the closed beta for The Burning Crusade Classic expansion, your best bet is to have a Twitch stream with lots of followers or to be a previous beta tester for World of Warcraft Classic.
Barring that, you’re likely stuck out here with the rest of us waiting for the official launch to finally set foot in Outland after all these years.
Where is World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade set?
In addition to new playable zones across Azeroth, an entirely new world is opened up for heroes to explore by passing through the Dark Portal: Outland, the ruined remains of the planet Draenor, homeworld of the Orcs and redoubt of the Draenei fleeing the corruption of their homeworld Argus at the hands of the Burning Legion.
WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade new zones
In addition to the various zones found in Outland, World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade will also feature new content zones for new players from the expansion’s two new playable races, the Draenei and the Blood Elves, as well as two new capital cities, Silvermoon City for the Blood Elves and Exodar for the Draenei.
There is also a new PVP battleground, Eye of the Storm, as well as the introduction of a new PVP Arena mode that lets players fight in 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 team deathmatch-style brawls. The PVP Arena mode features three maps: The Ruins of Lordaeron, The Circle of Blood, and the Ring of Trials.
WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade’s new playable races
World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade will introduce two new playable races: The Draenei, part of the alliance, and the Blood Elves, allied with the Horde.
Beyond new models, leveling zone content, and capital cities, the new races end the exclusivity of the Shaman and Paladin classes.
In World of Warcraft Classic, the Shaman class was exclusive to the Horde, playable for Orcs, Tauren, and Trolls, while the Paladin class was restricted to the Alliance races, Human and Dwarf.
With The Burning Crusade Classic, Alliance players will likely be able to play as Draenei Shaman and Horde players can roll a Blood Elf Paladin. Draenei can also be warriors, priests, paladins, hunters, and mages. Blood Elves, meanwhile, can be paladins, warlocks, hunters, priests, rogues, and mages.
WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade – why it matters
When World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade launched in 2007, it broke sales records and was highly praised by critics. For many World of Warcraft veterans, The Burning Crusade – along with Wrath of the Lich King, the game’s second expansion, released in November 2008 – encompasses somewhat of a Golden Age for the world’s most popular MMO.
For many Classic players, reliving the nostalgia of The Burning Crusade is a no-brainer and for many who missed it the first time around, diving into what is arguably one of the greatest MMO expansions ever is too good not to pass up.