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Access to 5.0.1 PTR and Mists of Pandaria Beta
Patch 5.0.1 is right around the corner on test realms! It also means that the release of MoP isn't too far either.
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
We will soon begin public testing of patch 5.0.1 of World of Warcraft, a patch that will precede the Mists of Pandaria release, and includes many features and functions that are new to the game.

We encourage all players who wish to test patch 5.0.1 with us to take careful note of the following:

  • It will not be possible to access the 5.0.1 PTR realms with a game account that accesses the Mists of Pandaria Beta.
  • If a game account has been flagged with a Mists of Pandaria Beta license, it can only be used to enter Beta realms.
  • This limitation is on each World of Warcraft license, and is not Battle.net account-based.
  • While testing 5.0.1, players will not be able to access zones or content that is a part of the Mists of Pandaria expansion.

Thank you for your continued support of our testing and tuning process. We look forward to seeing you in-game.
This article was originally published in forum thread: Access to 5.0.1 PTR and Mists of Pandaria Beta started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 191 Comments
  1. guardian_titan's Avatar
    Even though 9/11 is a significant date, in the end it is still just a day. Cata released on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The only way 9/11 would ever be ruled out as a release date would be if it became a national holiday and even that's iffy. Movies come out on Christmas, 4th of July, etc when they have the opportunity. If we didn't release something on every day that held signiifcance somewhere, then nothing would get released because chances are every day has had something significant happen. I am an American and although I do see 9/11 as a day of moarning, we do have to move on. We can't just keep avoiding it like it never happened and we can't just keep holding it in stasis where nothing can happen more on that day. One of the steps to healing is to move on.

    At any rate, this is looking good for a late August or early September release. Really hoping we have time before Brewfest to hit 90 or we'll hear a LOT of complaints. Guess all of those people saying the game won't be out until November/December are now eating their hats.
  1. mmoc6af618f320's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Silversol View Post
    True, but very relevant to PR for the company. Blizzard wouldn't look too good in the public eye if people were anticipating that date for the release.

    Am I the only one that read the blue post as "use one PTR account to log into beta and use the other PTR account for the PTR?" I have PTR 1 and PTR 3 under my game license. PTR 3 is my beta access. So PTR 1 is my PTR account, I think.
    You read it wrong. Read the very first line that says anyone with beta on their WoW license will not have access to the PTR.

    However, if you have more than one WoW license on your BNET account then you will get the PTR with it. By that I mean no starter edition, no PTR123, no beta license, nothing like that, basicly second separate WoW account that you paid for.
  1. Andyo's Avatar
    So if you have access to the beta, you wont be able to play on the PTR unless you have a second account with no beta access?
  1. mmoc18646deaeb's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by cacahuete View Post
    Beta Testers can access on PTR ? I d'ont unterstand :s
    Its pointless that the Beta testers, test 5.0.1 on the PTR, because its already active on the Beta.
    So beta testers cannot go onto the PTR
  1. Millennía's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Flatspriest View Post
    Generally, as I have found from the past pre-expansion PTR's, they are on the PTR for about 1 month and then a month after they go live, the expansion does. So, that means somewhere around 2 months left. Maybe 3 months.
    Don't forget that they said they will release MoP about 2 weeks after patch 5.0.1 goes live. So if PTR went live this week we could see MoP as early as 6 weeks from now.
  1. brothernads's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by guardian_titan View Post
    At any rate, this is looking good for a late August or early September release. Really hoping we have time before Brewfest to hit 90 or we'll hear a LOT of complaints. Guess all of those people saying the game won't be out until November/December are now eating their hats.
    Agree - I see 5.0.1 hitting live servers August 28 with Mists following on Sept. 11. Plus, Blizzard just announced a sale of the vanilla and previous expansions for only $10 each, ending on July 9th. Would make sense to end the sale, then announce on July 10 or 11 that MoP is releasing in two months. That way, they can sell the base software at full price and take advantage of the hype, etc.
  1. Tsuzu's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by spiralled View Post
    I don't understand why they still haven't announced the date, they must know what it is by now..
    My bet is the release date is coming with the MoP cinematic reveal in August. As another poster was noting, Blizz likely has a date set up already, but it's all about hyping the game. Trailing out little breadcrumbs like PTR announcement, cinematic reveal, etc. keeps people excited.

    Additionally, revealing the cinematic and release date less than 2 weeks before GW2 launches will likely draw people away from the competition. Anyone bored with WoW at the moment and looking for something different to do might have been eyeballing GW2 as an option, but if MoP isn't too far behind, they'll be more likely to just wait rather than invest time in a new MMO for only 1-2 months.

    Blizz has an incredibly intelligent marketing team -- they proved that to me with Annual Pass. They know what they're doing.
  1. WaddlezSparx's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by clampy View Post
    Its pointless that the Beta testers, test 5.0.1 on the PTR, because its already active on the Beta.
    So beta testers cannot go onto the PTR
    Not quite, if they have the launch event on the 5.01 PTR... that was not on the Beta server(s).
  1. Neolithic's Avatar
    4.0.1 hit the PTR on Sept 10, it went live October 12. Wrath was a little odd, info isn't as complete, but I show PTR went up Oct 4th, prep patch went live Oct 14th (there was likely another build before that that was up for approx a month), 2.0.1 went to the PTR Nov 8th, it went live Dec 7th. No prep patch for an expansion spent more than a month on the PTR.

    MoP should likely go live approx 6 weeks from the PTR server going up. 4weeks for the PTR, and a confirmed 2 weeks for the event prior to lauch. Give or take a week since they were working in non-absolutes, when they said 2 weeks for the event.
  1. Pogoball's Avatar
    I've been thinking that this will be a shorter pre-expansion patch/launch event than we've had in the past, so 5.0.1 going on the PTR in July really doesn't hurt the prospects of a September launch to me. I'm guessing 2-3 weeks tops since the launch event utilizes scenario tech and will be an on demand experience instead of a timed or persistent event like we've had in the past.
  1. Kilpi's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nathanyel View Post
    Why does this sound like the PTR and Beta logins will access the same game servers?
    To me it just sounds that Blizzard doesn't want Beta players on PTR 'cause they will be "full" anyway and theres nothing on the PTR that isn't already on the beta. Why would any beta player even want to log on to PTR?
  1. KWC3587's Avatar
    So right around the corner meaning mid to late September then.
  1. Granyala's Avatar
    Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
    If a game account has been flagged with a Mists of Pandaria Beta license, it can only be used to enter Beta realms.
    Hm.. ok. Lets hope you don't limit your PTR population too much by doing that.
  1. Auxora's Avatar
    All just my conjecture, but...

    Release date right after $10 vanilla/exp sale ends next week - would make sense...2 months prior to go-live.
    Cinematic mid-August - already announced.
    5.0 live late August - a week or 2 after cinematic, keeping with what they've done in the past. Also counters the GW2 release a bit.
    MoP release Sept 11 or 18 (or at least those weeks) - In-line with past beta times, and also since they've said the pre-event would only be 2 weeks.

    Starting to form a fairly clear picture. But it will be nice once it's official and Blizz saves us from having to piece together the puzzle.
  1. crsh1976's Avatar
    I feel like the making, testing and speculating of MoP has completely replaced the game, is anyone still even playing Cataclysm or has even Blizzard completely swept it under the rug?
  1. KWC3587's Avatar
    Figure a month on the ptr, then the live event and 5.0 patch sometime around when the cinematic launches in August or so.
  1. Zxzas's Avatar
    For people saying... "expansion is out a month after ptr is released onto live realms." in this case i believe this is wrong even though that is what we have seen in the past.

    I feel like the PTR will be available for about 3 weeks to work out bugs, due to all the QQ on no content until Pandaria is live. 5.0.1 (If the special features include Pet Battles and not just new talents), then it will hit live servers, and we will expect to see Pandaria at the end of August or early September. Even new features would occupy me until Pandaria comes out so I can learn my toons again before 90.
  1. Nobrelord's Avatar
    Do i smell Pandaria for christmas?
  1. Shadowcrash Umbra's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nobrelord View Post
    Do i smell Pandaria for christmas?
    If by 'for Christmas' you mean 'late August/early September', I would agree with you. Because...it'll be out before Christmas.
  1. lovestospoon's Avatar
    Wait, so when is this going live on the PTR? Do we know yet?

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