World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

Beyond the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands lies a realm shattered by the machinations of the Burning Legion: Outland, the once beautiful orc homeworld of Draenor. Seek out its mysteries beginning June 1 when Burning Crusade Classic™ launches around the world.

Before that, however, every hero must make a choice. Beginning on May 18, after each regional scheduled maintenance, the Burning Crusade Classic Pre-expansion Patch will be released, and each character must choose whether to advance onward to Burning Crusade, move to a Classic Era realm, or use the Character Clone service to play in both games. Read more about this process.

Heroes who choose to cross the Dark Portal will find themselves in Hellfire Peninsula, an aptly named barren wasteland, where fel orcs and cruel demons roam free. The established outposts of Thrallmar (for the Horde) and Honor Hold (for the Alliance) are not able to deter this endless tide of darkness on their own. It is up to you to fight for this shattered world to rid it from evil. . . or watch its demonic denizens consume everything you hold dear.

Join the Global Launch

World of Warcraft®: Burning Crusade Classic will launch in the Americas, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, and Australia/New Zealand at the same time. Wherever you live and whatever path you choose to take, you can be part of one global adventure beyond the Dark Portal.

Check the details below for the exact time you can start playing and begin your journey into Outland.


For more information on World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic, visit the official site. We look forward to seeing you in Outland, hero!

Starting May 18, you can choose whether to progress your characters to Burning Crusade Classic or continue adventuring in the original WoW® Classic era

Boost a character to level 58 with the optional Dark Portal Pass, and enhance your experience with Outland-inspired extras contained in the Burning Crusade Classic Deluxe Edition

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2021-- “You are not prepared!” Fourteen years ago, Illidan Stormrage issued that thunderous warning to those who would dare confront him in the shattered realm of Outland. Starting June 1, heroes of Azeroth new and old will have the opportunity to gather their courage and rally their allies to face the Betrayer once again with the worldwide launch of World of Warcraft®: Burning Crusade Classic™.

Burning Crusade Classic, Blizzard Entertainment’s authentic recreation of the acclaimed first World of Warcraft expansion, sends players back through the Dark Portal to the shattered realm of Outland—a distant, fel-scarred planet where the forces of the demonic Burning Legion prepare to mount an assault against all life on Azeroth. Featuring a strange and treacherous new world to discover; two new playable races, the blood elves and draenei; and the all-new ability to soar and explore upon flying mounts in Outland, Burning Crusade Classic will give WoW veterans and newcomers alike a chance to experience a timeless era of Warcraft adventure.

“For many World of Warcraft players, the original Burning Crusade was their first step on an epic journey that’s still going on today—but for many others, stories of fleeing the Fel Reaver and confronting Illidan at the top of the Black Temple are just the stuff of legend,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “With Burning Crusade Classic, we want to give players a chance to experience the trials and triumphs of Outland in a way that hasn’t been possible for more than a decade, and do so adventuring alongside old friends and new. We can’t wait to travel with everyone back through the Dark Portal once again.”

Beginning May 18 with the launch of the Burning Crusade Classic pre-expansion patch, WoW Classic players will choose whether to progress each of their characters to Burning Crusade Classic with the rest of their realm, or continue playing the original WoW Classic content on brand-new Classic Era realms also launching that day. Players who wish to experience the best of both worlds will be able to use the optional character cloning service (available May 18, $35 per character), which will allow them to continue playing a copy of an existing character on a Classic Era realm while also advancing into Burning Crusade Classic.

Also starting May 18, players on Burning Crusade Classic realms will be able to create blood elf and draenei characters and experience the two races’ new starting zones in the Azuremyst Isles and Eversong Woods, preparing their new heroes for the opening of the Dark Portal on June 1. From the day of the patch through launch, players will also be able to participate in a limited-time in-game event as demonic agents from beyond the Dark Portal pour into the Blasted Lands and assault key locations across Azeroth.

Everyone who wants to join the adventure in Outland with their friends will also have the option to purchase the Dark Portal Pass (available May 18, $39.99), allowing them to boost one character of their choosing on a Burning Crusade Classic realm to level 58 (limit one per World of Warcraft account; not usable on blood elf or draenei characters).

Intrepid explorers looking to further enhance their Burning Crusade Classic experience can purchase the optional Deluxe Edition ($69.99), also available with the arrival of the pre-expansion patch on May 18. The Deluxe Edition comes with:

• The Reawakened Phase-Hunter mount, a creature that draws on the otherworldly energies that transformed Draenor into Outland, for use only in Burning Crusade Classic and designed to match the look of the original expansion
• The Viridian Phase-Hunter mount, a variant for use in modern World of Warcraft (including Shadowlands) and reflecting the game’s current visual style
• A Dark Portal Hearthstone for use in Burning Crusade Classic, providing a unique visual effect inspired by the gateway between worlds
• The Path of Illidan toy for Burning Crusade Classic, which causes your character’s footsteps to leave flickering fel fire in their wake for a short time
• The Dark Portal Pass, which boosts one character to level 58 (same restrictions as standalone Dark Portal Pass apply; cannot be combined with standalone Dark Portal Pass purchase)
• 30 days of World of Warcraft game time, providing access to WoW Classic, Burning Crusade Classic, and the modern game

Burning Crusade Classic builds on the epic foundation of World of Warcraft Classic, providing players with an opportunity to experience the next legendary chapter in the Warcraft® saga. Through the launch and over the course of content updates to follow, the recreation will bring back the features of the 2007 original, including:

• The Shattered Realm of Outland: Traverse the treacherous crags and spires of Blade’s Edge Mountains, where even dragons fear to roam; hunt alongside the uncorrupted Mag’har orcs among the floating islands of Nagrand; battle demonic agents of the Legion in the shadow of the Black Temple; and much more.
• Two New Playable Races: 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.
• Gather at the Arena Gates: Assemble your most trusted allies and prove your PvP prowess in 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5 combat in Arenas such as the Ring of Trials and the Circle of Blood.
• Take Wing on Flying Mounts: Take flight in the chaotic skies of Netherstorm and soar over fel-touched Shadowmoon Valley with the introduction of flying mounts in Outland.
• Master Challenging Raids and Dungeons: Conquer 5-player dungeons set in the crystalline fortress of Tempest Keep and the Caverns of Time, where heroes bear witness to Azeroth’s past. Raid the haunted halls of 10-player Karazhan, and gear up over time for a climactic confrontation against Kil’jaeden in 25-player Sunwell Plateau.
• New Options for Heroes: Carve gems of power to socket into players’ gear with the Jewelcrafting profession; choose between the Aldor or Scryer factions in Shattrath and earn their unique rewards; create a paladin on the Horde or a shaman on the Alliance; and more.

As with WoW Classic, Burning Crusade Classic will be included with every WoW players’ subscription at no additional cost.

For more information on Burning Crusade Classic, visit www.wowclassic.com.

Are you prepared? World of Warcraft®: Burning Crusade Classic™ launches on June 1, and the pre-expansion patch arrives on May 18. As with WoW Classic, Burning Crusade Classic will be included with every WoW players’ subscription at no additional cost.

For those who haven't played WoW Classic recently, or if you're looking to enhance your experience, we have a host of special items just for you.

Starting on May 18, after the weekly scheduled realm maintenance, everyone who wants to prepare early to join the adventure when Outland opens on June 1 will have the option to purchase the Dark Portal Pass, allowing them to boost one character of their choosing on a Burning Crusade Classic realm to level 58 (limit one per World of Warcraft account; not usable on blood elf or draenei characters). The boosted character will receive:

• Apprentice Riding skill
  
• Race-specific mount
  
• Weapon skills up to level 58
  
• Access to certain flight paths
  
• A set of level 58 magic (green) quality gear
  
• Up to four Runecloth Bags (14 slots each)
  
• A little bit of gold to start their journey

Intrepid explorers looking to further enhance their Burning Crusade Classic experience can purchase the optional Deluxe Edition. This edition includes all the items from the Dark Portal Pass​, featuring:

• The Reawakened Phase-Hunter mount, a creature that draws on the otherworldly energies that transformed Draenor into Outland, for use only in Burning Crusade Classic and designed to match the look of the original expansion
  
• The Viridian Phase-Hunter mount, a variant for use in modern World of Warcraft (including Shadowlands) and reflecting the game’s current visual style
  
• A Dark Portal Hearthstone for use in Burning Crusade Classic, providing a unique visual effect inspired by the gateway between worlds
  
• The Path of Illidan toy for Burning Crusade Classic, which causes your character’s footsteps to leave flickering fel fire in their wake for a short time
  
• The Dark Portal Pass, which boosts one character to level 58 (same restrictions as standalone Dark Portal Pass apply; upgrading from the Dark Portal Pass to the Deluxe Edition does not grant a second boost.)
  
• 30 days of World of Warcraft game time, providing access to WoW Classic, Burning Crusade Classic, and the modern game

For more information on World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic, visit the official site.

Greetings WoW Classic adventurers!

With Burning Crusade Classic arriving on June 1, we want to share more details on what you can expect when we release the pre-expansion patch for Burning Crusade Classic and launch our Era realms.

First Steps

Beginning with patch day, players will have the opportunity to make a choice for each existing Classic character. Will that character continue into Burning Crusade Classic or remain in the Classic era?

Currently, when you log in to WoW Classic, you can see general information on what’s coming by clicking the Burning Crusade Classic button at login.


What’s Happening to my Realm?
As of the pre-expansion patch, all current World of Warcraft Classic servers will progress to Burning Crusade Classic content. When you first log in, you’ll then make a choice on each existing character whether to advance that character into Burning Crusade Classic or choose to play on a World of Warcraft Classic Era realm available as a new game download on the Battle.net Desktop App.

Each character can be unlocked once for free either in Burning Crusade Classic or World of Warcraft Classic. If you want to play a character in both Burning Crusade Classic and World of Warcraft Classic, you can opt in to the “Character Clone” service for a fee.

Choose Your Game
When you log in to the Battle.net App, you’ll see the following options under the “Game Version & Account” selection screen under “Live”: World of Warcraft Classic, Burning Crusade, Classic, and World of Warcraft.

As mentioned during the BlizzConline Deep Dive Panel for Burning Crusade Classic, with the pre-expansion patch, players will be provided the option to play their character on the new Classic era realm just as it was as of the last day before the patch or continue on into Burning Crusade Classic.

It’s important to note that all current realms will progress to Burning Crusade Classic content. World of Warcraft Classic era realms are new but retain the same names as before and exist as they did prior to the pre-expansion patch.

All the characters that you created and played before servers come down for the patch will appear on the same realms. You’ll see those realms listed in both Burning Crusade Classic and World of Warcraft Classic games. That means you’ll see all your pre-existing characters in both versions of the game.

To explain what you’ll see on patch day, let’s take a further look at the details.

Burning Crusade Classic
If you last logged into World of Warcraft Classic before patch day, your default option in the Battle.net Desktop App will be Burning Crusade Classic. If you want to move on into Burning Crusade Classic, select that option.

At login and character select, you will see a Burning Crusade Classic screen. You can select the realms you played on before the patch and see your characters listed on those realms.

You’ll notice each of your existing characters will be required to make a choice as indicated by the “Choose Expansion” text shown beneath your character name.


For example, Moonrasmin shown above hasn’t made a choice yet. Upon selecting Moonrasmin, you’ll be presented with the option to make a choice for this character.


When you select the “Play Burning Crusade” button, you will need to confirm your choice by typing in the character’s name in the confirmation screen.


Once you click “Accept,” your character will now be part of Burning Crusade Classic. While Outland won’t be available to play with the pre-expansion patch, you will have the ability to begin leveling and playing Blood Elf and Draenei races and the Jewelcrafting profession with early access.

World of Warcraft Classic Era
To join and play on Classic Era realms, you will select the World of Warcraft Classic game in the Battle.net Desktop App and install it as a new game. If you already have existing characters prior to patch day, they will appear on the same realms where they were originally created.

When looking at your selected realm and pre-existing Classic characters, each character will show a requirement to choose an expansion. (For this purpose, you can consider WoW Classic Era as its own expansion!).


As an example, when Misha is selected in the character select list, you’re presented with the options screen as follows:


After selecting the “Play Classic Era” button, you’ll confirm your choice by typing in the character’s name in the confirmation screen.


Clicking “Accept,” will set you on your way to continuing your journey in the World of Warcraft Classic Era.

What’s a Clone?
For players who want to play a character in both Burning Crusade Classic and World of Warcraft Classic, we have a new optional service we call “Character Clone.”

This optional service will only become available on a character after you have made a choice for that character in another game. For Thuata, shown below, she was unlocked in Burning Crusade Classic.

Upon installing and logging into the other game, in this case, World of Warcraft Classic, you’ll see Thuata listed and is greyed out. The text under her name now reads as, “Clone Available.” A Clone icon will appear next to Thuata’s name as shown below. A tip will appear on mouse-over of the Clone icon.


If you click the Clone icon, a confirmation window with more information will appear. It shows the “cloned” date of the character which includes all progress on the character up to that date.


Clicking “Accept will take you to the store screen which will allow you to purchase the Character Clone service.


Upon completing the transaction, Thuata is ready to play.

Stay Classic!
We hope this information helps prepare you for your adventures to come and we’ll see you soon!

Classes

• Hunter
  
  • Fixed an issue with interrupt effects and Scare Beast while Aspect of the Turtle is active.

Dungeons and Raids

• Castle Nathria
  
  • Sire Denathrius
    
    • Fixed an issue that caused Painful Memories to damage pets and guardians.

Player versus Player

• The rating requirement to earn progress for the Rated PvP seasonal mount has been lowered to 1000 (was 1400).