World of Warcraft Classic
News, coverage and analysis tracking World of Warcraft Classic across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Casually Classic: Five more World of Warcraft Forever features that look amazing
This opinion piece highlights five features of the upcoming World of Warcraft Classic "Forever" project that are expected to be amazing. The author praises the developers' understanding of what made Classic special, the addition of new stories and zones, improvements to class diversity, realmless rulesets, and the embrace of "friction" in game design.
Blizzard Cracks Down on Gold Selling in World of Warcraft Forever — and Streamers Are in the Firing Line
Blizzard Entertainment is implementing stricter measures against gold selling in World of Warcraft, including its Classic version. The company is cracking down on the practice, with some streamers reportedly being caught in the process.
Casually Classic: Five World of Warcraft Forever features that have my full attention
This opinion piece highlights five key features of World of Warcraft Forever that the author is most excited about, including a new camping system, graphical improvements, transmogrification, a legacy system for leveling, and enhanced crafting. The author expresses enthusiasm for how these features will improve the classic MMO experience.
World of Warcraft: Forever increases its population cap ahead of a "mega dungeon"
Blizzard Entertainment has increased the population cap for the World of Warcraft: Forever beta ahead of its November launch, with senior designer Josh Greenfield teasing a large new dungeon. The developer also confirmed the beta is attracting more players than expected, leading to further cap increases.
Stop trying to make a console war out of which WoW is better, you're all exhausting
This article argues against the divisive discourse surrounding different versions of World of Warcraft, including Classic, Retail, and the new Forever beta. The author finds the passionate arguments about which version is superior to be exhausting and unhealthy, suggesting that players should appreciate the variety offered by each iteration rather than engaging in a 'console war' mentality.
World of Warcraft: Forever dev teases new 'mega dungeon' to get lost in for hours like the good ol' days
World of Warcraft: Classic senior game designer Josh Greenfield teased a new 'mega dungeon' inspired by the beloved Blackrock Depths from the original game. This type of large, multi-boss dungeon, which can take hours to complete, is being considered for WoW: Forever, a version of the game that doesn't need to adhere to modern MMO streamlining. The tease included an image hinting at a dungeon related to the Timbermaw faction.
WoW: Forever’s Beta Just Keeps Getting Bigger
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever is experiencing unprecedented popularity, forcing Blizzard Entertainment to repeatedly increase the population cap. Despite a $60 entry fee for the Skyborne Epic Pack, developers like Holly Longdale and Josh Greenfield have expressed excitement over record-breaking numbers and the insights gained for the full launch.
World of Warcraft Forever Preview – Can Blizzard Bring Back The Magic? | Invision Game Community
World of Warcraft Forever aims to recapture the magic of the original game by expanding the level 1-60 Azeroth with over 1,000 new quests, new zones, dungeons, raids, a new playable race called the Skyborne, and reworked classes. Blizzard is focusing on making the journey to level 60 meaningful again, incorporating player feedback from WoW Classic and Season of Discovery. While the preview highlights significant additions and a strong sense of nostalgia, the ultimate success of the project hinges on whether it can make endgame achievement and social interaction feel as rewarding as the original.
I'm sure whoever chose to charge for WoW: Forever beta access is feeling very chuffed, given Blizzard's had to…
Blizzard Entertainment has successfully sold beta access for World of Warcraft: Forever, a reinvented version of Classic, for $60, despite the game being part of the standard subscription and progress being wiped. The high demand has forced population cap increases twice, indicating a profitable early access model for the company. The author finds the game enjoyable with its quality-of-life improvements and new quests.
As World of Warcraft: Forever's beta popularity grows, Blizzard has yet again had to increase the server cap
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever is experiencing high demand, leading Blizzard to increase server capacity multiple times. Executive producer Holly Longdale announced the ongoing need to expand the cap, echoing sentiments from developer Josh Greenfield about unprecedented player numbers. The game requires a significant upfront purchase for beta access, with a monthly subscription planned for its full launch on November 4th.
After 20 hours with World of Warcraft: Forever, I'm convinced it gives old school fans nearly everything they could…
World of Warcraft: Forever aims to recapture the spirit of the original game with quality-of-life improvements from the modern version, a new Skyborne race, and a level cap of 60. The beta shows promise with a vibrant community and engaging questing, though graphical updates are subtle. This new pillar of WoW is set to launch on November 4, 2026, for PC.
Blizzard's first big World of Warcraft Forever patch notes bring plenty of class tuning changes
Blizzard Entertainment has released a significant patch for the World of Warcraft Classic beta, focusing on extensive class tuning and balance changes. The update also introduces improvements to campfires, a new cooldown manager for select classes, enhanced controller support with new layouts and targeting options, and refined audio design.
World of Warcraft: Forever has recaptured the original MMO's magic, something I thought was impossible
The author expresses renewed enthusiasm for World of Warcraft, particularly with the beta of World of Warcraft: Forever. This new iteration successfully blends nostalgic elements with fresh content and design choices, recapturing the magic of the original MMO in a way that previous Classic versions only hinted at.
Sometimes it's fun to hit a scorpion with a club for 38 seconds
The author argues that modern MMOs, including World of Warcraft, have become too focused on speed and instant gratification, losing the meditative quality of slower gameplay. The experience of slowly bludgeoning a scorpion in WoW: Classic is highlighted as a positive example of how taking more time can enhance appreciation for the game world and design.
Casually Classic: World of Warcraft Forever aims to be a most epic do-over
The announcement of World of Warcraft Forever at BlizzCon signals a much-needed do-over for the MMORPG franchise, aiming to blend the foundational design of Classic with improvements from the retail version. This new iteration seeks to carve out a fresh path, moving beyond pure nostalgia and offering a modern MMORPG experience for the long term.
World of Warcraft: Forever isn't a remake of Classic or a bridge to modern WoW
World of Warcraft: Forever is positioned as a distinct third pillar separate from Classic and modern WoW, focusing on day-to-day adventures rather than world-saving heroics. Lead Game Designer Tim Jones and Lead Software Engineer Nora Mills clarified that it is not a remake of Classic or a bridge to the current version of the game.
I've been doing roleplay for 15+ years, and I don't think WoW: Forever needs a ruleset for it
The author argues that World of Warcraft: Classic's new 'Roleplaying' ruleset is an unnecessary and potentially detrimental addition. They contend that traditional roleplaying communities within WoW already manage in-character and out-of-character interactions effectively without strict rulesets, and that separating players into different rulesets for content like dungeons and raids will hinder social interaction.
Why World of Warcraft: Forever isn't for Azeroth's heroes, but for everyone else
World of Warcraft: Forever is positioned as a distinct third pillar of the franchise, focusing on life and community in Azeroth rather than grand heroic narratives. Lead designers Tim Jones and Nora Mills explain that the game emphasizes grounded stories, approachable gameplay, and social experiences, differentiating it from both modern WoW and existing Classic versions. The new title aims to provide a slower-paced, more personal journey with features like camping and a new Skyborne race, with a closed beta planned for November.
World of Warcraft: Forever players competing over enemies is 'extremely important' to the experience, Blizzard says: 'This is one of those things that we simply must hold the line on'
Blizzard Entertainment senior game designer Josh Greenfield stated that shared enemy tagging will remain a core feature in World of Warcraft: Hardcore, emphasizing its importance to the game's social pillar. While acknowledging potential frustration during peak player times, Greenfield believes this friction is essential for the player experience and can foster social interaction, though the article suggests Blizzard should prepare for potential issues during the launch week.
WoW devs surprised to find pure liquid nostalgia is popular
Blizzard Entertainment developers expressed surprise at the overwhelming player numbers during the beta for World of Warcraft Classic, which experienced significant server issues. Senior producer Tom Ellis and designer Josh Greenfield noted that the unprecedented load on the beta environment, a version of the game from 2004 with numerous improvements, caught the team off guard, but issues have since been resolved.
