World of Warcraft Classic has been a massive hit. Log-in queues reminiscent of its legendary 2004 launch, and the need for rapid server deployment after a few early tests are a testament to that. But now that more and more players are reaching the game’s original Level 60 cap, they’re starting to wonder what could possibly be next.
Well, Blizzcon came and went without an official announcement of World of Warcraft Classic getting a Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Lich King expansion, but Blizzard staff said they’re “not opposed” to the idea.
The revelation wasn’t a slip of the tongue, either. The nugget of information regarding the potential future of WoW Classic came from Executive Producer John Hight during the general World of Warcraft Q&A on Saturday afternoon.
The panel, which was full of top-ranking World of Warcraft staff was asked whether servers for the game’s first two expansion, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King would ever be added. Blizzard adopted a stance that Classic is a complete and faithful reproduction of the original game, so much so that it led to fans mistaking old features as bugs. But with many World of Warcraft Classic players reaching the end of its current content offerings, it’s only natural to wonder what could be next.
Hight then turned the question back onto the audience, asking them to cheer for which of the two expansions they’d want to be added into the game. Screams were notably louder for Wrath of the Lich King, the game’s second expansion, but it was clear players were set on the idea of Classic progressing beyond the base game in the future.
Cataclysm, which succeeded Wrath of the Lich King, has long been considered a turning point in the monolithic MMORPG’s long history. The add-on altered the original game’s map to a point where its original content and stories were completely inaccessible. Tweaks to class builds and abilities were also blamed for the sharp decline in subscription numbers from the 12 million Blizzard enjoyed during the Wrath of the Lich King days.
No release window was outlined, but Hight’s words and the cheers from the audience suggest WoW players may get the chance to explore the Outlands and Northrend in their original state in the future. “We’ve done it before,” Hight said, remarking how the company did what it once thought was impossible in reviving Classic, they just “need to be careful.”
