What Private Server Closures Could Mean
While some speculate that Classic+ will be released shortly after BlizzCon, others expect the game to be released closer to 2028. Players in favor of a 2026 release date cite Season of Discovery, which was released shortly after BlizzCon 2023 with very little information and no PTR testing. But do we expect Blizzard to treat Classic+ like just another Seasonal server?
WoW roadmap from the State of Azeroth presentation
If Classic+ were to be released this year, after BlizzCon, it would coincide with the final Phase of The Burning Crusade Anniversary, and what would that mean for Wrath of the Lich King? Will Blizzard skip the most popular version of WoW Classic in favor of releasing Classic+ earlier? Not to mention, one of the most anticipated games of the year is releasing on November 19th - GTA 6.
Classic raiding population peaked at 626,465 during Wrath of the Lich King (2022)
With all of this in mind, it seems much more likely that Blizzard will give Anniversary servers some breathing room before releasing the coveted Classic+. As alluded to in a previous article, Blizzard has shown a pattern of behavior similar to the release of WoW Classic in 2019. Let's take a look at that timeline to help us estimate when Classic+ might actually launch.
April 10th, 2016 - Nostalrius private server shuts down.
November 3rd, 2017 - Blizzard announces World of Warcraft: Classic at BlizzCon.
August 27th, 2019 - World of Warcraft: Classic releases.
As we can see from this series of events, once Blizzard took out the largest private server at the time, Nostalrius, there was still over a year and a half before they officially announced Classic. And again, even after the game's announcement, it was still nearly two years later that Classic was actually released. If we apply this same pattern to our current timeline, even if Classic+ is announced at BlizzCon 2026, likely, Blizzard will not release this highly anticipated MMO until sometime in 2028.
May 15th, 2026 - Turtle WoW private server shuts down (legal battle with Project Ascension still ongoing).
September 12th, 2026 - Classic+ is announced?
2028 - Classic+ releases?
This timeline would allow Blizzard to complete the trilogy through Wrath of the Lich King on Anniversary servers, and give them ample time to both develop and promote Classic+. While little has been mentioned about the future of progression servers (currently Mists of Pandaria Classic), Blizzard did seem to tease Warlords of Draenor & Legion earlier this year.
Two years would be plenty of time to speed through both Warlords of Draenor & Legion before all Classic players come together for the release of Classic+. This would also give China's Titan Reforged servers enough time to wrap up, as they are expected to receive Classic+ at the same time as Western players.
What do you think of this timeline? Will Classic+ release in 2026, or is it still years away? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
