WoW Classic, despite its relatively old age, is a constantly evolving game. For the last 20 years, players have been searching for new ways to play the legendary MMO, adding new twists and rulesets to the already-existing template of the game.
With the launch of official WoW Classic Hardcore servers on Aug. 24, players will be sated once again with a new way to play the game courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment. The WoW developer has been extremely responsive to community requests and demands in regard to both modern and Classic WoW as players have gotten what they’ve wanted in terms of content across the board. One feature, however, has yet to see the light of day as of yet: a fan-inspired game mode for Classic WoW known as Classic+.
Once players beat Kel’thuzad in Naxxramas, there’s not much left to do besides farm gear and perfect your strategy/approach in endgame dungeons and raids—or move on to the next expansion. But many players don’t want to leave their Classic-era characters behind and move on to a new expansion, opting to instead stay within the walls of the level-60-capped version of Azeroth.
To find a balance for these players, a hypothesized game mode called Classic+ would add new content to Vanilla WoW, while still keeping the soul of the original game intact.
What is Classic+ in World of Warcraft?
Classic+ is a community-inspired game mode for World of Warcraft Classic that brings new content to the game, while only expanding upon what’s already there. In short, Classic+ would freshen up the WoW Classic experience through new content without having to launch a new expansion.
Classic+ would differ from a traditional WoW expansion in that it wouldn’t go past Vanilla WoW in terms of its timeline. While WoW expansions tend to shift and alter WoW’s world, Classic+ would work within the bounds of Azeroth as it currently exists on Classic-era servers, adding new content to what’s already in place in the base version of the game.
How much new content would Classic+ introduce?
It’s likely that Classic+ would bring forth tons of new content into the WoW Classic gameplay stream. The game itself is already huge, and any new content would only make it bigger. Players could look forward to new raids, new zones, and perhaps even new storylines that expand upon what you can do in the game at level 60.
Related: ‘We go where the people are’: WoW Classic Hardcore devs promise to put community first
Perhaps a new 40-player raid could be slotted into a different zone like Felwood or the Blasted Lands. Or maybe the forgotten zone above Western Plaguelands might get its time in the sun as an open-world hub; one player already made a mockup of what that could look like. Other future zones like the Twilight Highlands and Gilneas—both of which were introduced in Cataclysm—could get populated as well. Essentially, any place where there’s a blank canvas to work with in the world of Classic WoW is fair game for new content in Classic+.
Will we ever get Classic+?
Players have wanted to see Classic+ get implemented into WoW Classic for years as it’s the easiest way to expand upon the game while still keeping the soul of Classic intact. While players were satisfied with the re-launches of The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, there’s just something about playing within the bounds of Classic WoW that invokes nostalgia and appreciation for the original version of the game.
While Classic+ would technically be entirely new, we would trust Blizzard to keep the spirit of the old-school game intact, while still bringing a fresh experience to those who want it.
Since Hardcore Classic WoW is launching this year, it’s likely that we won’t get any updates on the next iteration of the game until 2024 at the earliest.
