<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
Classic	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
2019	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
video	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Running	O
alongside	O
the	O
main	B-Protocol
version	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
,	O
Classic	O
recreates	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
in	O
the	O
state	O
it	O
was	O
in	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
its	O
first	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
Classic	O
and	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
Classic	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
later	O
released	O
to	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
progress	O
to	O
those	O
expansions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Classic	O
recreates	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
state	O
it	O
was	O
in	O
after	O
patch	O
1.12.1	O
,	O
September	O
2006	O
,	O
before	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
choose	O
from	O
the	O
eight	O
original	O
races	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	O
humans	O
,	O
dwarves	O
,	O
gnomes	O
,	O
and	O
night	O
elves	O
for	O
the	O
Alliance	O
,	O
and	O
orcs	O
,	O
trolls	O
,	O
tauren	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Forsaken	O
for	O
the	O
Horde	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
nine	O
classes	O
are	O
present	O
:	O
druid	B-Protocol
,	O
hunter	O
,	O
mage	O
,	O
paladin	B-Protocol
,	O
priest	O
,	O
rogue	B-Protocol
,	O
shaman	B-Protocol
,	O
warlock	B-Application
and	O
warrior	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
only	O
Alliance	O
players	O
can	O
become	O
paladins	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
only	O
Horde	O
players	O
can	O
become	O
shamans	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
world	O
is	O
restored	O
to	O
its	O
original	O
,	O
pre-Cataclysm	B-Protocol
state	O
,	O
and	O
expansion	O
areas	O
such	O
as	O
Outland	O
are	O
not	O
accessible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
means	O
that	O
game	O
content	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
patches	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Blackwing	O
Lair	O
,	O
Ahn'Qiraj	O
,	O
and	O
Naxxramas	O
raids	B-Protocol
,	O
battlegrounds	B-Protocol
like	O
Warsong	O
Gulch	O
and	O
Alterac	O
Valley	O
,	O
and	O
certain	O
items	O
and	O
quests	O
,	O
became	O
available	O
after	O
launch	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
six-phase	O
schedule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
option	O
of	O
Classic	O
servers	O
has	O
been	O
a	O
long-standing	O
request	O
in	O
the	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
first	O
expansion	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
,	O
removed	O
the	O
original	O
level-60	O
version	O
of	O
Kazzak	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
items	O
that	O
he	O
dropped	O
became	O
forever	O
unobtainable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Burning	B-Application
Crusade	I-Application
also	O
added	O
flying	O
mounts	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
criticized	O
for	O
their	O
effect	O
on	O
world	O
PvP	O
;	O
raised	O
the	O
level	O
cap	O
to	O
70	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
making	O
all	O
level	O
60	O
content	O
obsolete	O
;	O
and	O
opened	O
the	O
formerly	O
faction-specific	O
Paladin	B-Protocol
and	O
Shaman	B-Protocol
classes	O
to	O
both	O
factions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
expansion	O
,	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
,	O
removed	O
the	O
original	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
Naxxramas	O
and	O
Onyxia	O
raids	B-Protocol
and	O
all	O
items	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
obtained	O
from	O
them	O
;	O
added	O
a	O
Random	O
Dungeon	O
Finder	O
tool	O
,	O
which	O
many	O
players	O
felt	O
spoiled	O
the	O
"	O
social	O
aspect	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
and	O
made	O
certain	O
UI	O
improvements	O
that	O
were	O
criticized	O
for	O
reducing	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
read	O
quest	O
descriptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
that	O
existed	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
were	O
often	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
vanilla	O
"	O
by	O
players	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
referred	O
to	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
as	O
"	O
classic	O
"	O
at	O
least	O
as	O
far	O
back	O
as	O
November	O
29	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
when	O
Vaneras	O
wrote	O
"	O
We	O
occasionally	O
see	O
requests	O
for	O
us	O
to	O
open	O
pre-TBC	O
realms	O
,	O
or	O
classic	O
realms	O
if	O
you	O
prefer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lately	O
there	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
requests	O
for	O
pre-WotLK	B-Application
realms	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
am	O
sure	O
that	O
once	O
the	O
next	O
expansion	O
pack	O
is	O
released	O
there	O
will	O
be	O
requests	O
for	O
pre-Cataclysm	B-Protocol
realms	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Demand	O
for	O
Classic	O
and	O
other	O
legacy	O
realms	O
significantly	O
increased	O
when	O
the	O
Cataclysm	B-Protocol
expansion	O
revamped	O
the	O
entire	O
original	O
game	O
world	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
the	O
classic	O
or	O
"	O
old	O
world	O
"	O
content	O
forever	O
inaccessible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
's	O
response	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
as	O
provided	O
by	O
Tom	B-Protocol
Chilton	I-Protocol
,	O
was	O
"	O
Currently	O
,	O
my	O
answer	O
would	O
be	O
probably	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
many	O
private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
were	O
being	O
created	O
by	O
the	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
were	O
mere	O
novelties	O
used	O
for	O
experimenting	O
with	O
alterations	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
rules	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
raising	O
the	O
level	O
cap	O
to	O
255	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
early	O
servers	O
rarely	O
had	O
properly	O
scripted	O
raids	B-Protocol
,	O
quests	O
,	O
or	O
anything	O
else	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
expansions	O
progressed	O
and	O
demand	O
for	O
legacy	O
realms	O
grew	O
,	O
private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
reversed	O
focus	O
and	O
were	O
seen	O
as	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
faithfully	O
re-create	O
older	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
emphasizing	O
fidelity	O
to	O
the	O
official	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
Blizzlike	O
"	O
and	O
included	O
Feenix	O
,	O
Molten	O
Core	O
,	O
Emerald	O
Dream	O
,	O
Nostalrius	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Light	O
's	O
Hope	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
popular	O
was	O
Nostalrius	B-Protocol
,	O
which	O
opened	O
in	O
February	O
2015	O
and	O
had	O
800,000	O
registered	O
accounts	O
and	O
150,000	O
active	O
players	O
when	O
it	O
shut	O
down	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
a	O
cease	O
and	O
desist	O
letter	O
on	O
April	O
10	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
wake	O
of	O
Nostalrius	B-Protocol
's	O
shutdown	O
,	O
a	O
Change.org	B-Application
petition	O
for	O
official	O
Classic	O
servers	O
was	O
created	O
and	O
received	O
over	O
200,000	O
signatures	O
,	O
and	O
ex-World	O
of	O
Warcraft	O
team	O
lead	O
Mark	O
Kern	O
personally	O
delivered	O
it	O
to	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
president	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Michael	O
Morhaime	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Consequently	O
,	O
the	O
Nostalrius	B-Protocol
team	O
released	O
their	O
source	O
code	O
to	O
Valkyrie-WoW	O
,	O
another	O
long-standing	O
private	O
Vanilla	B-Protocol
WoW	I-Protocol
server	O
,	O
hosted	O
in	O
Russia	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Nostalrius	B-Protocol
servers	O
returned	O
on	O
December	O
17	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
Elysium	O
Project	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
player	O
database	O
as	O
it	O
had	O
been	O
just	O
before	O
the	O
shutdown	O
in	O
April	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
3	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
at	O
BlizzCon	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
then-Executive	O
Producer	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
J	O
.	O
Allen	O
Brack	O
,	O
announced	O
Classic	O
on	O
stage	O
during	O
the	O
WoW	B-Protocol
panel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2020	O
Blizzard	O
sent	O
out	O
a	O
survey	O
to	O
Classic	O
players	O
gauging	O
their	O
interest	O
in	O
a	O
Classic	O
Burning	B-Application
Crusade	I-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2022	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
Classic	O
,	O
scheduled	O
for	O
release	O
later	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
the	B-Protocol
Wrath	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
Classic	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
announced	O
a	O
strategy	O
of	O
minimal	O
changes	O
seeking	O
to	O
reproduce	O
the	O
feeling	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
original	O
state	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
possible	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
contrasts	O
with	O
the	O
approach	O
from	O
Classic	O
's	O
launch	O
in	O
2019	O
,	O
where	O
Blizzard	O
sought	O
to	O
preserve	O
all	O
the	O
interactions	O
and	O
behaviors	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
's	O
original	O
release	O
,	O
even	O
ones	O
that	O
seemed	O
irrelevant	O
or	O
unintended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Traditionally	O
,	O
both	O
unofficial	O
private	B-Application
servers	I-Application
and	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
official	O
Classic	O
servers	O
have	O
used	O
the	O
"	O
end-patch	O
state	O
"	O
for	O
each	O
expansion	O
,	O
meaning	O
that	O
the	O
class	O
balancing	O
and	O
features	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
final	O
phase	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
end-patch	O
state	O
included	O
a	O
Dungeon	O
Finder	O
tool	O
that	O
allowed	O
players	O
to	O
enter	O
a	O
queue	O
and	O
be	O
automatically	O
matched	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
to	O
complete	O
5-man	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Joyous	O
Journeys	O
was	O
active	O
during	O
the	B-Protocol
Wrath	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
pre-patch	O
,	O
and	O
returned	O
again	O
before	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Phase	O
2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
first	O
content	O
phase	O
,	O
the	O
health	O
and	O
damage	O
of	O
all	O
mobs	O
in	O
the	O
Naxxramas	O
raid	B-Protocol
were	O
increased	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
provide	O
players	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
challenge	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
in	O
2008	O
being	O
rather	O
undertuned	O
and	O
quickly	O
defeated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
Ulduar	O
raid	B-Protocol
,	O
Blizzard	O
implemented	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
changes	O
and	O
"	O
catch-up	O
mechanics	O
"	O
to	O
make	O
acquiring	O
gear	O
and	O
items	O
from	O
Phase	O
1	O
easier	O
and	O
faster	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
referred	O
to	O
this	O
new	O
difficulty	O
as	O
"	O
Heroic+	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
feature	O
is	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Mythic	O
and	O
Mythic+	O
Dungeons	O
from	O
later	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
expansions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
for	O
Naxxramas	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
sought	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
main	O
raid	B-Protocol
of	O
Phase	O
2	O
,	O
Ulduar	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
higher	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
cosmetic	O
changes	O
also	O
came	O
in	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
Classic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
's	O
original	O
release	O
also	O
included	O
paid	O
Race	O
Change	O
and	O
Faction	O
Change	O
features	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
both	O
added	O
in	O
Phase	O
2	O
of	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
Classic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
scored	O
Classic	O
an	O
80	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
and	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
WoW	B-Protocol
Classic	I-Protocol
is	O
more	O
than	O
just	O
a	O
new	O
version	O
of	O
an	O
iconic	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
feels	O
like	O
a	O
window	O
to	O
a	O
time	O
where	O
interacting	O
with	O
people	O
online	O
still	O
felt	O
novel	O
and	O
exciting.	O
"	O
</s>
