Just back to classic, last played Cata classic a while ago. Have to say I’m not the biggest fan of Cataclysm, so I’d rather not play that version. Or actually I did like Cataclysm, but didn’t like any of the extensions after it, so I don’t want to play a game that’s going to turn the corner of MOP soon, with no future for me if I may say.
So I’m looking for a version of the game I can enjoy, and I can imagine myself playing in the future too. It may sound stupid but I find it very important; when I spend dozens of hours levelling up a character (which I find fund btw so it’s not wasted time definitely), I need to know that it’s “worth it” and I’ll still be able to play that character a year later because the game will still be there, and still be good.
I’m looking at Anniversary because I like the fact that it’s going to TBC and probably WOTLK after. Classic is not my all-time favorite version as I’m rather casual, got kids, and don’t have that much time to play, so spending that much time traveling etc is a bit of an issue. Still like the version though but in terms of QOL we’ve come a long way between vanilla and WOTLK for example.
I’m also looking at SOD, and there I have to say I’m a bit lost. How different is it from vanilla? I’ve read classes are more balanced and they added some QOL things. Is it still close to the initial experience? I’ve also read that mages can heal and things like that, and I just don’t want to play a game that is too far away from the WOW I know. Also, what does the future look like? Apparently they’re releasing new content, and some vanilla content still has to be released, so it looks like that version of the game will be around for a while. But once Nax is released, what’s next? TBC+ ? Or a whole new extension replacing TBC (that’d be crazy)? Or SOD simply dies?
If people were in the same situation as me, please tell me what version you picked and why, and how you like it. Thanks a lot in advance
Title and contents of this post does not really match. I’ll give my bid on an answer to the title:
The short answer is - Nobody really knows what will eventually happen
Anniversary PvP and PvE will progress to TBC in spring '26. Not so Anniversary HC … but then? Your guess is as good as anybdy’s.
SoD should close, but won’t. Seems like it’s getting its own Era server.
I chose Era, more specifically Era HC. I like it, everything is important, you can play for 5 minutes or for 5 hours a day, and no matter what you achieved something.
The only thing we know is Anniversary will provide an option to BC.
It’s also very likely that the option to stay era (or era+ = anniversary) will be an option. Possibly era+ becomes the standard (with lfd and dual spec).
SoD was expected to merge into Era just like SoM, however it seems to have received further content and I can see a bit of stretching and offering an option to merge into Anniversary. I know it’s way more, but the first few powers I find were practically BC (and WLK) spells. MoPR was merged to Retail as well by providing - rather mediocre - standard equipment and some more.
There is a chance that Blizzard will figure out a way to support BC and WLK era. It’s plausible that they restarted because they felt ready. (We currently have three clients, so whether we’re going to have six (Retail + Classic-to-MoP) or merged is to be seen.
If I have to make a suggestion:
Play Anniversary, if:
You have a class to play BC-WLK, so that you don’t start from scratch and play catch up.
You are interested in group content while levelling. Really, LFD is a staple.
If you want to PvE and PvP and you’re willing to buy gold or run GDKP’s every week, funded by bots and gold buyers, go Era. Same applies if you only want to do either PvE or PvP (that or you play a class that uses almost the same pve build for pvp, curious that most people defending no changes play those classes)
If you’re not willing to do any of the things I mentioned, go Ani servers, it’s just Classic with small and appreciated QoL changes, and maybe we’ll get our own “Era” server, since the #nochange folks bend themselves sideways to the thought of a dual spec system or a lower respec price
SoD is absolutely different from vanilla. Like sky and earth different. They reuse vanilla quests, etc, but classes and specializations are completely different, meta is completely different, difficulty is completely different, dungeons and raids are different.
It’s very frustrating that they released fresh vanilla servers given that SOD was barely getting started. They’ve just released loads of shiny new content for it when players are now well invested in their new characters on anniversary.
On top of that they made new HC servers which essentially wiped out the existing HC servers leaving them now low pop.
There’s just simply too much, too much happening on slight variations of the same game trying to constantly pull players between them and splintering the audience.
All they had to do was release a PVP and PVE era server for TBC fully unlocked. Constantly levelling up on power speed progression servers is exhausting.
On top of that, it feels like things are in limbo… What happens to SOD when it ends… What happens to anniversary when it ends? Does TBC become era? Do they force everyone to WOTLK and beyond…? The lack of transparency here makes it even more frustrating.
As of right now though, Anniversary servers are probably where you will find the highest pop.
SoD might get another dungeon or raid and will get its own server after that. There will be some players trying a new class so it will not die after no new content has been released.
Anniversary PVP and PVE will progress to TBC. Whether it will progress to WOTLK and Cata after that hasn’t been announced but I hope not. Permanent TBC servers are what many players want. But we’ll have to wait until next Blizzcon or Warcraft Direct to find out.
It’s not just some QoL changes, its completely other game. It’s something like retail in classic world. It’s other experience, maybe you like it, maybe not. Most of end-game systems work different way then in classic.
Classes and specs. They work completely different then in classic and most of gameplay is based not on old classic abilities but on new “rune” abilities that you engrave on your gear. It’s mostly TBC or WOTLK abilities, but have some from later expancions or completely new. Rotation difficulty level is something about WOTLK.
Gear Itemisation. It’s completely changed, old items with useless stats in PvE reworked (such as spirit for casters changed to SP in many items). Tier sets designed for different specs, not only for 1 as it was in classic.
Gearing. Blizzard added a new currency that drops from dungeons (not more then once per day for each dungeon boss) and from old tier raids. It can be used to buy a lot of different gear, including t1 and half of t2 tier sets, and also some new gear and cosmetics.
Raiding. All raids have some kind of hardmodes, they work different way for different raids. It doesn’t give stronger loot, but it gives the chance to get more loot (affect its quantity, not quality), and some exclusive cosmetic rewards.
Economics and resources. Gathering professions yield about twice more loot then in classic. Alchemy potions are also doubled (you get 2 potions for same amount of reagents, and with some chance can get sometimes even 3-4 potions per cast. It also work for flasks). Some items that previousely were expencive (such as black lotus, dark runes, and MC/AQ40 raid mats) are added to boxes that you can buy for dungeon coins (that drops from every dungeon boss, for 5 coins that mean 5 dungeon bosses, you can buy a box with random mats), so they cost significantly less then in classic.
We have 90% confirmation that after naxx we will have at least 1 more raid scarlet enclave. Future of sod after this is unknown, it can be sod era server or some more updates. But as blizzard said, sod 100% won’t progress to tbc. New extension replacing TBC is possible but i think it’s low chance, because it requires more work then just use old assets as blizzard did all the way in sod.
