Blizzard announces $100 World of Warcraft anniversary box

Blizzard will release World of Warcraft Classic on August 27, ahead of a 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.

World of Warcraft Classic will allow players to relive—or experience for the first time—the early days of Blizzard’s renowned MMO, with an authentic re-creation of the game world at the time of the “Drums of War” update (patch 1.12.0), originally released August 22, 2006.

Blizzard has confirmed that World of Warcraft Classic will be included for all WoW subscribers at no additional cost and active subscriptions can opt in for a chance to participate in a closed beta test that begins May 15, followed by a series of stress tests scheduled for the summer.

Blizzard will be rolling out a series of in-game activities in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth in celebration of the game’s 15th anniversary, culminating in a 25-player raid that will pit players against iconic bosses from throughout the game’s history.

Blizzard also announced Tuesday the World of Warcraft 15th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, set for release on October 8.

The $100 (£89.99) package includes 30 days of game time for World of Warcraft, a ten-inch Ragnaros the Firelord statue, a pin, mousepad, set of art prints and a pair of in-game mounts.

Players can pre-purchase today at gear.blizzard.com and at select retailers worldwide.

“Building and launching World of Warcraft back in 2004 was immensely challenging,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “A tornado literally tore the roof off one of the game’s data centers during the early days of testing—but Blizzard was fortunate to have hundreds, and then thousands, and then millions of people around the world cheering our developers on.

“Like many of our players, everyone at Blizzard was fueled by the excitement of seeing the world of Azeroth from the ground level, through the eyes of the heroes inhabiting and fighting over it,” Brack continued.

“Azeroth has always been a wondrous and deadly place, and it was especially so at the time of WoW’s launch, when everyone was discovering its vistas and exploring its dungeons for the first time—all while helping and supporting the company as everyone here worked through the many technical struggles of hosting a game of this size.

“That early experience was incredibly important to Blizzard. It taught us many things about ourselves as a developer and publisher, and about the global community of players that we feel honored to be a part of.

“The World of Warcraft Classic experience is very different from the Azeroth we know today, but we love it for what it is and what it stands for. We can’t wait to get reacquainted with this dangerous, demanding, and rewarding world with all of our friends, new and old.”