WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade release date, beta, and everything we know

WoW Classic: The Burning Crusade is now front and center on everyone's mind after the release of phase six content patch in December 2020, including the Vanilla release's final raid, Naxrammas. With everyone speculating on a World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade announcement and potential release date at BlizzCon 2021 (or BlizzConline, as the all-virtual event on February 19-20, is being called), there's a lot of chaff to have to wade through.

Fortunately, we're pulling together all the latest World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade new, rumors, and more as we get closer to a likely announcement in a few weeks. Here's what we know, what we've heard, and when we expect to see the relaunch of one of the most beloved MMO expansions ever.

World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade release date

Ahead of BlizzCon 2021, a leaked press kit confirmed that World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade is going to be announced during the event. 

There are many in the WoW Classic community who wanted the classic servers to stay as they are with only the original Vanilla release's content as is. It seems like many more players want to reexperience The Burning Crusade, though, and Blizzard clearly wants to give these players what they want. 

Blizzard surveyed World of Warcraft Classic players themselves about the future direction of the classic servers, including gauging interest in dedicated World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade servers, progressing existing Classic servers to The Burning Crusade expansion the same way the original Vanilla servers did, leaving everything as it is, and even a mix of several different options.

All this pointed to Blizzard trying to find a way to release World of Warcraft Classic: The Burning Crusade for those who want to play it. Given the money it will no doubt make by keeping Classic players' interest – and subscriptions – going, it's no surprise that Blizzard is going to keep the Classic experience going.

For those who want to keep their characters as they are and remain in the Vanilla Classic era, prior to Burning Crusade Classic's release, they will be able to decide whether to advance their characters to the Burning Crusade era with their realm or to continue on dedicated Vanilla Classic servers.

The original World of Warcraft launched in November 2004, with The Burning Crusade expansion launching just over two years later in January 2007. World of Warcraft Classic launched in August 2019, so if it were to keep to the original schedule for some reason, that would put a launch somewhere in October or November of this year.

Fortunately, rumors are swirling that we won't have to wait nearly that long. Flagged by Wccftech, World of Warcraft streamer "StaySafe" claims multiple sources confirmed the launch of some form of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade servers as soon as May 4.

Obviously, we won't know until BlizzCon when the servers are expected to launch, so such "leaks" and rumors need to be taken with a grain of salt. Even if the leak is legit, circumstances can change quite quickly.