Much like the developers of RuneScape (Jagex) learned back in 2013 when they launched "Old School RuneScape" (a nostalgic, 2007-themed version of the browser MMO), World of Warcraft developer Blizzard has found that there's a significant demand for a similar "Classic" server.
After years of allowing private servers to fill that void, Blizzard caved in to that demand at Blizzcon 2017, finally unveiling "World of Warcraft Classic" to the public. The game, the developer promised, would be just as it was around the time it first launched over a decade ago.
Following a public demo at Blizzcon 2018, Blizzard has now finally announced the launch date for Classic servers: they will be going live on August 26 for North America and the UK, and August 27 for the rest of the world. You'll be able to create your character a bit earlier than that on August 13.
Whether or not Blizzard will follow Jagex's lead and roll out fresh new updates that remain true to the Classic experience – perhaps via an Old School RuneScape-like player polling system – remains to be seen. It's possible that the developer will simply re-launch a couple early expansions or updates, such as Naxxramas or The Burning Crusade.
Regardless, players will discover Blizzard's plans for themselves in the months following Classic's official release. We're certainly excited to see what the studio has up its sleeve, and we'll keep you updated as we learn more.