The starting point
The announcement of World of Warcraft: Forever sent shockwaves through the industry, but players of modes like The Burning Crusade Anniversary were left with a question: what does this mean for their game?
WoW: Forever is not set to launch until Nov. 4, and guaranteed Beta access sits behind a $60 bundle. So it would have been fair to expect TBC Anniversary to keep a strong raiding base at least until the November launch. After just one week of Beta, the picture looks different.
Raiders per week per Ironforge.pro (Warcraft Logs data)
- TBC Anniversary, Sept. 8-14
- 212.821
- TBC Anniversary, Sept. 15-21
- 124.487
- TBC raider difference
- -88.334
- MoP Classic raiders
- 33.125 → 24.971
TBC Anniversary
TBC Anniversary is currently in Phase 3 with Black Temple and Mount Hyjal. Zul'Aman and Sunwell Plateau are still to come. Beyond that it is unclear what happens next, including whether Wrath of the Lich King Anniversary is planned.
Mists of Pandaria Classic
The Mists of Pandaria Classic player base is also waiting to hear what happens to characters that have been with them since WoW Classic launched in August 2019. That mode has been in its final phase since June, with the launch of Siege of Orgrimmar. With the Forever Beta, its raiding population fell from 33,125 to 24,971.
With uncertain futures and no clear progression path, the data suggests players are either playing the WoW: Forever Beta or waiting to hear what Blizzard plans for both game modes.
Original report: Wowhead