World of Warcraft Classic to be Featured at BlizzCon 2018

Blizzard has announced that World of Warcraft Classic, the studio’s official attempt at recreating the legendary MMORPG as it appeared in its early days, will be showcased at BlizzCon 2018 in Anaheim, California on November 2-3. The news was included in a video detailing World of Warcraft‘s presence at the convention, which can be viewed below.

In the video, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas and Executive Producer J. Allen Brack reveal that a demo for World of Warcraft Classic will be playable on the BlizzCon show floor. Attendees will be able to explore “one of a couple of iconic zones,” but none were mentioned by name. They will also get to “spend a talent point here or there,” which is a reference to the original point-based talent tree system that was removed from the game with the release of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. In addition to trying the classic experience, a mythic keystone dungeon challenge will also be playable. If a group of five players is able to complete the challenge within the time limit, they will take home a BlizzCon-exclusive collectible.

The most exciting news, however, applies to BlizzCon Virtual Ticket holders. They will get to try the World of Warcraft Classic demo from home, starting shortly after the opening ceremony wraps up on November 2nd. This is a significant change from past BlizzCons, where gameplay demos were only playable by attendees in Anaheim. According to the BlizzCon website, the demo will remain playable until 10am PST on November 8th, “giving BlizzCon attendees a chance to check it out again once they get back home.” BlizzCon Virtual Tickets are included at no charge with convention tickets, and are available to everyone else for $49.99.

We’re likely to hear more details about BlizzCon 2018 in the coming weeks. Blizzard has yet to announce the closing band for the event or the convention presence for its other franchises, including Overwatch, Diablo, Heroes of the Storm, StarCraft, and Hearthstone.