Blizzard Takes Action Against Another Private WoW Server as Classic+ Announcement Feels Imminent

2 hours ago 1

Published Jun 29, 2026, 12:39 PM EDT

Jake Valentine is a Contributor at DualShockers with more than two decades of experience covering the video game industry. Since 2004, he has written about games across news, reviews, guides, lists, interviews, and event coverage, with experience covering major shows, preview events, breaking news, and one-on-one developer interviews.

Before joining DualShockers, Jake contributed to Outrun Gaming, GameRant, and The Game Fanatics. He has also worked in editorial, brand management, and operations roles, giving him a broad perspective on both games coverage and digital media. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Media and Broadcasting.

Blizzard Entertainment has been busy handing out cease-and-desist notices for quite some time now.

Last year, the company began to take action against Turtle WoW, a popular private server that delivers a "vanilla WoW" experience with new content. Blizzard would win their lawsuit, resulting in the closure of Turtle WoW.

They've now taken aim at another private server, Project Ascension. Earlier this month, Blizzard sued the creators of Project Ascension. Last week, they escalated things by introducing a summons request.

"A lawsuit has been filed against you," the suit reads, indicating that the creators of Project Ascension have 21 days to respond. "If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint."

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Blizzard Has a History of Shutting Down Private WoW Servers

This is far from the first time the World of Warcraft developer has taken action against private servers. In the past, they've engaged in legal battles against the creators of Nostralius, which ran from 2015 through 2016, running legacy content focusing exclusively on the original World of Warcraft experience.

Its popularity led to Blizzard inviting the creators of Nostralius to Blizzard HQ. The company would also announce official Classic World of Warcraft servers at BlizzCon 2017 before launching two years later.

With Blizzard focusing on more "Classic+" private servers for World of Warcraft, that is only adding more fuel to the fire for an official Classic+ announcement at BlizzCon later this year. In fact, it's something the company hinted at earlier this year.

During the company's 2026 State of Azeroth presentation, Holly Longdale, executive producer for World of Warcraft, was "preparing" to make a statement before being cut off: "I can say with confidence that all Classic players across the globe have a lot to look forward to. I'm excited to announce…" Everyone fully expects this to be Classic+.

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The Classic WoW Community is Still Alive and Well

In the meantime, Classic WoW fans are doing everything they can to engage with their favorite game.

The Mists of Pandaria expansion just saw the release of the Siege of Orgrimmar raid, but unfortunately, excitement for Mists has all but died out due to Blizzard's mishandling of the expansion. The Burning Crusade, on the other hand, is doing quite well as it rolls on through its Anniversary release.

Beyond that, a recent player-first initiative to re-live Season of Discovery recently kicked off, resulting in buzz and excitement in the air. For those unaware, Season of Discovery is a version of Classic World of Warcraft that introduces modern spells and abilities, new raids based on classic locations (Blackfathom Depths, Gnomeregan, and the new Scarlet Enclave raid), and new class roles, too, such as a Warlock tank.

With Blizzard focusing on more "Classic+" private servers for World of Warcraft, that is only adding more fuel to the fire for an official Classic+ announcement at BlizzCon later this year.

For many, this was the version of Classic+ they were hoping for, but it was, sadly, a limited-time event. Sure, the servers are still live, but it's been up to players to make the most of it.

There is more hope for official Classic+ servers following a recent visit from World of Warcraft streamers to Blizzard HQ. While they were tight-lipped about things, it feels like all signs are pointing to the long-awaited announcement of Classic+ World of Warcraft at BlizzCon 2026 later this year.