Blizzard has formally announced a new set of fresh servers for WoW Classic WotLK that will give players a chance to start over from the beginning rather than fighting to catch up.
Here's everything we've learned about these new WoW Classic WotLK fresh servers and their unique rules and restrictions.
WoW Classic WotLK Fresh Server Rules & Restrictions
In an effort to offer unique experiences for players with WoW Classic WotLK, as well as leveling the playing field and economy for returning and new players alike, Blizzard is introducing a new set of Fresh servers for WoW Classic Wrath of the Lich King.
These servers will be entirely new, and will not allow players to ignore the level 55 requirement for making Death Knights. This means all players must start at level 1 like everyone else.
So how will these WoW Classic WotLK fresh servers work?
These new servers will have the following rules and restrictions:
- For at least 90 days, you will not be allowed to boost a character on Fresh Start realms.
- For at least 90 days, Fresh Start realms will not be available destinations for character transfers.
- Death Knights cannot be created on these realms without a level 55 character on that same realm.
While this move is an exciting one overall that the community will happily welcome, in the end, the transfer policies may hurt the process significantly.
This is because of the fact that after the 90-day period, players will still be able to transfer characters over to these fresh servers. That means the reset of the economy and power level of players could eventually be for naught, as players can simply transfer in characters that are already fully established and may carry up to the gold cap.
It remains to be seen if Blizzard will adjust these rules moving forward, or limit the amount of gold or materials players can bring with them in server transfers.
READ MORE: WoW Classic TBC: Phase 5, Sunwell Plateau, Schedule, Patch Notes, Guides & Latest News
WoW Classic WotLK Schedule
In the latest blue post, Blizzard has clarified the intended schedule for the launch of Classic WotLK. This includes each stage of the process and where the team is now.
This process was described as the following over the next few months:
- PvE to PvP transfer restrictions removed*
- Wrath Classic closed beta test
- Classic Era clone service retired
- Existing realms consolidated**
- New Fresh Start Realms with Wrath Classic pre-patch
- Wrath of the Lich King launch
Server Transfers in WoW Classic
Server transfers are the hot topic when it comes to the new WoW Classic WotLK fresh servers, as after the 90-day period from their launch, server transfers to these fresh realms will be permitted again.
For many months character transfers have been free in WoW Classic as players from all smaller realms looked to consolidate to have more options for content. We have no assurances yet that these character transfers will remain free for WoW Classic WotLK, or how they will be handled in general with aspects like PVP to PVE realm transfer restrictions, character limits per server, and more.
For now, though, according to Blizzard, players will be able to transfer characters to WoW Classic WotLK fresh servers after 90 days.