Even before the release of WoW Classic, there were concerns in the World of Warcraft community about the future of the game. Now, several weeks later, this discussion is still taking place in forums and other social channels.
This is what players are currently concerned about: In several discussions since the release of WoW Classic, players of Classic and Retail argue about whether Classic represents a “threat” to Battle for Azeroth or not. Recently, this discussion came up in a new forum post.
The creator Dribbowl raises the somewhat open question of whether around 90% of friends lists of other players are Classic and hardly anyone plays BfA. He also wonders about the future of Retail:
If this is the case, what does the future of BfA look like? Are we preparing ourselves for another 15 years stuck at the same point as now? Or does anyone believe that Blizzard will reboot the universe of WoW a second time?
Classic vs. Retail – Is this really a problem?
This is how Classic is doing: So far, it seems that WoW Classic is doing quite well for the entire franchise. Since the release, it has attracted many viewers on Twitch. There is still no separation between the versions, making it difficult to say how much Retail benefits from it.
However, WoW Classic has helped Activision Blizzard’s stock price, which also promises an advantage for Battle for Azeroth. After all, the revenues flow together somewhere.
Only opponents of WoW Classic, such as DrDisrespect, see the new hype as a general threat to Twitch. However, the validity of these arguments is up for debate.
This is how players view the situation: Most players on their friends lists would not have played WoW in the first place, but are now playing Classic instead. This includes many people who previously played Classic on private servers. Hardly anyone who enjoyed BfA before has made a permanent switch.
For many, it is therefore not a problem that WoW Classic has become such a success. The answer to the question also depends on where you ask. User Lynlia summarizes the entire discussion:
Look at where you ask. In the Classic forum. People will naturally be “less favorable” towards Retail and vice versa if you ask in Retail forums. What I can say is that no version kills the other. Both are good games and they will remain.
Overall, discussions about “Which WoW is better” are often driven by frustration. In the end, everyone involved is a fan of WoW, and everyone should play the version that they enjoy. A user on reddit created a fitting comic about it:
The differences between Classic and BfA
What do players actually enjoy? Players still argue about what is much better in each of the versions compared to the other. Subjective advantages often arise for both versions.
- Rewards in WoW Classic feel meaningful because you have to work hard for them.
- Accordingly, the time you invest feels well spent.
- Retail, on the other hand, presents a greater challenge if you want to be really good.
- The content does not run out here, as there is always something to do with things like Mythic+, harder raids, and more.
Counterarguments include that BfA is self-destructing due to its boring grind and lack of variety, while Classic simply runs out of content, bosses are defeated much too quickly, and thus interest must inevitably decline.
What is your view on this? Is it a “Classic vs. Retail” battle or are they simply two different games that cannot undermine each other’s player base? Cortyn has a clear opinion on this:
