Right now, so many players want to log in to WoW Classic that the servers can no longer handle the load without difficulty. The new expansion Wrath of the Lich King hasn’t even been released yet. The pre-patch is enough for the influx. Blizzard is now offering free transfers.
This is how big the surge is right now: There are no official player numbers for World of Warcraft or WoW Classic. Some websites count created and logged-in characters, but these do not accurately reflect the total number of players.
Nevertheless, it is already visible that since the release of the WotLK pre-patch, significantly more players are logging in than before. This is reflected in the server loads, which in Germany are either “High” or even “Full” for 4 out of 6 realms.
On the English servers in Europe, things are even tougher. Gehennas has queues of over 10,000 players, Thekal puts you in a queue of more than 9,000 people during peak times. And this is despite, or perhaps because, Thekal is one of the “new servers” where everyone starts fresh.
The same picture is emerging on US servers. The popular servers Benediction and Grobbulus are just as overcrowded as their European counterparts. And those who manage to log in might be greeted with a black screen without characters:
How is Blizzard responding? The problem with the influx has apparently been recognized. On Twitter, the official support writes in response to the reports of the overcrowded servers: “We have had other reports about this issue and are currently looking into it.”
Due to this, free server transfers have been established on US servers and now also in Europe. These can be selected directly in the queue. If someone wants, they can therefore transfer their characters for free to another realm.
If you just want to watch the glorious intro cinematic of WotLK, you only need to start the game – or just watch it here:
WotLK will be released in just under 4 weeks, players want to play now
Where does the surge come from? With the pre-patch, leveling has been significantly eased. On the one hand, there is still the handy buff for 50% more experience. On the other hand, the required experience from level 60-70 has been significantly reduced.
So, anyone who wants to raise a character or prepare a Death Knight now has ideal conditions. Because the new class is also already playable. The expansion itself, however, will not be out until September 27.
Together with the low conditions, other features of WotLK are already in the game. Inscription is selectable as a new profession, achievements can also be earned now. Soon, the popular event that can turn you all into zombies will come.
However, not all players are happy with the current content. Besides the login issues, especially one change, which differs from Wrath of the Lich King 14 years ago, is not well received. Because the controversial Dungeon Finder is not in the game as players are used to:
