This morning, at 0:00, the new expansion of WoW Classic started with Wrath of the Lich King. Countless players wanted to set off for the new world of Northrend on time. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was there and filmed how crazy it looks.
It’s Monday evening, 11 PM. We just finished the raid in Shadowlands, the last one for this week. Unfortunately, Sylvanas is still up. I say goodbye to my guildmates and consider going to bed.
Then I look at the clock and see: Only one hour until the release of WotLK Classic. “Ah,” I think to myself. “Why not? Participating in a WoW release as a player is fun.”
So I log in. Just for fun, I test the queues on other servers and see, that players on Venoxis wouldn’t make it online in time for the release. With a smile, I write the article in the middle of the night. It was to be expected.
I take the hearthstone to Shattrath, the portal to Ironforge, and the griffon to the harbor of Menethil. I want to travel to Northrend, to Howling Fjord.
In front of me flies the Death Knight “Suchehirn”. It’s late, fatigue sets in, and the dull humor makes me grin. Then the griffon lands. I mount my horse … and am absolutely overwhelmed by what I see.
Too many players: I can’t see myself anymore
Hardly have I moved a few steps away from the griffon master, the game finally loads textures. More specifically: players. Dozens, hundreds. I can’t count them, there are too many bodies next to each other, on top of each other, overlapping.
Here I decide: I have to capture this. Back to the griffon master for the effect, then start the recording. Again the ride to the pier. I stay a bit outside because I want to capture the atmosphere.
The mood is good, people are looking forward to Wrath of the Lich King, one of the best addons of all time. There are partly funny, partly ridiculous comments. “The ship leaves today from another pier!” “Please keep 2 meters apart!” “Max 10 people on the ship!”
Meanwhile, it’s 11:58 PM. On the horizon, the ship that is supposed to take me and the legion of fellow players to Howling Fjord spawns. A steam-powered ship of the Alliance, first introduced as a model in WotLK. The first ship ever to sail to Howling Fjord in WoW Classic.
A brief nostalgia overwhelms me, a little pride in my faction even, when I see the ship. Then it docks and a dam breaks.
A flood of players. Literally.
Upon boarding the ship, I realize that the characters I saw at the pier are by no means all of them. Many stood overlapping, so that elves pour forth from humans, dwarves emerge from gnomes, and storm aboard the ship.
I wonder: If Menethil is already full, how many damn people must be waiting at the harbor in Stormwind?
Lost in thoughts, I make my own way, which proves to be more difficult than I thought. So many horses, raptors, tigers, and other animals that I can’t see myself, even though I am wearing quite visible armor as a paladin.
A few times I startle because I think I am riding too far and going overboard. That would be a disaster. But finally, I take a place at the helmsman and look at the ship. Yes, it would definitely sink if we were in the real world. So many players …
Seconds later we set off and make our way to Northrend. Did it always take this long? An eternity later, the ship stalls. Shock! Are the servers failing?
Then relief: the loading screen. I see the route our ship takes to Howling Fjord. Soon, the splendor of Northrend appears before me.
A new world full of familiar secrets
This is not my first time in this new world, after all, I played and loved WotLK at release 14 years ago. Nevertheless, the sight of the gorge through which the ship navigates fills me with awe.
Meter-high cliffs, a burning ship as a “welcome greeting”, Castle Utgarde in the distance. Familiar surroundings, something like a home – at least it was sometimes.
The ship makes a huge curve as if they want to show us the most beautiful spots of the fjord on a cruise. Many players can’t wait, the flood breaks out again. Dozens jump off board on their mounts.
Many swim ashore, others walk on water, carried by the spells of shamans or the Icy Paths of Death Knights. I stay, I want to enjoy and capture the moment. For you, for me.
Finally, we dock at the pier in Valgarde, the Alliance’s stronghold. I see warlocks summoning friends. Hunters buying ammunition. Warriors, paladins, and mages taking quests. Crafters leveling up their professions.
It’s a nice feeling.
A last stroll through Valgarde, then I end the recording. I visit the profession trainers, train my blacksmithing and mining, learn cooking.
A last look at Castle Utgarde, which I would soon enter and conquer, then I log out at the inn. The “Well Rested” bonus should help me when I finally take the path to level 80 myself.
As I turn off the PC and head to bed, I think about how to best convey this story. “Surreal scenes in WoW Classic?”
Doesn’t matter. I need sleep, release day will be exhausting. I’ll write the text anyway tomorrow. It will surely be good, somehow.
