The next big private server of World of Warcraft is under attack. Many believe: The days are numbered.
As old as World of Warcraft are the private servers for the game, sometimes referred to as “pirate servers.” Here you can play for free, although Blizzard doesn’t like it – after all, these are not official realms, but mostly run by private individuals who make changes to the game and often want to earn money with it.
A few weeks ago “Turtle WoW” was shut down. Now the next target is under attack, the “Ascension” server.
The air is getting thin for private servers to WoW
What has happened? As explained in the Subreddit of the Ascension server and reported on wowhead, Blizzard has initiated the next lawsuit. This is a “Cease & Desist” lawsuit, meaning a lawsuit to stop operation. This aims to prevent the operators of Ascension from continuing the current server and ensure they do not open further servers in the future.
Why was the Ascension server popular? After the closure of Nostalrius a few years ago and now Turtle WoW a few weeks ago, Ascension is one of the “last big” private servers of WoW that people still talk about. Here too, the operators have tried to offer unique content for a “Classic+” experience.
An attempt that will likely fail now.
Although there is no statement from the Ascension operators yet, considering how other servers have reacted before, it is likely that they will agree. After all, Blizzard has mentioned many of the operators by name in the lawsuit, and a large part of them are based in the USA.
Why is Blizzard doing this? First and foremost, it is important to note that it is Blizzard’s right to take action against such servers. After all, outside individuals are profiting from Blizzard’s intellectual property. At the same time, developers miss out on additional revenue because potential players do not pay a subscription fee but instead play for free on private servers.
Furthermore, Blizzard is already working on its own “Classic+” experience – or at least something in that direction. Many hints are now pointing to this, such as the arrival of well-known streamers who deal with WoW Classic. It is reasonable to assume that we may learn something new at BlizzCon.
What is your opinion on private servers for World of Warcraft? Do you think Blizzard should be a little more lenient and allow such servers? Or is it good that the developers are taking a tough stance to protect their intellectual property and prevent others from profiting off it?
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