Blizzard said it has "big plans and big ambitions" about what's next

A "Major" New WoW Classic Project Is In The Works, And Fans Are Hoping For One Thing In Particular

Blizzard said it has "big plans and big ambitions" about what's next

"Season of Discovery was a success beyond our wildest imagination in 2023," Greenfield said. "We learned so much, we grew as a team both literally and figuratively, and we've been invigorated for the future like never before. That future for Season of Discovery is somewhat bittersweet, as we've made the decision to slow down on Season of Discovery and begin work on our next major project in the original WoW design space."

He said Blizzard has "big plans and big ambitions" for its next WoW Classic project, plans that will require Blizzard to take the time to "get in the proverbial kitchen and cook," he said. Blizzard will use that time to further shape and iterate on ideas from Season of Discovery into "something truly exciting."

What that next major project will be is still unclear, but many WoW Classic fans are assuming (and hoping) it's what the community, and even Blizzard itself, has for years referred to as Classic+. It's an idea that calls for essentially a new version of WoW Classic with new content like class changes, raids, and zones. Rather than progress to a new expansion and landmass as was the case originally, Classic+ would remain in the core regions of Azeroth and explore locations that never made it into the original version of WoW, like Mount Hyjal and others. In theory, it's something that would be similar to Season of Discovery, but less radical in some of its class changes and intended to continue as an ongoing game rather than a seasonal server meant to run its course.

Greenfield said the original plan for Season of Discovery, which added new abilities and content to the over 20-year-old original version of WoW, was for it to end with the release of the game's retooled Naxxramas raid and the introduction of a new dungeon, the Karazhan Crypts, in January 2025. Instead, the team decided to realize one more unfulfilled dream, releasing an entirely new raid several months later, the Scarlet Enclave.

It's that new raid where Blizzard is now offering a free level 85 character boost to use in the upcoming Mists of Pandaria Classic for players who defeat its first boss. Greenfield said the character boost serves as a "capstone" for Season of Discovery and a way for players to jump straight into a new version of Classic now that Season of Discovery development is winding down. While development is slowing for Season of Discovery, Greenfield said it has no plans to shut down servers, and that they will remain online for many months if not years to come.

"When we think of the impact that Season of Discovery will ultimately have on World of Warcraft, we think about how it helped prove something that a lot of us already knew: there is an enormous appetite for new experiences set against the backdrop of original World of Warcraft," Greenfield said.

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