The Burning Crusade Classic expansion pre-patch launches on the WoW Classic anniversary realms in January

WoW Classic anniversary realms can now look forward to the The Burning Crusade Classic pre-patch officially launching on January 13, 2026, technically fitting in the 2025 Classic roadmap which put it during during winter 2025-2026. Now that pre-patch has been announced, we can guess that The Burning Crusade Classic will probably launch on anniversary realms four weeks later, putting the release date around February 10, 2026.

Anniversary realms will undergo some significant changes leading up to TBC Classic pre-patch and even more after it goes live, so here’s what you expect from both the pre-patch and the expansion itself.

Coming soon: Free transfers off Classic Anniversary realms

All Classic anniversary realms (PVE, PVP, and Hardcore) are becoming Burning Crusade Classic anniversary realms. All players will need to choose between staying on their anniversary realm during this change or moving their character to a Classic Era realm and to help facilitate this choice, Blizzard is providing all players with free character transfer between November 25, 2025 and January 12, 2026. Any character not moved by January 12 will move forward to TBC Classic by default.

Originally, it sounded like Hardcore Classic anniversary realms would also become their own TBC Classic realms but Blizzard has confirmed there are no Hardcore Burning Crusade Classic anniversary realms. During the November-December transfer window Hardcore players may choose to transfer off of Hardcore realms and presumably into a normal PVE/PVP anniversary realm or to a Classic Era realm.

What will change when The Burning Crusade Classic pre-patch launches?

• Various class and stat changes
• Blood Elves and Draenei races become available, unlocking Horde Paladins and Alliance Shaman
• Jewelcrafting profession
• Dark Portal pre-patch event

If we assume the anniversary TBC Classic’s pre-patch goes like the first TBC Classic pre-patch, we can expect a number of changes to different class abilities and stats. Players will also be to play as new races and classes with the addition of the Draenei and Shaman class to the Alliance while the Horde welcomes the Blood Elves and Paladin class to their ranks. Both races have their own starting zones and, if we have our timing guesses correct, players will have a good amount of time to become expansion ready on any new characters they roll. Jewelcrafting will be the newest profession that all players can learn, giving the ability to embed gems into gear for different stat boosts.

Finally, those who are prepared can make their way to the Dark Portal early and fight the Burning Legion. If you kill enough of them and complete the Into the Breach quest, you can earn the Tabard of the Protector, which is only available during pre-patch.

What is in The Burning Crusade Classic anniversary realms?

• New level 70 cap
• Outland zones
• New dungeons
• New raids
• Guild bank

The Burning Crusade Classic will presumably have five content phases. At launch, players will be able to hit the new level cap of 70 and explore Outland and all of its zones. Some dungeons and raids will be available at launch with more to be added during each phase. In recent years, both the WoW and WoW Classic teams have published yearly content roadmaps outlining each game phases and release schedule for the year ahead, and it’s fair to expect that will be the case for 2026.

These roadmaps typically go live between mid-November and mid-December, so as we get closer to the end of the year, that’s something we’ll keep an eye on.

Originally published on September 29, 2025. Updated on November 19, 2025.