Blizzard has confirmed The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition pre-patch arrives January 13, 2026. The update brings a complete restructuring of the Arena system, new quality-of-life features, and forces players to make permanent decisions about their characters' futures.
Character Decisions and Transfer Deadlines
Every character on Classic Anniversary realms must choose between advancing to Burning Crusade or transferring to Classic Era. Free transfers from Anniversary Realms to Classic Era opened November 25 and close permanently on January 12, 2026. Characters remaining on Anniversary realms after that date will automatically progress to Burning Crusade.
Realm type restrictions apply. Normal PvE characters stay locked to PvE realms, and PvP characters remain on PvP realms. Hardcore characters can still transfer off Hardcore realms if they choose.
Expansion Features
The Anniversary Edition includes everything from the original expansion for anyone with an active WoW Subscription or Game Time. The level cap increases to 70, and Blizzard mentions an "increased level cadence" for the leveling experience.
Blood Elves and Draenei
Both new races become playable during the pre-patch, letting players level through Azeroth before the Dark Portal opens.
Blood Elves join the Horde as survivors of the Burning Legion's Third War assault. They're seeking revenge for the destruction of their people and the corruption of the Sunwell. Available classes include Mage, Hunter, Rogue, Priest, Warlock, and Paladin (previously Alliance-only).
Draenei join the Alliance after being exiled from their homeworld and hunted across the cosmos by the Burning Legion. They can play Warrior, Paladin, Priest, Mage, Hunter, and Shaman (previously Horde-only). Their racial passive, Gem Cutting, boosts Jewelcrafting skill for crafting rings, neck pieces, and socketable gems.
Flying Mounts and Outland
Players level 60 and above can venture into Outland, the shattered fel-scarred realm serving as the expansion's main setting. Flying mounts unlock access to previously unreachable areas and change navigation entirely.
Raid Content at Launch
Three raids will be available:
Karazhan is the haunted tower of the sorcerer Medivh. A terrible curse has gripped the structure since his death. Spirits of nobles from nearby Darkshire walk its halls, while dangerous entities lurk in Medivh's study where he once summoned demons.
Gruul's Lair houses Gruul the Dragonkiller, worshipped as a deity by the ogres of Blade's Edge Mountains. His sons ravage both the mountain spires and Nagrand's plains.
Magtheridon's Lair holds the former lord of Outland, imprisoned by Illidan Stormrage. Magtheridon now seeks to reclaim his domain.
Arena System Completely Rebuilt
The biggest changes hit the Arena system. Arena Teams are gone entirely.
Why Teams Had to Go
The original system tied rating to team rosters. A Gladiator-level player could leave their team, join a new player's roster, and face opponents at default rating. Players could only join one team per bracket, creating friction when they wanted to play with different partners. Weekly Arena Points required 10 games with your specific team, and rewards depended on team rating.
The New Individual System
Each player now has their own rating for every bracket (2v2, 3v3, 5v5). Ratings start at 1500 instead of 0, meaning there's somewhere to fall, not just climb.
A weekly reset option lets players pay gold to restore their rating to 1500 if they've dropped below it. Ratings above 1500 can't be reset. Each bracket has its own independent reset, and costs vary by bracket.
Arena Points now depend on individual rating. Matchmaking factors in each player's personal rating, so getting carried by experienced players becomes less effective. High-rated players can't ditch their team to stomp beginners anymore.
PvP Gear Gets More Accessible
Most PvP gear no longer requires any rating to purchase. Two exceptions: Shoulders need 2000 rating, and Weapons need 1700 (down from 1850 originally). Blizzard wants to preserve prestige for top competitors while opening entry-level PvP to players who struggle reaching higher brackets.
Overall gear costs have been reduced. Faction Reputation PvP Gear, previously locked until Phase 2, will be available from Arena Season 1's start.
Mixed Set Bonuses
Faction Reputation PvP sets and Honor gear (Grand Marshal's/High Warlord's) now share set bonuses. Mixing 2 pieces of Dragonhide Battlegear with 2 pieces of Grand Marshal's Sanctuary grants both the two-piece and four-piece bonuses. Previously, mixing sets would only give the two-piece bonus twice.
This matters because of Resilience. The stat reduces damage from other players and often determines whether someone survives or gets deleted instantly. Without Resilience from PvP gear, competitive play becomes brutally difficult.
Arena Season 1
Competitive play launches across three arenas: Ring of Trials in Nagrand, Circle of Blood in Blade's Edge Mountains, and Ruins of Lordaeron above Undercity. Rewards include gear, mounts, and titles.
The honor system won't have a ranking component, so maintaining rank or standing isn't a concern. Players interested in ranked progression can pursue it through Arenas instead.
Jewelcrafting and Guild Bank
Jewelcrafting debuts as a new profession for crafting rings, amulets, trinkets, healing statues, and gear gems. Master trainers are in Hellfire Peninsula: Kalaen at Thrallmar for Horde, Tatiana at Honor Hold for Alliance.
Unlike original Burning Crusade Classic, the Guild Bank launches with the expansion. Located inside banks near the vault, it offers eight purchasable tabs with 98 slots each. No bags required for these slots. The first tab costs 100 gold, with prices increasing per tab. Guild masters control permissions for each tab individually.
Classic Era Realm Changes
Players staying on Classic Era realms get their own updates.
The Group Finder tool arrives as what Blizzard calls a "true quality-of-life update" for connecting players. Dual Spec comes to Classic Era as well, available to both new and existing characters.
Blizzard acknowledges some players are hesitant about any Classic Era changes. They describe Dual Spec as "arguably the single most popular new feature" in the Classic space since its Season of Discovery debut, with players praising how it makes the game more enjoyable.
Hardcore realm rulesets will align between Anniversary Hardcore and original Hardcore servers. Original Hardcore realms receive Dual Spec, Instant Mail, and the Dungeon Finder tool.
Edit Mode for UI customization is coming to BCC Anniversary Edition and could eventually reach Classic Era. Blizzard has expressed interest in community feedback on optional UI improvements.
PTR Open Now
The Classic Era PTR has updated to patch 2.5.5, the first Burning Crusade Anniversary build. Players can create level 60 template characters to test Outland content and reach level 70.
Character copying only works for non-Hardcore Anniversary characters. The PTR interface shows all live realms (Anniversary, Era, Hardcore, Season of Discovery) as available, but only non-Hardcore Anniversary realm characters can actually be copied.
Getting to Anniversary Realms
Launch World of Warcraft Classic, click Change Realm, select the Anniversary Edition tab, and pick a realm matching your preferred play style: PvE, PvP, or Hardcore.
Key Dates
- November 25, 2025: Free transfers to Classic Era opened
- January 12, 2026: Last day for free transfers
- January 13, 2026: Pre-patch releases after regional maintenance; character decisions become permanent
The Arena overhaul and accessibility changes signal Blizzard's focus on reducing friction for new and returning players. Preserving exclusive rewards for top competitors should keep the system's competitive appeal intact.
