WoW: Forever Is the Biggest Launch in World of Warcraft History
Azeroth is so crowded right now that even the murlocs are waiting in line.
World of Warcraft: Forever is off to a legendary start. Blizzard says the new edition is the biggest launch in the MMO's history, with more concurrent players than any WoW launch before it, according to Eurogamer.
That's an enormous statement for a game that has existed for more than two decades. WoW: Forever officially launched on November 4, and players clearly showed up in force.
Blizzard confirmed the new edition at BlizzCon in September, after dataminers spotted mysterious website colors labeled with a curious "wow 2" tag. Many fans assumed that meant the long-rumored Classic Plus project, which made the eventual announcement even more exciting.
How big was the WoW: Forever launch?
Big enough to break multiple records. Blizzard shared on social media that WoW: Forever set new highs for both peak concurrent players and returning players. GamesRadar+ also highlighted the record number of lapsed players who came back, which lines up perfectly with Blizzard's celebration.
"Congratulations everyone, you made history!" the official World of Warcraft account posted. "This is all because of you, the players. From all of us, thank you!"
There's one important catch, though. Blizzard hasn't shared any actual player numbers yet, so we don't know precisely how many adventurers are crowding into Azeroth right now.
Are new players trying World of Warcraft?
Apparently, a lot of them. World of Warcraft vice president and executive producer Holly Longdale said the launch brought in the most new players for a WoW launch in 15 years.
"Welcome all! We're so happy you're here experiencing Azeroth for the first time alongside those of us playing it for the first time... again," she wrote.
That's a meaningful milestone, because MMOs usually depend on returning veterans. Pulling in brand new players suggests WoW: Forever's fresh start is working exactly as Blizzard hoped.
What else is happening in WoW: Forever?
Blizzard is already patching things up. The first major hotfix rolled out on Friday and fixed an especially powerful bug that tipped PvP battlegrounds like Warsong Gulch in the Horde's favor, according to Eurogamer.
If you need a refresher on how this version works, our WoW: Forever launch guide explains the level 60 cap and everything else that makes it different.
My read is that WoW: Forever proves how much players wanted a fresh, shared starting line. Nostalgia brought veterans back, but the new player numbers are the real story, since that's what keeps an MMO alive for years. (The Horde players who loved that battleground bug may disagree.)
Are you playing WoW: Forever? Tell us in the comments.
More gaming news is right here.
