Halfway through 2026, most of the World of Warcraft Classic roadmap Blizzard laid out at the start of the year has already shipped: The Burning Crusade arrived on the Anniversary realms in February, Mists of Pandaria Classic closed out its progression with the Siege of Orgrimmar in June, and everything after that points at one date — BlizzCon, returning Sept. 12-13 for the first time since 2023.
The Burning Crusade, one year at a time
The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition launched Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. PST, included with a standard WoW subscription, after a Jan. 13 pre-patch opened the Dark Portal's approach with the level-58 boost and Jewelcrafting. The expansion raised the Anniversary realms' level cap to 70, added blood elves and draenei as playable races, and opened its first raid tier — Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, and Magtheridon's Lair — on Feb. 19, with the first Arena season following in the same window. The Anniversary realms run on a compressed cadence designed to move through the expansion in roughly a year, and Blizzard's roadmap prints the rest of it in seasons: Phase 2, Overlords of Outland, in spring with Serpentshrine Cavern, The Eye, and Arena Season 2; The Black Temple phase in summer, bringing Mount Hyjal and Arena Season 3; and an autumn double-feature of The Gods of Zul'Aman and Fury of the Sunwell, closing the Anniversary run at Sunwell Plateau with Arena Season 4.
Pandaria wrapped — and the map runs out at Anaheim
Mists of Pandaria Classic spent the first half of the year finishing its arc. Phase 4 landed in spring with the Battlefield: Barrens world event and Brawler's Guild Challenge Cards, and Phase 5 arrived June 2 with the Timeless Isle and the final stretch of the legendary cloak questline. The Siege of Orgrimmar — the expansion's 14-boss final raid — opened two days later, on June 4, completing Mists of Pandaria Classic's content progression.
What the roadmap does not say is what comes after: Mists of Pandaria Classic's future beyond the Siege, and everything Blizzard is holding for the BlizzCon slot printed in the middle of its own timeline — the show returns to the Anaheim Convention Center on Sept. 12-13. The studio has said more unannounced Classic content is in the works beyond what the roadmap shows.
All Classic players across the globe have a lot to look forward to.
That gives the back half of 2026 a printed floor and an open ceiling: Black Temple and the Sunwell on the Anniversary realms, and whatever Blizzard is saving for the Anaheim stage. For Classic players, September just became the most important date on the calendar.
Join the conversation — sign in to comment.
Sign in