World of Warcraft Classic launches August 26. To make sure you’re prepared, we’ve pulled together some information to help you get started on your journey through Azeroth.

F.A.Q.

Q. What is WoW® Classic?
A. World of Warcraft Classic is a faithful recreation of the original WoW experience, as it was in 2006. Everything about the game—from combat mechanics and talent trees, to character models and zone layouts—has been restored to realize a truly authentic experience. You can learn more in our WoW Classic Primer for New Players.

Q. When does  WoW Classic launch?
A. The game will launch worldwide on Monday, August 26 at 3:00 p.m. PDT.

See below for details on the exact time you can log in and experience the origins of World of Warcraft.

Q: Will I need to pay for access to WoW Classic?
A: Everyone with active game time or a subscription to World of Warcraft will have access to WoW Classic.

Q. Can I use WoW Tokens in WoW Classic?
A. You won’t be able to buy and sell WoW Tokens in WoW Classic, but you can buy and sell them in World of Warcraft and use them toward your game time.

Q. Will my computer be able to run WoW Classic?
A. You can find a complete list of minimum system specifications for both Windows and Mac  in our WoW Classic Primer post here. The recommended requirements are the same for WoW Classic as they are for World of Warcraft.

Q: How do I access WoW Classic?
A: You’ll need to access the game through the Battle.net desktop app.

1. Open the Battle.net desktop app and select World of Warcraft from the side menu.
2. Under the Version menu, select World of Warcraft Classic. If you have more than one World of Warcraft account, you’ll see a second dropdown for Account. Select the active account you wish to play on from that column.
3. Click the Install button. The progress bar will show you when the game is available to play.
4. Once the installation is complete, click the Play button.

Q. Can I use my current Beta or Test characters from WoW Classic or a character I’ve played World of Warcraft with before?
A. You’ll need to create a brand-new character to play WoW Classic.

Q: How many characters can I create in WoW Classic?
A: You’ll be able to create a maximum of 10 characters per WoW Classic realm, with a total maximum of 50 characters across all realms in your region. You’ll also be restricted to one faction (Horde or Alliance) on PvP realms. WoW Classic name reservations are available now and allow you to create up to three characters per WoW Account before WoW Classic releases.

Q. What realms are available? 
A. You can view the list of realms in our Name Reservation article here.

Q. Will I be able to play all the content that was available in 1.12 when WoW Classic launches?
A. The content for WoW Classic will be rolled out across six patches, to allow for increasing power progression and to better deliver an experience closer to what it felt like to play in original WoW. We haven’t yet determined exactly when phases 2-6 will occur, but we’ll keep you updated as they draw closer.

Q: Will there be Cross Realm Battlegrounds when those go live?
A: Cross-realm battlegrounds were a feature of 1.12 and are important for matchmaking, so you’ll be seeing cross-realm battlegrounds in WoW Classic when Battlegrounds are introduced in Phase 3 of the content roll-out plan.

Q: What version of Alterac Valley will be in Classic?
A: The 1.12 version of Alterac Valley will be added to the game in Phase 3 of the content roll-out plan.

Q. Will there be an Armory for WoW Classic?
A. There was no Armory for World of Warcraft until the Burning Crusade. If you wanted to know more about a player’s gear before you invited them to your party, you had to meet them in the world and physically inspect them (and you couldn’t inspect players of the opposite faction until 2.4). You couldn’t see their spec or talent builds when you inspected them, either. To maintain that same dynamic, we won’t have an Armory or profile pages for WoW Classic at launch.

Q: I’ve collected a ton of mounts, pets, titles, toys and transmog gear over the years in World of Warcraft. Can I use them in WoW Classic?
A: No, you won’t be able to access any of the items in your World of Warcraft Collections tab when you’re playing WoW Classic.

Q: Will my original WoW CE pets be available?
A: Yes—as long you’re playing on the same account that you created when you purchased the original WoW Collector’s Edition code.

Q: Can I use my World of Warcraft Trading Card Game codes in WoW Classic?
A: Codes from the TCG won’t be usable in WoW Classic.

Q. I played WoW back in 1.12 and there are a few things that don’t seem quite right. Should I submit a bug report.
A. Memory can play tricks on you, so make sure you read through the WoW Classic “Not a Bug” list before you submit any new bug reports. If you do want to submit a bug report, you can do so in-game or in our WoW Classic Support and Bug Report forum.

Q. How is itemization going to work in WoW Classic?
A. Learn about our itemization philosophy for WoW Classic in this forum post.

Have a question we haven’t answered? Trying posting it in the WoW Classic Forum and seeing if other players can help you out.

​*To align with other regions, the Americas will launch slightly ahead of August 27 in local time.