Classic Anniversary Realms Moved On to TBC: How Characters Stayed on Classic Era

On November 18, 2025, Blizzard announced that the Classic Anniversary realms would continue into Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary Edition, starting with a pre-patch on January 13, 2026. Not every player wanted to leave original Classic behind, so Blizzard opened free character transfers from the Anniversary realms to Classic Era realms, where the game stays on its original level 60 rules.

The Anniversary Hardcore realms did not move on to The Burning Crusade. Until the January 12 maintenance, Blizzard let characters on those realms transfer to Normal (non-Hardcore) Anniversary realms so they could continue into TBC, at the cost of their Hardcore status. A Hardcore character that didn't transfer stayed behind and did not advance to TBC.

In short, Anniversary players had three choices: stay on a Normal realm and go to TBC, move to Classic Era and stay with original Classic, or, on Hardcore realms, give up Hardcore to continue into TBC.

• There's no way back. Blizzard said that after January 12, 2026, Classic Anniversary characters can't be transferred to Classic Era. A character that went on to TBC stays there.
• Era gained players. Characters moved during the window now play on Classic Era realms under the same rules as the rest of Era.
• Era is on patch 1.15.9. Since July 2026 its client has a modern interface update like TBC Anniversary's; see WoW Classic Era 1.15.9 Brings Edit Mode, New Nameplates and Raid Frames.

For the Anniversary realms' side of the story, from the pre-patch to the Outland raids, see TBC Anniversary Launch: Level 70, Blood Elves, Draenei and the First Outland Raids.

• Plan a level 60 build in the Classic Era talent calculator, which uses Classic Era's own client data and patch 1.12's talent trees.
• Check every class ability and its ranks in Class Spells, and the class quests that teach them in Class Quests.
• Level professions with the profession guides.