The legal dispute between Blizzard and Turtle Wow seems inevitable – but what the outcome will mean for the community remains to be seen.
A popular private server where thousands of users played World of Warcraft for free is currently the subject of legal proceedings. However, it remains to be seen whether this will actually spell the end for the server.
Pirates In The WoW Universe
A few days ago, it was announced that Blizzard had filed a lawsuit against Turtle WoW – a so-called private, or rather “pirate server” for the online role-playing game. Such projects have always been a thorn in Blizzard's side: on the one hand, because they make access to the game free of charge, and on the other, because operators often generate revenue for themselves using Blizzard's brand through donations or other means.
Why Now?
Private servers have been around for years – most remain small and inconspicuous. Turtle WoW, however, has recently experienced massive growth, opening additional realms and engaging in sometimes aggressive advertising. With its rising popularity, it was probably only a matter of time before Blizzard intervened to protect its copyrights.
The economic damage should not be underestimated: while a few players on small servers are hardly significant, Turtle WoW had over 50,000 active users. Extrapolated, this means lost subscription revenue of around $650,000.
What Made Turtle WoW Special?
Turtle WoW was known as a “Classic+” server: players could experience WoW Classic, supplemented by new zones, dungeons, and features. This mix of nostalgia and fresh content made the project extremely popular in the community – and it was completely free.
What Are The Chances?
In the past, Blizzard often only needed to threaten legal action to persuade operators to withdraw. However, some projects based in regions such as Russia remained unimpressed.
In the case of Turtle WoW, Blizzard appears to be taking a more decisive approach: the statement of claim even names the real names of individual responsible parties – a clear signal that the publisher has set its sights on the operators.
It remains to be seen whether Turtle WoW will be able to withstand this pressure. However, examples such as Nostalrius (2016) show that Blizzard can not only shut down private servers, but also draw new inspiration from them – at that time, pressure from the community ultimately led to the official launch of WoW Classic.
In the end, it remains to be seen whether Blizzard, the fans, or perhaps even both sides will benefit most from this legal dispute.