Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Fan-Run Vanilla World Of Warcraft Server Elysium Coming Online Next Week
Preserving games can be a tricky thing, particularly when it comes to MMOs. Expansions and additional updates fundamentally change the way players engage with those virtual worlds. Fan servers attempt to give players a way to experience these games the way they once were, and old-school World of Warcraft fans will soon be able to revisit the game's vanilla version.
The Elysium Project is launching on December 17 at noon EST. It's the culmination of working with the team behind Nostalrius, which had earlier operated an unsanctioned WoW server. Blizzard shut it down, but the resulting online support inspired the company to invite Nostalrius' members to Blizzard's offices for a discussion.
Nothing came of that meeting, however, and Nostalrius eventually passed along its tech to Elysium. Now Elysium has taken over, and it's launching in a little less than two weeks. Players will be able to check out the game at no cost once it's live.
[Source: Eurogamer]
Our Take
I stopped playing WoW after the first expansion, and it would be fun to check it out again. Since this is also an unauthorized project, there's no telling how long it will stay live, but players will at least have a chance to rewind the clocks for a while – if this release-date announcement doesn't give Blizzard the time it needs to squash it preemptively.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
