World of Warcraft is getting remade in Unreal Engine 5, not by Blizzard, but by a group of creators who operate the fan-run server known as Turtle WoW.
Turtle WoW has existed since 2018, and is a free, unofficial private server that looks to continue the original “Vanilla” version of WoW with an entirely fan-made expansion called Mysteries of Azeroth. The expansion, which takes a different route from Blizzard’s first official WoW expansion, The Burning Crusade, adds different playable races to the Horde and Alliance and additionally introduces features from later WoW expansions, like Transmogrification and Guild Vaults. It also adds new content (including new dungeons and raids) that aim to keep Azeroth relevant, rather than whisking players away to an entirely new planet or continent like in Blizzard’s official WoW expansions.
Now, the creators of Turtle WoW have announced the next step for the fan-run version of Blizzard’s enduring MMORPG: Turtle WoW 2.0. The project is slated to arrive in 2025, and looks to revitalize the old-school MMO by reimagining it in Unreal Engine 5, with enhanced HD visuals and improved lighting and shadows. Turtle WoW 2.0 will include support for existing WoW Classic mods, as well as provide new modding tools that will allow the team to “expand the world like never before,” according to the project’s announcement trailer. At launch, Turtle WoW 2.0 will feature the vanilla version of WoW as well as Turtle WoW’s Mysteries of Azeroth expansion.