Summary
World of Warcraft ClassicGMs have shown up in the new fresh realms, marking the first reported instance of physical in-game moderators in over a decade. ThoughWorld of Warcrafthas moved away from the old game master model, Blizzard has finally brought them back toClassicfor the MMO’s 20th anniversary.
On November 21,World of Warcraftkicked offClassicall over again with its 20th Anniversary Realms. This fresh take onClassicspun things back to the beginning on a handful ofbrand-newWorld of Warcraftrealms, but with a few quality-of-life changes to make the game more enjoyable.
However,World of Warcrafttook the opportunity given byClassicFresh to bring back something that hasn’t been seen in the game for more than 10 years. While revisiting Azeroth as it was back in 2004, someWorld of Warcraftplayers have encountered game masters, complete with their iconic black and blue robes. On the Thunderstrike EU realm,WoWfan and Twitter user Valaeryon had one such encounter with the GM Eovissar, even going so far as to take a screenshot of him with their Paladin character, Aethorien.
WoW Game Masters in Fresh Anniversary Realms
WhenWorld of Warcraftfirst started, game masters would appear in the game when answering tickets or dolling out punishments to troublesome players. Sporting matching black robes with blue stripes, the appearances of these figures became the stuff of local legends. Many stories of encounters withGMs and their mysterious island inWorld of Warcrafthave circulated over the years. Unfortunately, the advent of remote technology, automation for answering tickets, and recent layoffs have led to game masters no longer appearing directly inWoW. The exact timeline isn’t known, but it is believed that Blizzard moved away from GM avatars betweenWrath of the Lich KingandMists of Pandaria, between 10 and 15 years ago.
If there was any doubt about the authenticity of the screenshot, the officialWorld of Warcraftaccount reposted Valaeryon’s image. What’s more,World of Warcraftexecutive producer and vice president Holly Longdaleconfirmed the in-game GMs were composed of people fromWoWand its sister teams. She was excited to share the info, making the love she and her fellow developers have for their community known.
Needless to say, fans were delighted to see GMs make their triumphant return to the game. Players have been excitedly sharing their own encounters, begging Blizzard to bring them back full time to both Classic and modernWoW. It remains to be seen if theClassicFresh GMs are here to stay, or just as a fun way to celebrate the realms’ release, but either way, it ensured the launch of thesefreshWorld of Warcraftserverswould be all the more memorable.
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World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It’s one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.
