[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":2139},["ShallowReactive",2],{"site-settings":3,"articles:guides":16},{"id":4,"description":5,"email":6,"extension":7,"footerNote":8,"legalNotice":9,"locale":10,"meta":11,"name":12,"stem":13,"url":14,"__hash__":15},"settings\u002Fsettings.yml","Compare World of Warcraft realms by expansion, region, population and play style.","listings@realmlist.org","yml","An independent realm directory.","Not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.","en",{},"RealmList","settings","https:\u002F\u002Frealmlist.org","QXaYspLUSxnrVumL6oFir6PInhNsRw-yJchxEYSe1AU",[17,358,645,980,1198,1397,1515,1691,1817,1920,2027],{"id":18,"title":19,"author":20,"body":21,"category":321,"description":322,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":325,"navigation":326,"path":327,"publishedAt":328,"seo":329,"sitemap":330,"sources":333,"stem":349,"tags":350,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":357},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fjoin-turtle-successor-server-english-setup.md","Joining a Turtle WoW Successor Realm: Client, Language Pack and Addon Setup","RealmList Editorial",{"type":22,"value":23,"toc":311},"minimark",[24,33,38,105,112,116,122,137,147,164,168,171,202,207,221,225,228,243,246,250,253,256,275,279,298,302,305],[25,26,27,28,32],"p",{},"The practical upside of Turtle WoW's shutdown is that its code outlived it. Several successor projects run the same ",[29,30,31],"strong",{},"1.18.1 lineage",", which means an existing Turtle client can usually be repointed at a new realm in a couple of minutes. The friction is not the download — it is three specific things: the server address, a bundled Chinese language pack, and player names that render as empty squares once you remove it.",[34,35,37],"h2",{"id":36},"know-what-you-are-joining-first","Know what you are joining first",[39,40,41,57],"table",{},[42,43,44],"thead",{},[45,46,47,51,54],"tr",{},[48,49,50],"th",{},"Project",[48,52,53],{},"Lineage",[48,55,56],{},"What it is",[58,59,60,72,83,94],"tbody",{},[45,61,62,66,69],{},[63,64,65],"td",{},"Capybara (CapyCraft)",[63,67,68],{},"Turtle 1.18.1",[63,70,71],{},"Run by ex-Turtle SEA admins, APAC-hosted. Third-party trackers report roughly 10k concurrent at peak, making it the largest concentration of former Turtle players. Chinese-dominant global chat.",[45,73,74,77,80],{},[63,75,76],{},"Ravencraft",[63,78,79],{},"Turtle 1.18.1 reupload",[63,81,82],{},"Built by former Turtle contributors, live since 22 August. The closest thing to a direct continuation, with the community tooling and addon documentation to match.",[45,84,85,88,91],{},[63,86,87],{},"OctoWoW",[63,89,90],{},"Turtle 1.18.1 core",[63,92,93],{},"Three realms (PvE, hardcore, PvP) with phased raids planned through 2027. The team's stated structure is deliberately anonymous.",[45,95,96,99,102],{},[63,97,98],{},"Caverns of Time",[63,100,101],{},"Turtle+",[63,103,104],{},"Opened 15 August. A variant rather than a reupload — treat its content as its own thing.",[25,106,107,108,111],{},"One guard rail before anything else: ",[29,109,110],{},"these projects inherit the legal profile of the code they run."," Turtle WoW was shut down by a permanent injunction, and successors built on its leaked core sit in the most exposed category. That is not a reason to avoid them — it is a reason to verify a realm is online through its own channels on the day you plan to play, and to treat population figures as snapshots rather than trajectories. Third-party trackers are updated lazily.",[34,113,115],{"id":114},"step-1-get-a-client-two-ways","Step 1 — get a client, two ways",[25,117,118,121],{},[29,119,120],{},"Option A: download the project's client."," Fastest route, and the one to take if you do not already have a Turtle install. Follow the project's own site — do not use a mirror, because a client is the one component you cannot inspect after the fact.",[25,123,124,127,128,132,133,136],{},[29,125,126],{},"Option B: reuse your existing Turtle client."," If you kept a 1.18.x install, you do not download anything. Open the client folder, find ",[129,130,131],"code",{},"realmlist.wtf"," next to the executable, and replace its contents with the address the realm publishes — for 1.18-era clients this usually means setting ",[29,134,135],{},"both"," the realm list and the patch list to the realm's host:",[138,139,145],"pre",{"className":140,"code":142,"language":143,"meta":144},[141],"language-text","SET realmList \"logon.example.org\"\nSET patchList \"logon.example.org\"\n","text","",[129,146,142],{"__ignoreMap":144},[25,148,149,150,153,154,159,160,163],{},"Use the values from the realm's own documentation, not from this example. Afterwards, right-click the file, open Properties and mark it ",[29,151,152],{},"read-only",", so a launcher cannot overwrite your edit on the next update. If the client still connects to the old realm, our ",[155,156,158],"a",{"href":157},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fchange-realmlist-wtf","realmlist troubleshooting guide"," covers the usual causes — wrong locale directory, a hidden ",[129,161,162],{},".txt"," extension, or a build mismatch.",[34,165,167],{"id":166},"step-2-turn-a-chinese-ui-client-into-an-english-one","Step 2 — turn a Chinese-UI client into an English one",[25,169,170],{},"Clients distributed by the APAC-based successors commonly ship with a Mandarin language pack applied. It lives inside the client folder:",[172,173,174,182,193],"ol",{},[175,176,177,178,181],"li",{},"Open the ",[129,179,180],{},"Data"," directory.",[175,183,184,185,188,189,192],{},"Look for the patch archive whose name ends in a ",[129,186,187],{},"Z"," — most commonly ",[129,190,191],{},"patch-Z.mpq",".",[175,194,195,198,199,201],{},[29,196,197],{},"Move it out"," of ",[129,200,180],{}," (your desktop is fine) rather than deleting it, then restart the game.",[25,203,204,205,192],{},"The interface returns to English on the next launch. To switch back, put the file back in ",[129,206,180],{},[25,208,209,210,213,214,216,217,220],{},"Match the file by the ",[29,211,212],{},"patch-Z pattern rather than an exact filename",". Naming and letter case vary between repacks, and the same archive may appear as ",[129,215,191],{}," or ",[129,218,219],{},"Patch-Z.MPQ","; on macOS and Linux, filesystems are often case-sensitive, so a wrong-case reference in a guide will not match your install.",[34,222,224],{"id":223},"step-3-make-chinese-player-names-readable","Step 3 — make Chinese player names readable",[25,226,227],{},"Removing the language pack creates the next problem: players with Chinese names show as blank boxes above their heads. The fix is a font, not a setting:",[172,229,230,237,240],{},[175,231,232,233,236],{},"Create a folder named ",[129,234,235],{},"Fonts"," in the client's root directory, next to the executable.",[175,238,239],{},"Put a font that covers CJK glyphs into that folder.",[175,241,242],{},"Restart the client.",[25,244,245],{},"Chinese names now render as characters. No addon substitutes for this — the client needs the glyphs.",[34,247,249],{"id":248},"step-4-addons-and-what-is-safe-to-install","Step 4 — addons, and what is safe to install",[25,251,252],{},"The 1.12\u002FTurtle addon stack generally works across this lineage: quest helpers, bag and inventory suites, and the compatibility shims they depend on. The ecosystem has also kept pace with the successors specifically — community UI projects have shipped builds adapted for Capybara and OctoWoW, and a WeakAuras-style tool has been ported to the 1.12 client by community authors.",[25,254,255],{},"Two rules worth keeping:",[257,258,259,269],"ul",{},[175,260,261,264,265,268],{},[29,262,263],{},"Install only from the project's own community channels."," Addons execute inside the game process; an addon packaged with an installer or a helper ",[129,266,267],{},".exe"," is not an addon.",[175,270,271,274],{},[29,272,273],{},"If global chat is mostly Chinese, install a translation addon rather than switching realm."," On APAC-populated successors, chat language is the most common complaint from English-speaking players, and it is the cheapest one to fix.",[34,276,278],{"id":277},"step-5-account-and-payment-hygiene","Step 5 — account and payment hygiene",[257,280,281,288,291],{},[175,282,283,284,287],{},"Use a ",[29,285,286],{},"unique username, email and password"," for every realm. Never reuse a Battle.net password, and never reuse the email you rely on for account recovery. A project that disappears without notice is the highest-value target you can hand credentials to.",[175,289,290],{},"Expect registration pages to be region-blocked by design on some successors. A block is not a bug, and a VPN is a workaround, not a requirement to play — check the project's own instructions rather than a third-party page.",[175,292,293,294,297],{},"Expect search results around these servers to be dominated by ",[29,295,296],{},"gold-selling and leveling ads dressed as guides",". Anything offering gold, power leveling or \"starter packages\" for a private realm is not the realm's shop, and no payment method belongs near it.",[34,299,301],{"id":300},"what-the-experience-is-actually-like","What the experience is actually like",[25,303,304],{},"Vanilla+ realms are gold-scarce by design. Consumables, dual specialisation, higher-rank abilities and cosmetics all compete for a small money supply, and on APAC-populated successors the auction house is dominated by Chinese-speaking players who know the market better than a newcomer does. Budget your first week around that: pick a class that levels comfortably without bought gear, and treat your first mount as a milestone rather than a formality.",[306,307,308],"note",{},[25,309,310],{},"Accurate as of September 17, 2026. Client setup steps reflect community documentation for the 1.18.1 lineage, including third-party walkthroughs that mention both APAC and EU-based successors; specific file names can differ between repacks, so match by pattern rather than by exact text. Project status, addresses and available realms change with little notice — take every address from the realm's own current documentation before you edit any client file, and treat population and longevity claims from third-party trackers as unverified.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":313},2,[314,315,316,317,318,319,320],{"id":36,"depth":312,"text":37},{"id":114,"depth":312,"text":115},{"id":166,"depth":312,"text":167},{"id":223,"depth":312,"text":224},{"id":248,"depth":312,"text":249},{"id":277,"depth":312,"text":278},{"id":300,"depth":312,"text":301},"guides","Capybara, Ravencraft and OctoWoW all run the same 1.18.1 lineage. Here is how to point a client at one, switch a Chinese-UI client to English, and make CJK player names readable.",false,"md",{},true,"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fjoin-turtle-successor-server-english-setup","2026-09-17",{"title":19,"description":322},{"loc":327,"changefreq":331,"priority":332},"monthly",0.7,[334,337,340,343,346],{"label":335,"url":336},"WOWPrivateServers — Where Turtle WoW players went: the successor wave of 2026","https:\u002F\u002Fwowprivateservers.vercel.app\u002Fnews\u002Fturtle-wow-successor-wave",{"label":338,"url":339},"WOWPrivateServers — Best Vanilla+ Private Servers in 2026","https:\u002F\u002Fwowprivateservers.vercel.app\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-vanilla-plus-private-servers-2026\u002F",{"label":341,"url":342},"IGGM — Capybara Paradise WoW: how English-speaking players join (community setup walkthrough)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iggm.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcapybara-paradise-wow-how-english-speaking-players-step-by-step-to-joining-game",{"label":344,"url":345},"什么值得买 — 乌龟服关停半年后的“转生服”生态复盘（社区综述）","https:\u002F\u002Fpost.smzdm.com\u002Fp\u002Farz68pgg",{"label":347,"url":348},"Private Server Hub — WoW private server news index (project status checks)","https:\u002F\u002Fprivateserverhub.com\u002Fnews","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fjoin-turtle-successor-server-english-setup",[351,352,353,354,355],"Turtle WoW","Private Servers","Client Setup","Vanilla+","Addons",null,"D7ja_T6YCwKI_yB2Tuq54aiLplQUx_p-HPjyW-1ZX_Q",{"id":359,"title":360,"author":20,"body":361,"category":321,"description":617,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":618,"navigation":326,"path":619,"publishedAt":620,"seo":621,"sitemap":622,"sources":624,"stem":637,"tags":638,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":644},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fmidnight-1215-ascendant-venomstones-guide.md","Ascendant Venomstones in Patch 12.1.5: How to Unlock Them and Which Slot to Spend On",{"type":22,"value":362,"toc":610},[363,373,376,380,383,386,436,439,443,446,468,471,475,529,535,539,542,548,554,557,589,593,605],[25,364,365,366,369,370,192],{},"Ascendant Voidcores are being retired and replaced in Midnight patch 12.1.5 by ",[29,367,368],{},"Ascendant Venomstones"," — the same capstone-currency loop with a new name, one meaningful eligibility change, and a hard rule that catches people out: a stone can only lift gear you have ",[29,371,372],{},"already fully upgraded",[25,374,375],{},"The patch is on the PTR now with no confirmed live date. Here is what is confirmed by Blizzard, what is datamined, and how to decide where your first ten stones go.",[34,377,379],{"id":378},"what-venomstones-actually-do","What Venomstones actually do",[25,381,382],{},"They are not loot. A Venomstone spend raises the item level of one eligible item past its normal maximum for that slot — a capstone on top of a finished upgrade path, not a shortcut through it.",[25,384,385],{},"Blizzard's own wording from the 12.1.5 overview: \"Following the launch of the 12.1.5 content update, Ascendant Voidcores will return as Ascendant Venomstones, allowing players to push their power to new heights.\"",[39,387,388,398],{},[42,389,390],{},[45,391,392,395],{},[48,393,394],{},"Property",[48,396,397],{},"Detail",[58,399,400,412,420,428],{},[45,401,402,405],{},[63,403,404],{},"Eligible item types",[63,406,407,408,411],{},"Weapons, trinkets and — ",[29,409,410],{},"new this patch"," — necklaces",[45,413,414,417],{},[63,415,416],{},"Eligible item quality",[63,418,419],{},"Fully upgraded Season 2 Hero, Mythic, or highest-quality Tidal Crafted",[45,421,422,425],{},[63,423,424],{},"Cost per upgrade",[63,426,427],{},"10 Ascendant Venomstones",[45,429,430,433],{},[63,431,432],{},"Effect",[63,434,435],{},"Raises that item beyond its normal maximum item level",[25,437,438],{},"The necklace addition is the change that actually alters planning. Voidcores could only touch weapons and trinkets; adding a third high-value slot means three slots are now competing for the same scarce currency, in a patch that arrives mid-Season 2 when most players already have those slots nearly maxed.",[34,440,442],{"id":441},"unlocking-the-currency","Unlocking the currency",[25,444,445],{},"Unlocking is a one-time gate, and it is not instant:",[172,447,448,459,465],{},[175,449,450,451,454,455,458],{},"Go to ",[29,452,453],{},"Silvermoon City"," and find ",[29,456,457],{},"Orin Straylight",", standing near the Catalyst.",[175,460,461,462],{},"Pick up and complete the quest ",[29,463,464],{},"\"Ancient Depths, Ancient Venom.\"",[175,466,467],{},"Wait for Orin to \"do his research.\" Blizzard's phrasing is that he then empowers players to acquire the stones.",[25,469,470],{},"Until step three resolves, drops do not start flowing. The practical implication: do the quest the moment the patch goes live, before you run your first raid night or key push of the week, so you are not farming stones that are not yet dropping.",[34,472,474],{"id":473},"every-confirmed-drop-source","Every confirmed drop source",[39,476,477,487],{},[42,478,479],{},[45,480,481,484],{},[48,482,483],{},"Source",[48,485,486],{},"Notes",[58,488,489,502,513,521],{},[45,490,491,494],{},[63,492,493],{},"Heroic or Mythic raid bosses",[63,495,496,497,501],{},"Every boss in The Venomous Abyss, plus the new single-boss raid ",[498,499,500],"em",{},"The Unbinding of Kith'ix",", at Heroic difficulty or higher",[45,503,504,510],{},[63,505,506,507],{},"Mythic+ Keystone dungeons ",[29,508,509],{},"+10 and above",[63,511,512],{},"Sub-10 keys do not drop stones",[45,514,515,518],{},[63,516,517],{},"Tier 11 Bountiful Delves",[63,519,520],{},"Highest Bountiful Delve tier",[45,522,523,526],{},[63,524,525],{},"Nightmare Prey Hunt Champion gear chests",[63,527,528],{},"Champion-tier reward chest from the Prey Hunt event",[25,530,531,532,534],{},"No weekly cap on the currency has been confirmed for the PTR, so treat farming as \"run eligible content, collect drops.\" If you already raid Heroic and push +10 keys, stones accumulate passively. For solo or time-poor players, ",[29,533,517],{}," are the most repeatable group-optional source, and they pair with the delve route you are already running for gear and Restored Coffer Keys.",[34,536,538],{"id":537},"which-slot-to-spend-on-a-decision-rule-not-a-number","Which slot to spend on: a decision rule, not a number",[25,540,541],{},"This is where most guides over-reach, so here is the honest split.",[25,543,544,547],{},[29,545,546],{},"Confirmed:"," weapons, trinkets and necklaces are eligible; ten stones per upgrade.",[25,549,550,553],{},[29,551,552],{},"Not confirmed:"," the exact item-level jump. PTR builds suggest a modest increase of roughly one item-level breakpoint, and datamined figures circulating for specific items are not final. Blizzard has not published patch notes for the system yet, so any tier list built on \"this trinket gains 9 item levels\" is provisional.",[25,555,556],{},"Given that, prioritise by structure rather than by hype:",[257,558,559,565,571,577,583],{},[175,560,561,564],{},[29,562,563],{},"Do not spend until a slot is fully upgraded."," The stones lift a finished item; spending on a partially upgraded piece is not what the system does.",[175,566,567,570],{},[29,568,569],{},"Weapon first, as a default."," A weapon's item level feeds more of your character's output per point than any other slot for the majority of specs. This is the least controversial default.",[175,572,573,576],{},[29,574,575],{},"Then the slot where your current item is furthest behind its tier."," A Season 2 Hero trinket sitting one step below Mythic quality gains more from being lifted than a near-bis Mythic necklace does.",[175,578,579,582],{},[29,580,581],{},"Necklaces are the trap slot."," They are new, they are eligible, and that does not make them the best target — treat the necklace option as a late-cycle choice, not a priority.",[175,584,585,588],{},[29,586,587],{},"Lock your Season 2 upgrades in now."," This is the actionable item while 12.1.5 is still on the PTR: finish the upgrade paths on your weapon and your best trinket before the patch lands, so the stones have something to lift.",[34,590,592],{"id":591},"timing","Timing",[25,594,595,596,599,600,604],{},"Patch 12.1.5 has been on the PTR since early September and Blizzard has not announced a live date. Alongside Venomstones it adds the ",[498,597,598],{},"Promise of Tomorrow"," story campaign, the Kith'ix raid, the new Labyrinth format and Aqir Invasions, which we covered in our ",[155,601,603],{"href":602},"\u002Fresources\u002Fbriefings\u002Fmidnight-12-1-5-promise-of-tomorrow-ptr","12.1.5 PTR briefing",". Expect the currency to arrive with the patch rather than at Season 3, which follows Midnight's final major update, Eclipse.",[306,606,607],{},[25,608,609],{},"Accurate as of September 15, 2026. The unlock quest, drop sources, eligibility rules and the 10-stone cost come from Blizzard's official Midnight 12.1.5 overview; item-level gain figures are PTR observations and datamining, not final, and this article will be wrong in that specific detail if Blizzard tunes the system before launch. No live release date for 12.1.5 has been announced. We will update the slot guidance once patch notes are published.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":611},[612,613,614,615,616],{"id":378,"depth":312,"text":379},{"id":441,"depth":312,"text":442},{"id":473,"depth":312,"text":474},{"id":537,"depth":312,"text":538},{"id":591,"depth":312,"text":592},"Midnight's Season 2 gear currency returns as Ascendant Venomstones. The unlock quest, every drop source, the 10-stone cost, and how to choose the slot that gains the most.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fmidnight-1215-ascendant-venomstones-guide","2026-09-15",{"title":360,"description":617},{"loc":619,"changefreq":623,"priority":332},"weekly",[625,628,631,634],{"label":626,"url":627},"Blizzard — Midnight 12.1.5 Overview: New Adventures Await","https:\u002F\u002Fworldofwarcraft.blizzard.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fnews\u002F24295093",{"label":629,"url":630},"BlizzPro — Midnight Patch 12.1.5 Adds Single-Boss Raid and New Labyrinth System","https:\u002F\u002Fblizzpro.com\u002F2026\u002F09\u002F03\u002Fmidnight-patch-12-1-5-adds-single-boss-raid-and-new-labyrinth-system",{"label":632,"url":633},"Games Latest News — WoW Midnight 12.1.5: Labyrinths, New Raid and Aqir Invasions","https:\u002F\u002Fgameslatestnews.com\u002F2026\u002F09\u002F08\u002Fwow-midnight-patch-12-1-5",{"label":635,"url":636},"Timesaver — Ascendant Venomstones: how to farm them and the best slot to spend on (syndicated guide)","https:\u002F\u002Fbot-lobbies.vercel.app\u002Fblog\u002Fwow-patch-12-1-5-ascendant-venomstones-how-to-farm","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fmidnight-1215-ascendant-venomstones-guide",[639,640,641,642,643],"Midnight","Patch 12.1.5","Gearing","Season 2","PTR","WkpWPT4ZDr0nTMQHejfbe6mhry9iatzyHi81-QmQBkQ",{"id":646,"title":647,"author":20,"body":648,"category":321,"description":957,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":958,"navigation":326,"path":959,"publishedAt":620,"seo":960,"sitemap":961,"sources":962,"stem":975,"tags":976,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":979},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fprivate-server-shutdown-backup-checklist.md","Your Private Server Closed. Here Is What You Should Have Backed Up",{"type":22,"value":649,"toc":950},[650,653,660,664,671,760,767,771,774,858,862,865,893,897,900,930,938,942,945],[25,651,652],{},"2026 has been the harshest year on record for community realms: Stormforge closed on May 14, Turtle WoW on May 15 under a permanent injunction and settlement, and Project Ascension's WoW realms went offline on September 4 after what the team called a \"mutual agreement\" with Blizzard. Project Epoch received a cease-and-desist.",[25,654,655,656,659],{},"In none of those cases was there character migration. Ascension's agreement required removing all WoW-related material from its platforms, so there was no archive, no export and no transfer path. That is the structural reality of community realms, and it means the useful time to prepare is ",[29,657,658],{},"before"," a closure announcement — not after.",[34,661,663],{"id":662},"what-actually-lives-on-your-computer","What actually lives on your computer",[25,665,666,667,670],{},"Almost everything people worry about losing is server-side, and almost everything that is ",[498,668,669],{},"not"," gets ignored until it is gone. The split is worth knowing precisely.",[39,672,673,686],{},[42,674,675],{},[45,676,677,680,683],{},[48,678,679],{},"Asset",[48,681,682],{},"Where it lives",[48,684,685],{},"Portable?",[58,687,688,702,713,723,736,746],{},[45,689,690,693,696],{},[63,691,692],{},"Characters, gold, items, achievements, guild bank",[63,694,695],{},"Server database",[63,697,698,701],{},[29,699,700],{},"No"," — gone with the realm",[45,703,704,707,710],{},[63,705,706],{},"Interface\u002FAddOns",[63,708,709],{},"Local client folder",[63,711,712],{},"Yes, if the client version matches",[45,714,715,718,720],{},[63,716,717],{},"WTF (macros, keybinds, per-character addon settings)",[63,719,709],{},[63,721,722],{},"Mostly — same expansion version required",[45,724,725,728,733],{},[63,726,727],{},"SavedVariables (addon profiles, item caches, reference data)",[63,729,730],{},[129,731,732],{},"WTF\u002FAccount\u002F\u003Caccount>\u002FSavedVariables\u002F",[63,734,735],{},"Yes, same version required",[45,737,738,741,743],{},[63,739,740],{},"Screenshots",[63,742,709],{},[63,744,745],{},"Yes, always",[45,747,748,751,757],{},[63,749,750],{},"Combat logs",[63,752,753,756],{},[129,754,755],{},"Logs\u002F"," (WotLK-era clients)",[63,758,759],{},"Yes",[25,761,762,763,766],{},"The version rule is the one that catches people. A 3.3.5a ",[129,764,765],{},"WTF"," folder will not carry usefully into a 1.12.1 Vanilla client, or vice versa — the folder structure and addon APIs differ. Moving between two WotLK realms is a copy; moving between expansions is mostly a rebuild.",[34,768,770],{"id":769},"the-backup-checklist","The backup checklist",[25,772,773],{},"Ten minutes now, run once per realm you actually play on:",[257,775,776,800,810,824,834,840,846,852],{},[175,777,778,781,782,785,786,785,789,792,793,795,796,799],{},[29,779,780],{},"Copy the whole client folder"," or at minimum ",[129,783,784],{},"Interface\u002F",", ",[129,787,788],{},"WTF\u002F",[129,790,791],{},"Screenshots\u002F"," and ",[129,794,755],{}," (",[129,797,798],{},"_retail_\u002F…"," for modern clients). Keep the copy off the drive the game runs from.",[175,801,802,805,806,809],{},[29,803,804],{},"Zip it and date the archive"," — ",[129,807,808],{},"wow-335a-backup-2026-09-15.zip",". A single compressed file is far harder to lose than a folder tree you half-copied.",[175,811,812,815,816,819,820,823],{},[29,813,814],{},"Back up macros and keybinds separately."," Macros live in ",[129,817,818],{},"WTF\u002FAccount\u002F\u003Caccount>\u002Fmacros-cache.txt"," and keybinds in ",[129,821,822],{},"bindings-cache.wtf",". These are the two files people miss most, and they are the cheapest to save.",[175,825,826,829,830,833],{},[29,827,828],{},"Export your addon profiles"," through the addon itself where it supports it, and copy ",[129,831,832],{},"SavedVariables"," regardless.",[175,835,836,839],{},[29,837,838],{},"Write down your character list"," — realm, name, class, level, profession pairings — in a plain text file. You cannot recover a character, but you can rebuild one faster from a list than from memory.",[175,841,842,845],{},[29,843,844],{},"Screenshot your gear, talents and bank tabs."," Two minutes of screenshots is the only durable record of what you had.",[175,847,848,851],{},[29,849,850],{},"Save your guild's contact channel"," if you want to find those people again. Discord servers usually outlive realms; in-game mail does not.",[175,853,854,857],{},[29,855,856],{},"Do not rely on third-party \"character archive\" websites."," No external site can read a realm's database. At best they hold screenshots you sent them.",[34,859,861],{"id":860},"moving-to-another-realm","Moving to another realm",[25,863,864],{},"If you are re-rolling, three things are worth doing properly rather than fast:",[172,866,867,881,887],{},[175,868,869,872,873,875,876,880],{},[29,870,871],{},"Match the client version first."," Decide between a 1.12.1 Vanilla, 2.4.3 TBC or 3.3.5a WotLK experience ",[498,874,658],{}," downloading, because that determines whether any of your backup is reusable. Our ",[155,877,879],{"href":878},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fchoosing-a-wow-private-server-by-expansion","expansion-by-expansion selection guide"," covers the trade-offs.",[175,882,883,886],{},[29,884,885],{},"Keep clients in separate folders."," Never point a new realm's launcher at your existing client directory — custom patches and modified files from one project routinely break another.",[175,888,889,892],{},[29,890,891],{},"Register with a unique password."," Not your Battle.net password, not your email password, not the password from the realm that just closed. Reuse is the single most exploited mistake in this scene; CISA's guidance on unique credentials and multi-factor authentication applies exactly here.",[34,894,896],{"id":895},"expect-the-scams-that-follow-every-closure","Expect the scams that follow every closure",[25,898,899],{},"Large closures reliably produce a wave of fake recovery sites. Recognise the pattern:",[257,901,902,909,916,923],{},[175,903,904,905,908],{},"Anything offering ",[29,906,907],{},"character transfer, character restore, or a \"backup database\""," from a closed realm is not real. Realm data is not public and no closed project has a migration service.",[175,910,911,912,915],{},"Anything asking for ",[29,913,914],{},"Battle.net credentials"," is phishing. A realmlist address never requires them.",[175,917,918,919,922],{},"Anything instructing you to ",[29,920,921],{},"disable your antivirus or security software"," before installing is malicious, full stop.",[175,924,925,926,929],{},"Anything demanding payment for ",[29,927,928],{},"\"pre-registration\" of your old character name"," on a successor realm is unaffiliated with the project it names.",[25,931,932,933,937],{},"When in doubt, verify through the destination realm's own live channels and treat every directory listing, forum post and search ad as an unverified claim. Our ",[155,934,936],{"href":935},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fhow-to-evaluate-a-wow-community-realm","community realm evaluation checklist"," covers the full pre-join process.",[34,939,941],{"id":940},"the-mindset-that-saves-the-most-pain","The mindset that saves the most pain",[25,943,944],{},"Treat any community realm as a rental with no notice period. Keep your backups current, keep your password unique, and keep a copy of the screenshots you would hate to lose. A realm can end with a single Discord post — Turtle WoW, Stormforge and Ascension all did — and the difference between a bad week and a lost decade is whether you copied a folder last month.",[306,946,947],{},[25,948,949],{},"Accurate as of September 15, 2026. Shutdown details are drawn from the projects' own statements and third-party reporting; client folder paths reflect standard 1.12.1, 2.4.3 and 3.3.5a clients and modern retail installs, which custom launchers may alter. Security guidance follows CISA's general account-protection advice. If you are reading this after another enforcement wave, the checklist has not changed — run it on whatever realm you are playing now.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":951},[952,953,954,955,956],{"id":662,"depth":312,"text":663},{"id":769,"depth":312,"text":770},{"id":860,"depth":312,"text":861},{"id":895,"depth":312,"text":896},{"id":940,"depth":312,"text":941},"Three major realms shut down in 2026 and none offered character migration. A practical checklist for keeping what is portable, moving to another realm, and spotting fake migration offers.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fprivate-server-shutdown-backup-checklist",{"title":647,"description":957},{"loc":959,"changefreq":331,"priority":332},[963,966,969,972],{"label":964,"url":965},"Indie Kings — Private Servers Done Right: Why Turtle WoW and Ascension Mattered (shutdown timeline)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.indiekings.com\u002F2026\u002F09\u002Fprivate-servers-done-right-why-turtle.html",{"label":967,"url":968},"PCGamesN — Project Ascension confirms shutdown in mutual agreement with Blizzard","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pcgamesn.com\u002Fworld-of-warcraft\u002Fproject-ascension-shut-down",{"label":970,"url":971},"MMO-Champion — Project Ascension announces shutdown (official statement)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mmo-champion.com\u002Fthreads\u002F2669525-Project-Ascension-Announces-Shutdown",{"label":973,"url":974},"CISA — Secure Our World (account and password guidance)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cisa.gov\u002Fsecure-our-world","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fprivate-server-shutdown-backup-checklist",[352,977,978,353],"Account Security","Backups","GYnTb-2uWNKM1OOOssapZGrkpCdbEIzplTMfVjixFRc",{"id":981,"title":982,"author":20,"body":983,"category":321,"description":1171,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":1172,"navigation":326,"path":1173,"publishedAt":1174,"seo":1175,"sitemap":1176,"sources":1178,"stem":1191,"tags":1192,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":1197},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fblizzcon-2026-twitch-drops-guide.md","BlizzCon 2026 Drops End September 27: How to Earn All Four WoW Rewards",{"type":22,"value":984,"toc":1164},[985,996,1000,1003,1049,1052,1056,1078,1081,1085,1088,1121,1125,1128,1152,1156,1159],[25,986,987,988,991,992,995],{},"BlizzCon 2026 is over, but the rewards are not. World of Warcraft's BlizzCon viewership campaign runs its Twitch window until ",[29,989,990],{},"September 27 at 10:00 a.m. PDT",", which means the full four-tier reward ladder — including the oddly delightful ",[29,993,994],{},"Fluffy Comfy Flying Quilt mount"," — is still within reach with about two weeks of casual viewing left. If you missed the show entirely, nothing is lost: progress is cumulative and channel-agnostic on Twitch. Here is how to bank everything before the window closes.",[34,997,999],{"id":998},"the-reward-ladder-at-a-glance","The reward ladder at a glance",[25,1001,1002],{},"Rewards unlock on cumulative watch time across any eligible World of Warcraft stream with drops enabled:",[39,1004,1005,1015],{},[42,1006,1007],{},[45,1008,1009,1012],{},[48,1010,1011],{},"Watch time",[48,1013,1014],{},"Reward",[58,1016,1017,1025,1033,1041],{},[45,1018,1019,1022],{},[63,1020,1021],{},"2 hours",[63,1023,1024],{},"200 Trader's Tender",[45,1026,1027,1030],{},[63,1028,1029],{},"4 hours",[63,1031,1032],{},"Cuddly Blue Grrgle (housing décor)",[45,1034,1035,1038],{},[63,1036,1037],{},"8 hours",[63,1039,1040],{},"Fluffy Comfy Flying Quilt (mount)",[45,1042,1043,1046],{},[63,1044,1045],{},"12 hours",[63,1047,1048],{},"Venomous Champion's Illustrious Banner (toy)",[25,1050,1051],{},"You do not need to watch one channel, and you do not need to watch during any specific hours — progress stacks across eligible WoW-category streams. Watching multiple channels simultaneously does not speed anything up, so pick one stream and let it run.",[34,1053,1055],{"id":1054},"the-two-windows-and-why-twitch-is-the-one-that-matters","The two windows, and why Twitch is the one that matters",[257,1057,1058,1068],{},[175,1059,1060,1063,1064,1067],{},[29,1061,1062],{},"Twitch",": September 12, 9:30 a.m. PDT → ",[29,1065,1066],{},"September 27, 10:00 a.m. PDT",". Any eligible World of Warcraft stream counts.",[175,1069,1070,1073,1074,1077],{},[29,1071,1072],{},"YouTube",": September 12, 9:30 a.m. PDT → September 13, 7:00 p.m. PDT — ",[29,1075,1076],{},"already closed",". It only ever covered the show weekend and only counted the official WoW channel.",[25,1079,1080],{},"With the YouTube route gone, the Twitch window is the only path left for everyone. Twelve hours spread over thirteen remaining days is roughly one hour a day.",[34,1082,1084],{"id":1083},"link-your-accounts-first-this-is-where-most-people-lose-rewards","Link your accounts first — this is where most people lose rewards",[25,1086,1087],{},"Before anything counts:",[172,1089,1090,1097,1104,1114],{},[175,1091,1092,1093,1096],{},"Connect Twitch and Battle.net at your Battle.net account connections page. Note that ",[29,1094,1095],{},"password changes force a relink, and Twitch relinks carry a 7-day cooldown"," — if your connection is stale, fix it today, not on September 26.",[175,1098,1099,1100,1103],{},"Watch on PC\u002FMac browser or the Twitch\u002FYouTube ",[29,1101,1102],{},"mobile apps",". Console and smart-TV apps do not earn progress.",[175,1105,1106,1109,1110,1113],{},[29,1107,1108],{},"Claim each drop manually"," on the stream or in your Twitch Drops Inventory. An unclaimed drop expires after ",[29,1111,1112],{},"seven days"," if no Battle.net account is linked — and claims do nothing until the link exists.",[175,1115,1116,1117,1120],{},"After claiming, the ",[29,1118,1119],{},"first Battle.net region you log into"," receives the items. Swap characters freely, but not regions. Delivery can take up to 24 hours.",[34,1122,1124],{"id":1123},"fine-print-that-changes-your-plans","Fine print that changes your plans",[25,1126,1127],{},"Three restrictions catch people out:",[257,1129,1130,1136,1142],{},[175,1131,1132,1135],{},[29,1133,1134],{},"No Classic versions."," The entire track requires modern retail WoW with an active subscription or Game Time — this is not earnable on Classic, Era, or community realms.",[175,1137,1138,1141],{},[29,1139,1140],{},"The Grrgle needs Midnight."," The housing décor can be claimed by anyone, but placing it requires access to Midnight's Housing feature. Extra copies after claiming are sold by Dennia Silvertongue in Silvermoon, Tuuran in Stormwind, and Gabbi in Orgrimmar.",[175,1143,1144,1147,1148,1151],{},[29,1145,1146],{},"Attendees have a separate, earlier deadline."," If you were at the show, linking your BlizzCon pass to Battle.net by ",[29,1149,1150],{},"September 18"," grants all four rewards without any watch time, with delivery targeted for the week of September 21.",[34,1153,1155],{"id":1154},"a-realistic-schedule","A realistic schedule",[25,1157,1158],{},"If you are starting from zero on September 14: link accounts today, queue up any drops-enabled WoW stream during your normal gaming or work-adjacent hours, and bank 12 hours by September 26 at the latest — leaving September 27 as buffer for the 24-hour delivery delay. Prioritize claiming drops as they unlock rather than hoarding them in inventory.",[306,1160,1161],{},[25,1162,1163],{},"Windows, tiers and rules above are as published by Blizzard and confirmed across multiple outlets as of September 14, 2026. The Twitch window closes September 27 at 10:00 a.m. PDT and the attendee pass-link deadline is September 18 — both are hard cutoffs, and drop eligibility per stream can change, so verify a stream shows the drops marker before counting on it.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":1165},[1166,1167,1168,1169,1170],{"id":998,"depth":312,"text":999},{"id":1054,"depth":312,"text":1055},{"id":1083,"depth":312,"text":1084},{"id":1123,"depth":312,"text":1124},{"id":1154,"depth":312,"text":1155},"The Fluffy Comfy Flying Quilt mount, 200 Trader's Tender, housing decor and a toy are still earnable — but the Twitch window closes September 27 and the attendee path closes September 18. Here is the full checklist.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fblizzcon-2026-twitch-drops-guide","2026-09-14",{"title":982,"description":1171},{"loc":1173,"changefreq":623,"priority":1177},0.6,[1179,1182,1185,1188],{"label":1180,"url":1181},"Polygon — World of Warcraft players can redeem 4 free items for a limited time in September","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.polygon.com\u002Fworld-of-warcraft-free-items-september",{"label":1183,"url":1184},"Hacker Games — WoW BlizzCon 2026 Twitch Drops are live","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hackergames.space\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-of-warcraft-blizzcon-twitch-drops-go-live-with-mounts-tender-and-more",{"label":1186,"url":1187},"ConquestCapped — Trading Post September 2026 overview","https:\u002F\u002Fconquestcapped.com\u002Fguides\u002Fwow\u002Fwow-trading-post-september-26\u002F",{"label":1189,"url":1190},"AccountShark — BlizzCon 2026 WoW Drops guide","https:\u002F\u002Faccountshark.net\u002Fblog\u002Fblizzcon-2026-wow-drops-guide-flying-quilt-mount","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fblizzcon-2026-twitch-drops-guide",[1193,1194,1195,1196],"BlizzCon 2026","Twitch Drops","Rewards","Trading Post","DNzUZAZD8TcPfDOpYu6BQbPxgAlQGTW4TTZ4fYhJKO8",{"id":1199,"title":1200,"author":20,"body":1201,"category":321,"description":1375,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":1376,"navigation":326,"path":878,"publishedAt":1174,"seo":1377,"sitemap":1378,"sources":1380,"stem":1390,"tags":1391,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":1396},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fchoosing-a-wow-private-server-by-expansion.md","Choosing a WoW Private Server in 2026: A Guide by Expansion and Playstyle",{"type":22,"value":1202,"toc":1368},[1203,1217,1221,1224,1262,1266,1269,1295,1298,1302,1305,1329,1332,1336,1347,1351,1363],[25,1204,1205,1206,785,1209,1212,1213,1216],{},"Thousands of community realms exist; a handful are worth your time. The fastest way to narrow the field is to answer three questions in order: ",[29,1207,1208],{},"which era",[29,1210,1211],{},"what pace",", and ",[29,1214,1215],{},"what flavor",". This guide walks through each step and names the projects that come up most consistently in 2026 community discussions.",[34,1218,1220],{"id":1219},"step-1-pick-your-era-first","Step 1: Pick your era first",[25,1222,1223],{},"Every expansion has its strongest-known communities. These are the names that recur across 2026 rankings and directories — verify current status before joining, since reputations outlive realm health.",[257,1225,1226,1232,1238,1244,1250,1256],{},[175,1227,1228,1231],{},[29,1229,1230],{},"Vanilla (1.12.1):"," Turtle WoW remains the reference for Vanilla+ content and community; RetroWoW and WoW Circle cover instant-level and multi-realm approaches.",[175,1233,1234,1237],{},[29,1235,1236],{},"The Burning Crusade (2.4.3):"," Warmane's TBC realm for stable PvP; Stormforge and Atlantiss for scripting quality.",[175,1239,1240,1243],{},[29,1241,1242],{},"WotLK (3.3.5a):"," still the most-played expansion on private servers. Warmane Icecrown (population and PvP), Sunwell (competitive PvE and scripting), Sirus (custom WotLK) and WoW Circle (various rates) lead the pack.",[175,1245,1246,1249],{},[29,1247,1248],{},"Cataclysm (4.3.4):"," TwinStar's Apollo II and Firestorm are the usual recommendations, with Atlantiss respected for raid accuracy.",[175,1251,1252,1255],{},[29,1253,1254],{},"Mists of Pandaria:"," Stormforge — a partnership between Atlantiss and Tauri — is the default blizzlike answer.",[175,1257,1258,1261],{},[29,1259,1260],{},"Legion and newer:"," WoWFreakz for Legion; Firestorm is typically first to host the newest expansions, with the expected rough edges.",[34,1263,1265],{"id":1264},"step-2-match-the-pace-to-your-schedule","Step 2: Match the pace to your schedule",[25,1267,1268],{},"The same era can feel like two different games depending on rates:",[257,1270,1271,1277,1283,1289],{},[175,1272,1273,1276],{},[29,1274,1275],{},"Blizzlike (1x):"," the faithful climb. Best when you want the journey to matter. Warmane's x1 realm and Tauri are common picks.",[175,1278,1279,1282],{},[29,1280,1281],{},"High rate (10x–100x):"," reach endgame fast. Best when your playtime is limited and you want raiding and PvP, not leveling.",[175,1284,1285,1288],{},[29,1286,1287],{},"Instant max level:"," skip the climb entirely; PvP-focused projects like RetroWoW serve this niche.",[175,1290,1291,1294],{},[29,1292,1293],{},"Custom\u002Fclassless:"," servers such as Ascension mix abilities across classes for a fundamentally different experience.",[25,1296,1297],{},"Be honest about your weekly hours. A 1x realm and a full raid schedule do not coexist well with a demanding job.",[34,1299,1301],{"id":1300},"step-3-audit-before-you-commit","Step 3: Audit before you commit",[25,1303,1304],{},"A high population means nothing if the server crashes mid-raid. Check three things:",[172,1306,1307,1313,1319],{},[175,1308,1309,1312],{},[29,1310,1311],{},"Stability"," — look for uptime claims and recent outage chatter rather than launch-week hype.",[175,1314,1315,1318],{},[29,1316,1317],{},"Scripting quality"," — stationary bosses, wall-clipping NPCs and broken quest chains are red flags; Tauri and Stormforge are the scene's long-standing scripting benchmarks.",[175,1320,1321,1324,1325,1328],{},[29,1322,1323],{},"Population at your hours"," — log in when ",[498,1326,1327],{},"you"," would normally play. A \"medium\" population active at your time beats a \"high\" population active twelve time zones away.",[25,1330,1331],{},"Also confirm the realm's rules on multiboxing, cross-faction play and cash-shop progression — those policies shape the experience more than any rate multiplier.",[34,1333,1335],{"id":1334},"where-the-official-announcements-fit-in","Where the official announcements fit in",[25,1337,1338,1339,1342,1343,1346],{},"BlizzCon 2026 added two official alternatives to the same shelf: ",[29,1340,1341],{},"WoW: Forever"," (a permanent Classic+ launching November 4, 2026) and ",[29,1344,1345],{},"Wrath of the Lich King Remix"," (summer 2027). Neither eliminates community realms — official products cannot match custom rates, bot-supported solo play or regional community culture — but they are worth factoring in if what you want is simply \"old-school WoW with new content\" at full stability.",[34,1348,1350],{"id":1349},"related-guides","Related guides",[257,1352,1353,1358],{},[175,1354,1355],{},[155,1356,1357],{"href":935},"How to Evaluate a WoW Community Realm Before Joining",[175,1359,1360],{},[155,1361,1362],{"href":157},"How to Change realmlist.wtf",[306,1364,1365],{},[25,1366,1367],{},"Recommendations reflect 2026 community discussions and directories; realm health changes quickly. Always verify a realm's current status on its official site before downloading anything or creating an account.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":1369},[1370,1371,1372,1373,1374],{"id":1219,"depth":312,"text":1220},{"id":1264,"depth":312,"text":1265},{"id":1300,"depth":312,"text":1301},{"id":1334,"depth":312,"text":1335},{"id":1349,"depth":312,"text":1350},"How to narrow down community realms by expansion era, rate type, scripting quality and population — with the projects most often recommended in 2026.",{},{"title":1200,"description":1375},{"loc":878,"changefreq":331,"priority":1379},0.8,[1381,1384,1387],{"label":1382,"url":1383},"Vintage is the New Old — 10 Best WoW Private Servers in 2026","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vintageisthenewold.com\u002Ffaq\u002Fgo-to-answer\u002F9965688",{"label":1385,"url":1386},"GameListZone — Choosing a WoW Private Server in 2026","https:\u002F\u002Fgamelistzone.com\u002Fwow\u002Fnews\u002Fwow-choosing-a-wow-private-server-in-2026-a-field-guide-to-every-expansion-we-track",{"label":1388,"url":1389},"Recharge — What is a WoW Private Server? 2026 Guide","https:\u002F\u002Frecharge.com\u002Fblog\u002Fen-gb\u002Fwhat-is-a-world-of-warcraft-private-server-2026-guide","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fchoosing-a-wow-private-server-by-expansion",[1392,352,1393,1394,1395],"Realm Selection","WotLK","Mists of Pandaria","Vanilla","Kav8ccP9SqgVuSje0bs_EaBZQJOHgFminVaXpKENcNE",{"id":1398,"title":1399,"author":20,"body":1400,"category":321,"description":1500,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":1501,"navigation":326,"path":1502,"publishedAt":1174,"seo":1503,"sitemap":1504,"sources":1505,"stem":1510,"tags":1511,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":1514},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-client-macos-linux-setup.md","Playing WoW Community Realms on macOS and Linux in 2026",{"type":22,"value":1401,"toc":1495},[1402,1405,1409,1412,1435,1438,1442,1445,1463,1472,1476,1490],[25,1403,1404],{},"Most community realms ship Windows-first clients. If you play on a Mac — especially Apple Silicon — or on Linux, the client is the only real obstacle, and it is a solvable one. Here is how each platform works in 2026.",[34,1406,1408],{"id":1407},"macos-the-apple-silicon-question","macOS: the Apple Silicon question",[25,1410,1411],{},"Older WoW clients (Vanilla through Cataclysm) were built for 32-bit Intel processors, which modern macOS no longer supports natively. On an M-series Mac you have three practical routes:",[257,1413,1414,1423,1429],{},[175,1415,1416,1419,1420,1422],{},[29,1417,1418],{},"CrossOver"," — the most reliable option for running the Windows client. Install CrossOver, create a Windows 10 bottle, install the client inside it, and point ",[129,1421,131],{}," at your realm. Commercial license, but minimal configuration.",[175,1424,1425,1428],{},[29,1426,1427],{},"Wine (via Whisky or similar wrappers)"," — free alternative to CrossOver. Works well for 3.3.5a-class clients; expect to tweak DXVK settings for older renderers.",[175,1430,1431,1434],{},[29,1432,1433],{},"Native clients where offered"," — some modern-expansion projects distribute native Mac builds. Check the realm's official download page before assuming you need a translation layer.",[25,1436,1437],{},"A few extra steps make life easier: run the client from a folder outside system-protected paths, keep retail and community clients separate, and if a client refuses to save settings, check file permissions before assuming a broken install.",[34,1439,1441],{"id":1440},"linux-the-strongest-ecosystem","Linux: the strongest ecosystem",[25,1443,1444],{},"Linux is the easy case in 2026. Two standard setups:",[257,1446,1447,1453],{},[175,1448,1449,1452],{},[29,1450,1451],{},"Lutris"," — install Lutris, add the Windows client as a custom game, select a Wine runner, and launch. Most community guides for 1.12.1 and 3.3.5a clients assume this path.",[175,1454,1455,1458,1459,1462],{},[29,1456,1457],{},"Proton via Steam"," — add ",[129,1460,1461],{},"Wow.exe"," as a non-Steam game and force a Proton compatibility tool. Performance often matches or exceeds native Windows.",[25,1464,1465,1466,1468,1469,192],{},"After installation, the connection steps are identical to Windows: edit ",[129,1467,131],{}," in the client folder to the realm's address, launch the game executable (not a Battle.net launcher), and log in with the account created on the realm's website. If you need a walkthrough, see our ",[155,1470,1471],{"href":157},"realmlist.wtf guide",[34,1473,1475],{"id":1474},"two-checks-before-you-download-anything","Two checks before you download anything",[172,1477,1478,1484],{},[175,1479,1480,1483],{},[29,1481,1482],{},"Scan what you download."," Community clients come from mirrors and torrents you cannot fully verify. Scan archives, compare checksums when a project publishes them, and never disable security software to run an installer.",[175,1485,1486,1489],{},[29,1487,1488],{},"Keep credentials separate."," Use a unique password for each realm account — never reuse your Battle.net or email password. A realmlist address never requires Blizzard credentials.",[306,1491,1492],{},[25,1493,1494],{},"Compatibility varies by client version and realm. If a project ships its own launcher, patched files or custom models, changing only realmlist.wtf will not be enough — follow the project's official connection guide as the authority.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":1496},[1497,1498,1499],{"id":1407,"depth":312,"text":1408},{"id":1440,"depth":312,"text":1441},{"id":1474,"depth":312,"text":1475},"How to run legacy WoW clients on Apple Silicon Macs and Linux — CrossOver, Wine, Lutris and Proton setups, with practical pitfalls for each platform.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-client-macos-linux-setup",{"title":1399,"description":1500},{"loc":1502,"changefreq":331,"priority":332},[1506,1507],{"label":1388,"url":1389},{"label":1508,"url":1509},"VMaNGOS Linux setup guide","https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fvmangos\u002Fwiki\u002Fblob\u002Fmaster\u002Fdocs\u002FGetting-it-working-Linux.md","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-client-macos-linux-setup",[1512,1513,353,1418,1451],"macOS","Linux","PqRfiq4ENYGj1zNr_jmkgHAyspJt-bIIs6uvhovEiZw",{"id":1516,"title":1517,"author":20,"body":1518,"category":321,"description":1666,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":1667,"navigation":326,"path":1668,"publishedAt":1174,"seo":1669,"sitemap":1670,"sources":1671,"stem":1685,"tags":1686,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":1690},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-forever-beta-access-guide.md","How to Join the WoW Forever Beta on September 17 — Editions, Opt-ins and Traps",{"type":22,"value":1519,"toc":1659},[1520,1531,1535,1549,1558,1562,1573,1576,1580,1625,1629,1632,1639,1643,1654],[25,1521,1522,1523,1526,1527,1530],{},"The WoW Forever beta opens ",[29,1524,1525],{},"September 17, 2026"," and runs through ",[29,1528,1529],{},"October 21"," — a 34-day window before the full launch on November 4. Whether you get in depends entirely on which route you take, and the most common mistake so far has been buying the wrong pack. Here is the full picture, cross-checked against Blizzard's own support documentation.",[34,1532,1534],{"id":1533},"the-two-routes-into-the-beta","The two routes into the beta",[25,1536,1537,1540,1541,1544,1545,1548],{},[29,1538,1539],{},"Route 1: guaranteed access via pre-purchase."," Blizzard's support article is unambiguous: beta access is tied to specific upgrades — the ",[29,1542,1543],{},"Skyborne Epic Pack ($59.99)"," and the ",[29,1546,1547],{},"Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99)"," (plus the physical Collector's Edition, whose beta code arrives by email from the Gear Store). Buy on the Battle.net account you actually play on, and the account is flagged automatically — no key to redeem. The beta client appears in the Battle.net app once testing opens; if it does not, restart the app and verify your order status is Complete in transaction history.",[25,1550,1551,1554,1555,1557],{},[29,1552,1553],{},"Route 2: the free opt-in."," You can sign up on the official World of Warcraft website without paying anything. Signing up does ",[29,1556,669],{}," guarantee an invitation — Blizzard invites opted-in accounts in waves while testing is active. It costs nothing and takes a minute, so do it regardless; just do not mistake a sign-up confirmation for an invitation.",[34,1559,1561],{"id":1560},"the-trap-the-heroic-pack-does-not-include-beta","The trap: the Heroic Pack does not include beta",[25,1563,1564,1565,1568,1569,1572],{},"The ",[29,1566,1567],{},"Skyborne Heroic Pack ($29.99)"," contains the Skyborne race, name reservation and cosmetics — but ",[29,1570,1571],{},"no beta entitlement",". If beta is your only reason to open your wallet, the floor is the Epic Pack at $59.99, not the Heroic Pack. This single confusion has generated the most frustrated threads since the BlizzCon announcement.",[25,1574,1575],{},"One more pricing note: the base game needs no purchase at all. Forever is included with an active subscription or game time from November 4 — every pack is an optional upgrade, not the price of entry.",[34,1577,1579],{"id":1578},"who-should-actually-buy-in-one-table","Who should actually buy, in one table",[39,1581,1582,1592],{},[42,1583,1584],{},[45,1585,1586,1589],{},[48,1587,1588],{},"Your situation",[48,1590,1591],{},"Best move",[58,1593,1594,1602,1609,1617],{},[45,1595,1596,1599],{},[63,1597,1598],{},"Only want to play at launch",[63,1600,1601],{},"Keep your sub, buy nothing, use the free opt-in",[45,1603,1604,1607],{},[63,1605,1606],{},"Want the beta and the Skyborne race",[63,1608,1543],{},[45,1610,1611,1614],{},[63,1612,1613],{},"Also want Warcraft III: Reforged + Forsaken Kingdom",[63,1615,1616],{},"Warcraft Forever Collection ($79.99, limited-time)",[45,1618,1619,1622],{},[63,1620,1621],{},"Only want cosmetics and name reservation",[63,1623,1624],{},"Heroic Pack ($29.99) — but no beta",[34,1626,1628],{"id":1627},"what-is-worth-testing-first","What is worth testing first",[25,1630,1631],{},"Blizzard has not promised all launch content from day one; availability is expected to be staged. The systems that most need real player data are the ones Classic players care about: new talents and race\u002Fclass combinations at the level-60 cap, the new zones and 1,000+ quests, the nine dungeons and the 10- and 20-player raids, and — importantly for older hardware — performance of the new SD and HD presentation options. Expect maintenance, resets and rapid tuning; beta characters and progress should be assumed gone at launch unless Blizzard says otherwise.",[25,1633,1634,1635,1638],{},"A note for readers in China: the domestic announcement lists the Chinese beta beginning ",[29,1636,1637],{},"October 6"," via wow.blizzard.cn, two weeks after the international opening. Regional dates and purchase conditions differ — check the CN site for that version's terms.",[34,1640,1642],{"id":1641},"security-checklist","Security checklist",[257,1644,1645,1648,1651],{},[175,1646,1647],{},"Buy only through the Battle.net shop or Blizzard's official store. No third-party site can sell a \"beta key\" — access is attached to your Battle.net account, not a code.",[175,1649,1650],{},"Never reuse your Battle.net password anywhere else, including any community site offering beta help.",[175,1652,1653],{},"If your account has beta access, install only the client Blizzard ships through the Battle.net app — not a mirror or torrent of a \"beta build\".",[306,1655,1656],{},[25,1657,1658],{},"Beta dates, pack contents and prices reflect announcements made around BlizzCon 2026 (September 12–13) and Blizzard support documentation as of September 14, 2026. Testing windows and entitlements can change; treat Blizzard's support article and the Battle.net shop as the authority if anything here conflicts.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":1660},[1661,1662,1663,1664,1665],{"id":1533,"depth":312,"text":1534},{"id":1560,"depth":312,"text":1561},{"id":1578,"depth":312,"text":1579},{"id":1627,"depth":312,"text":1628},{"id":1641,"depth":312,"text":1642},"The WoW Forever beta runs September 17 to October 21, 2026. Which packs include guaranteed access, how the free opt-in works, and what is worth testing first.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-forever-beta-access-guide",{"title":1517,"description":1666},{"loc":1668,"changefreq":623,"priority":332},[1672,1675,1678,1681],{"label":1673,"url":1674},"Battle.net Support — World of Warcraft Alpha or Beta Access","https:\u002F\u002Feu.battle.net\u002Fsupport\u002Fen\u002Farticle\u002F134449",{"label":1676,"url":1677},"Timesaver — How to Get WoW Forever Beta Access (and Which Pack Includes It)","https:\u002F\u002Ftimesaver.gg\u002Fblog\u002Fwow-forever-beta-access-which-pack",{"label":1679,"url":1680},"VICE — How to Access World of Warcraft Forever Beta on September 17","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vice.com\u002Fen\u002Farticle\u002Fworld-of-warcraft-forever-beta-access-date\u002F",{"label":1682},{"The Click — WoW Forever Beta":1683,"url":1684},"Release Date and How to Play","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theclick.gg\u002Fwow-forever-beta","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-forever-beta-access-guide",[1687,1688,1689,353],"World of Warcraft Forever","Beta","Classic Plus","xgQB2LaizGencopOovxuSUO_CMV1lkyFtG85rLriua4",{"id":1692,"title":1693,"author":20,"body":1694,"category":321,"description":1800,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":326,"meta":1801,"navigation":326,"path":1802,"publishedAt":1803,"seo":1804,"sitemap":1805,"sources":1806,"stem":1813,"tags":1814,"updatedAt":1803,"__hash__":1816},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fchange-fonts-wow-335a.md","Change the Fonts in World of Warcraft 3.3.5a",{"type":22,"value":1695,"toc":1794},[1696,1702,1706,1712,1722,1728,1732,1738,1744,1763,1766,1770,1776,1779,1783,1789],[25,1697,1698,1699,1701],{},"The 3.3.5a client can load replacement fonts from a ",[129,1700,235],{}," directory in the game root. This is a client-side presentation change: it does not alter your account or the realm itself.",[34,1703,1705],{"id":1704},"before-you-begin","Before you begin",[25,1707,1708,1709,1711],{},"Close the game completely and make a backup of the client folder, or at least of any existing ",[129,1710,235],{}," directory. Use fonts that you are licensed to use and check that they contain the glyphs required by your language.",[25,1713,1714,1715,1717,1718,1721],{},"Your directory should sit beside ",[129,1716,1461],{},", not inside the ",[129,1719,1720],{},"Interface"," directory:",[138,1723,1726],{"className":1724,"code":1725,"language":143,"meta":144},[141],"World of Warcraft\u002F\n├── Fonts\u002F\n├── Interface\u002F\n└── Wow.exe\n",[129,1727,1725],{"__ignoreMap":144},[34,1729,1731],{"id":1730},"create-the-four-common-font-files","Create the four common font files",[25,1733,1734,1735,1737],{},"Choose a TrueType font and make four copies in the new ",[129,1736,235],{}," directory. Rename them exactly as follows:",[138,1739,1742],{"className":1740,"code":1741,"language":143,"meta":144},[141],"ARIALN.TTF\nFRIZQT__.TTF\nMORPHEUS.TTF\nskurri.ttf\n",[129,1743,1741],{"__ignoreMap":144},[25,1745,1746,1747,1750,1751,1754,1755,1758,1759,1762],{},"The 3.3.5 interface definitions reference these names for different parts of the UI. ",[129,1748,1749],{},"ARIALN.TTF"," is widely used for compact text and numbers, ",[129,1752,1753],{},"FRIZQT__.TTF"," for general UI text, ",[129,1756,1757],{},"MORPHEUS.TTF"," for decorative quest and mail text, and ",[129,1760,1761],{},"skurri.ttf"," for large combat-style numbers.",[25,1764,1765],{},"You may use one font for all four slots, but a readable sans-serif face usually works better for chat and small UI text than a decorative display face.",[34,1767,1769],{"id":1768},"launch-and-verify","Launch and verify",[25,1771,1772,1773,192],{},"Start the client again and inspect chat, tooltips, quest text and combat numbers. If only some text changed, first confirm the filename, spelling and extension. Some systems hide file extensions, which can accidentally create names such as ",[129,1774,1775],{},"ARIALN.TTF.ttf",[25,1777,1778],{},"If letters appear as squares or are missing, the chosen font does not include those glyphs. Replace it with a font that supports your client language.",[34,1780,1782],{"id":1781},"restore-the-defaults","Restore the defaults",[25,1784,1785,1786,1788],{},"Close the client and rename or remove the custom ",[129,1787,235],{}," directory. The game will fall back to its packaged fonts on the next launch.",[306,1790,1791],{},[25,1792,1793],{},"Addons with hard-coded font paths may ignore these replacements. An addon-based global font template can cover more UI objects, but manual files remain the simplest reversible option for a legacy client.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":1795},[1796,1797,1798,1799],{"id":1704,"depth":312,"text":1705},{"id":1730,"depth":312,"text":1731},{"id":1768,"depth":312,"text":1769},{"id":1781,"depth":312,"text":1782},"Replace the legacy client fonts safely, understand the four common font slots, and recover quickly if a font is unreadable.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fchange-fonts-wow-335a","2026-09-12",{"title":1693,"description":1800},{"loc":1802,"lastmod":1803,"changefreq":331,"priority":332},[1807,1810],{"label":1808,"url":1809},"WoW 3.3.5 interface Fonts.xml","https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fwowgaming\u002F3.3.5-interface-files\u002Fblob\u002Fmain\u002FFonts.xml",{"label":1811,"url":1812},"Global Font addon template","https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fnowar-fonts\u002FAddOn-GlobalFont-Template","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fchange-fonts-wow-335a",[1815,235,1720],"3.3.5a","GJAHbKrePanP6ZjDkdLhOegICmMMDRfemlInSffu_wg",{"id":1818,"title":1357,"author":20,"body":1819,"category":321,"description":1905,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":323,"meta":1906,"navigation":326,"path":935,"publishedAt":1803,"seo":1907,"sitemap":1908,"sources":1909,"stem":1916,"tags":1917,"updatedAt":356,"__hash__":1919},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fhow-to-evaluate-a-wow-community-realm.md",{"type":22,"value":1820,"toc":1897},[1821,1824,1828,1835,1838,1842,1845,1848,1852,1855,1858,1862,1865,1868,1872,1875,1881,1885,1888,1891],[25,1822,1823],{},"A realm can look active in a directory and still be a poor match for the way you want to play. Before downloading a client or creating an account, separate stable facts from promotional claims and check the details that are expensive to discover after you have invested dozens of hours.",[34,1825,1827],{"id":1826},"confirm-the-client-and-expansion","Confirm the client and expansion",[25,1829,1830,1831,1834],{},"Start with the exact game build. “Vanilla,” “Classic” and “Vanilla+” do not always mean the same client. A conventional Vanilla realm may expect build ",[129,1832,1833],{},"1.12.1.5875",", while a custom-content project may distribute its own launcher and patched files.",[25,1836,1837],{},"Use the realm's official connection guide as the authority. If its instructions conflict with a third-party directory, follow the official guide and treat the directory entry as outdated until it is verified.",[34,1839,1841],{"id":1840},"read-the-rules-behind-the-labels","Read the rules behind the labels",[25,1843,1844],{},"Do not stop at PvE or PvP. Check whether the realm supports cross-faction groups, permits multiboxing, sells progression items, modifies raid difficulty, resets seasonally, or changes experience rates after launch.",[25,1846,1847],{},"The published rate should also say what it measures. Experience, reputation, professions, loot and gold may each use different multipliers. RealmList keeps these details concise, so follow the official source on a realm page before making a final decision.",[34,1849,1851],{"id":1850},"treat-population-as-a-snapshot","Treat population as a snapshot",[25,1853,1854],{},"Population counters, directory rankings and launch-week peaks describe a moment rather than a guarantee. Look for activity during the hours you normally play, the languages used in public chat, and whether groups form for your preferred level range and content.",[25,1856,1857],{},"A smaller stable community may suit you better than a larger seasonal realm. Population is useful context, not a quality score.",[34,1859,1861],{"id":1860},"protect-your-account","Protect your account",[25,1863,1864],{},"Create a unique password that you do not use for Battle.net, email or another realm. A password manager makes this easier, and multi-factor authentication is worth enabling when the realm offers it.",[25,1866,1867],{},"Open registration and download links from the realm's verified website. Be cautious when a chat message, advertisement or copied guide sends you to a look-alike domain or asks you to disable security software. A realmlist address alone never requires your Battle.net credentials.",[34,1869,1871],{"id":1870},"check-downloads-before-running-them","Check downloads before running them",[25,1873,1874],{},"Prefer an official launcher or an official client guide. Keep community-realm clients in a separate folder from retail World of Warcraft, scan downloaded archives and executables, and compare published checksums when the project provides them.",[25,1876,1877,1878,1880],{},"If a project supports a standard legacy client, you may only need to update ",[129,1879,131],{},". If it ships custom maps, models or systems, replacing only that file is unlikely to be sufficient.",[34,1882,1884],{"id":1883},"make-a-low-cost-first-visit","Make a low-cost first visit",[25,1886,1887],{},"Before committing to a main character, create a test account and spend a short session checking latency, chat moderation, support channels and the realm's actual feature set. Revisit the official rules and roadmap if permanence or progression pace matters to you.",[25,1889,1890],{},"RealmList helps narrow the field, but the realm owner's current documentation remains the final source for registration, downloads, rules and service status.",[1892,1893,1894],"warning",{},[25,1895,1896],{},"Community realms are independent services. Never reuse a Battle.net password, and never enter retail account credentials into a community website or launcher.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":1898},[1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904],{"id":1826,"depth":312,"text":1827},{"id":1840,"depth":312,"text":1841},{"id":1850,"depth":312,"text":1851},{"id":1860,"depth":312,"text":1861},{"id":1870,"depth":312,"text":1871},{"id":1883,"depth":312,"text":1884},"A practical checklist for checking client compatibility, account safety, realm rules and time-sensitive population claims.",{},{"title":1357,"description":1905},{"loc":935,"changefreq":331,"priority":1379},[1910,1912,1915],{"label":1911,"url":974},"CISA Secure Our World",{"label":1913,"url":1914},"VMaNGOS Windows setup guide","https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fvmangos\u002Fwiki\u002Fblob\u002Fmaster\u002Fdocs\u002FGetting-it-working-Windows.md",{"label":1508,"url":1509},"resources\u002Fguides\u002Fhow-to-evaluate-a-wow-community-realm",[1392,977,1918],"Client Safety","SgKNZ28SLEd0tmuNsZMlFFZ2cgNVLSwlfEA06gIk_bY",{"id":1921,"title":1922,"author":20,"body":1923,"category":321,"description":2014,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":326,"meta":2015,"navigation":326,"path":157,"publishedAt":2016,"seo":2017,"sitemap":2018,"sources":2019,"stem":2022,"tags":2023,"updatedAt":1803,"__hash__":2026},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fchange-realmlist-wtf.md","How to Change realmlist.wtf in a Legacy WoW Client",{"type":22,"value":1924,"toc":2009},[1925,1928,1932,1944,1947,1951,1957,1963,1970,1974,1977,1997,2004],[25,1926,1927],{},"Legacy World of Warcraft clients use a small text file to decide which login server to contact. RealmList shows the exact address on each realm detail page, but you still need to place it in the correct file for your client.",[34,1929,1931],{"id":1930},"find-the-file","Find the file",[25,1933,1934,1935,1937,1938,216,1941,192],{},"Close the game, then locate the World of Warcraft installation directory. Depending on the client version and repackaging, ",[129,1936,131],{}," may be in the game root or inside a locale directory such as ",[129,1939,1940],{},"Data\u002FenUS",[129,1942,1943],{},"Data\u002FenGB",[25,1945,1946],{},"Use your operating system's file search if needed. Do not edit a similarly named file inside an archive; extract or install the client first.",[34,1948,1950],{"id":1949},"replace-the-address","Replace the address",[25,1952,1953,1954,1956],{},"Open ",[129,1955,131],{}," in a plain-text editor. Replace its existing content with the line supplied by the realm owner, for example:",[138,1958,1961],{"className":1959,"code":1960,"language":143,"meta":144},[141],"set realmlist logon.example.org\n",[129,1962,1960],{"__ignoreMap":144},[25,1964,1965,1966,1969],{},"Use the value shown on the realm's RealmList detail page rather than copying the example above. Save the file as plain text and keep the ",[129,1967,1968],{},".wtf"," extension.",[34,1971,1973],{"id":1972},"if-the-change-does-not-work","If the change does not work",[25,1975,1976],{},"Check these common causes:",[257,1978,1979,1982,1988,1991,1994],{},[175,1980,1981],{},"The client build does not match the realm's supported version.",[175,1983,1984,1985,192],{},"The editor saved the file as ",[129,1986,1987],{},"realmlist.wtf.txt",[175,1989,1990],{},"You edited a file for a different locale directory.",[175,1992,1993],{},"The folder is read-only or the editor lacked permission to save.",[175,1995,1996],{},"The realm's login service is offline or under maintenance.",[25,1998,1999,2000,2003],{},"Clearing the client's ",[129,2001,2002],{},"WDB"," cache can resolve stale client data, but it will not fix a wrong address or incompatible build.",[1892,2005,2006],{},[25,2007,2008],{},"Only enter account credentials into the game client or the realm owner's verified registration site. A realmlist address does not require installing an unknown launcher or sharing a Battle.net password.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":2010},[2011,2012,2013],{"id":1930,"depth":312,"text":1931},{"id":1949,"depth":312,"text":1950},{"id":1972,"depth":312,"text":1973},"Point a Vanilla, TBC or Wrath client at the realm you intend to join without changing unrelated client settings.",{},"2026-09-10",{"title":1922,"description":2014},{"loc":157,"lastmod":1803,"changefreq":331,"priority":1379},[2020,2021],{"label":1913,"url":1914},{"label":1508,"url":1509},"resources\u002Fguides\u002Fchange-realmlist-wtf",[2024,353,2025],"Realmlist","Troubleshooting","5zqW-heAoYbEM-UtOPJLf1DK1E9nupviu1MvO59p3xQ",{"id":2028,"title":2029,"author":20,"body":2030,"category":321,"description":2120,"draft":323,"extension":324,"featured":326,"meta":2121,"navigation":326,"path":2122,"publishedAt":2123,"seo":2124,"sitemap":2125,"sources":2126,"stem":2135,"tags":2136,"updatedAt":1803,"__hash__":2138},"articles\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-1121-client-checklist.md","WoW 1.12.1 (Build 5875) Client Checklist",{"type":22,"value":2031,"toc":2114},[2032,2039,2043,2046,2049,2053,2056,2062,2069,2073,2076,2102,2106,2109],[25,2033,2034,2035,2038],{},"“Vanilla client” is not a precise enough compatibility label. For realms based on the final original Vanilla patch, the expected client is normally ",[29,2036,2037],{},"1.12.1, build 5875",". Confirm the realm's detail page before downloading or changing anything.",[34,2040,2042],{"id":2041},"prefer-a-source-you-can-verify","Prefer a source you can verify",[25,2044,2045],{},"RealmList does not redistribute proprietary game clients. Start with software you are entitled to use and follow the realm owner's official setup documentation. Avoid shortened links, password-protected archives from unknown uploaders and launchers that demand administrator access without explaining why.",[25,2047,2048],{},"If a community supplies a patched client, check whether it publishes checksums, a changelog and a clear explanation of modified files. Scan downloads with current security software before running them.",[34,2050,2052],{"id":2051},"confirm-the-version","Confirm the version",[25,2054,2055],{},"The login screen normally displays the version and build number in a lower corner. For a conventional 1.12.1 realm, look for:",[138,2057,2060],{"className":2058,"code":2059,"language":143,"meta":144},[141],"Version 1.12.1 (5875)\n",[129,2061,2059],{"__ignoreMap":144},[25,2063,2064,2065,2068],{},"VMaNGOS documents build ",[129,2066,2067],{},"5875"," as the final 1.12.1 client and also supports selected earlier patch builds. A realm using custom patches may require something different, so the server's own compatibility statement takes priority.",[34,2070,2072],{"id":2071},"keep-the-client-self-contained","Keep the client self-contained",[25,2074,2075],{},"Legacy clients are easiest to troubleshoot when kept in their own writable directory. Before the first launch:",[172,2077,2078,2081,2084,2096],{},[175,2079,2080],{},"Extract all files rather than launching from inside an archive.",[175,2082,2083],{},"Keep a clean backup before adding patches, addons or custom launchers.",[175,2085,2086,2087,785,2089,785,2091,792,2093,2095],{},"Confirm that ",[129,2088,1461],{},[129,2090,180],{},[129,2092,1720],{},[129,2094,765],{}," belong to the same installation.",[175,2097,2098,2099,2101],{},"Set only the realm's documented ",[129,2100,131],{}," value.",[34,2103,2105],{"id":2104},"treat-accounts-as-realm-specific","Treat accounts as realm-specific",[25,2107,2108],{},"Community realms operate separately from Blizzard. Create a unique username and password for each realm, and never reuse your Battle.net password. Register only through the website linked from the realm's verified RealmList page.",[306,2110,2111],{},[25,2112,2113],{},"This checklist intentionally does not provide a universal 1.12.1 download. Provenance, licensing and server-specific modifications matter more than a convenient mirror link.",{"title":144,"searchDepth":312,"depth":312,"links":2115},[2116,2117,2118,2119],{"id":2041,"depth":312,"text":2042},{"id":2051,"depth":312,"text":2052},{"id":2071,"depth":312,"text":2072},{"id":2104,"depth":312,"text":2105},"Verify a Vanilla client version, source and folder layout before pointing it at a community realm.",{},"\u002Fresources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-1121-client-checklist","2026-09-08",{"title":2029,"description":2120},{"loc":2122,"lastmod":1803,"changefreq":331,"priority":332},[2127,2130,2132],{"label":2128,"url":2129},"VMaNGOS supported client builds","https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fvmangos\u002Fcore\u002Fblob\u002Fdevelopment\u002FREADME.md",{"label":2131,"url":1914},"VMaNGOS client setup documentation",{"label":2133,"url":2134},"Blizzard on reconstructing WoW Classic","https:\u002F\u002Fnews.blizzard.com\u002Fen-gb\u002Farticle\u002F21881587\u002Fdev-watercooler-world-of-warcraft-classic","resources\u002Fguides\u002Fwow-1121-client-checklist",[1395,2137,1918],"1.12.1","OlmDo0Ra5-QgNNBDFevrVvlw98I02_hyXttr7HVz-Qk",1789607737621]