After a successful launch in early June, World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic's first Arena season has now begun. While many Burning Crusade Classic players have been content leveling and experiencing the new PvE content, others have been waiting patiently for the Arena season above all else. Despite being absent in WoW Classic, Arenas are a favorite in the World of Warcraft community, and their reintroduction in Burning Crusade Classic will be key to bringing back players to an older version of the game.
WoW Classic does offer organized PvP content in the form of battlegrounds, which were brought in during Phase 2 of the game. Although still well enjoyed by the community, the large groups and maps that define battlegrounds make them unpredictable, especially when playing with random people. Arenas are quite different, since they take place on smaller maps and are generally played with teams of 2 or 3. Many WoW players consider Arenas to be more skill-based than other types of PvP content, and because of this they have become the game's most popular PvP format.
With how intense Arenas can be in World of Warcraft, it's no surprise that they have become the game's largest Esport. The Arena World Championship is entering its 14th year as of 2021, and boasts a total prize pool of $900,000 for players to win. With the return of Arenas in Burning Crusade Classic, Blizzard has already announced a tournament in July for players to participate in. This tournament will not only help Burning Crusade Classic PvP players to gain exposure and grow their own brands, but also attract modern WoW players to try out the game and build up the Classic PvP Community.
WoW: Why Arenas Will Increase Burning Crusade Classic's Longevity
Although WoW Classic was quite successful during its initial run, it was a known quantity when it came to the amount of content it would include. While a similar thing can be said about Burning Crusade Classic's Dungeons & Raids, the existence of Arenas should allow the game to continue on with an active community even after all of the PvE content has come and gone. Many World of Warcraft players loved The Burning Crusade's class balance and Arena meta during its original run, and the ability to remain in that time period indefinitely will certainly appeal to some.
Arenas are an incredibly popular part of modern World of Warcraft, and there is no reason to expect they won't garner the same attention in Burning Crusade Classic. With high-tempo gameplay and little room for error, both watching and playing Arena content is a thrilling experience that every World of Warcraft player should try if they haven't yet.
Sources: Arena World Championship/Burning Crusade Classic Arena Tournament