Now that Phase 6 has been released, World of Warcraft: Classic players can experience Naxxramus, the original game's final raid. Naxxramus was possibly the most anticipated drop in all of World of Warcraft: Classic, and it marks the end of the planned content announced by Blizzard when the game was released. While Phase 6 will keep players occupied in the short term as they explore Naxxramus and acquire gear, the developers will have to decide what to do now that there is no announced content left to release.
Since World of Warcraft: Classic was marketed as a "faithful remake" of the original game, and that promise has essentially been fulfilled, it is possible that Blizzard could leave the game as is without updates. This may please some players who prefer the original game to each of the expansion packs, since they would be able to continue playing without disruption. However, this would be a surprising decision for Blizzard to make, especially considering the success that World of Warcraft: Classic had in attracting subscribers to the game.
One option for World of Warcraft: Classic would be to introduce some sort of "Classic+" feature, where brand-new phases of raid content are added to the existing game. This would allow players to continue to gear up and progress with their guilds even beyond Naxxramus, and would not require any major changes to World of Warcraft: Classic's system. However, considering much of the game's development team has changed since the original World of Warcraft, and most of them are busy working on the retail version of the game, this is may not be a realistic option.
A WoW: Classic Version of The Burning Crusade Is More Likely
The most likely scenario for World of Warcraft: Classic going forward, and arguably the one most desired by the majority of fans, is to reintroduce the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade added changes that veteran fans of the game may welcome, such as better class balance and the addition of arenas, which remain a popular version of player vs. player even in the retail version of the game. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade also introduced two new playable races, including the popular Blood Elves, as well as one of the most infamous characters in World of Warcraft's history, Illidan Stormrage.
Since World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade came directly after the original game, the transition should be relatively easy to make. The raid and leveling content has already been created, so all Blizzard would need to do is optimize it for World of Warcraft: Classic. One potential issue with this avenue is that, since some players prefer the original game without expansion packs, they may be upset with the change. Blizzard could, of course, solve this by leaving some World of Warcraft servers untouched by any new additions.
Although some players are eagerly waiting to hear where Blizzard will go next with World of Warcraft: Classic, there is no telling when that news will come. With World of Warcraft: Shadowlands releasing recently, the company may be focusing on the upcoming raids and other content for the current version of the game. Although there has been no specific indication of an announcement, it is possible that Blizzard will reveal the plan for World of Warcraft: Classic at Blizzcon this February.