On July 3rd， according to reports from Kuaikeji， the World of Warcraft China server operations team recently published a letter titled “Wishing the China Server a Happy 20th Anniversary.”
The letter marks the 20th anniversary of World of Warcraft in China. To celebrate this milestone， the game’s official servers will initiate a series of activities starting today. Notably， drop rates for rare items from versions 1.0 through 9.2 will be significantly increased. This move is likely aimed at re-engaging veteran players and attracting newer ones by making iconic content more accessible.
In addition to the drop rate boost， the official announcement detailed three major upcoming content releases:
On July 9th， the “Shadowlands Archives” pre-anniversary event is set to launch. This event is designed to evoke nostalgia by allowing players to reminisce about their adventures in Azeroth over the past two decades and provide a glimpse into the upcoming anniversary celebrations. Such commemorative events are a common strategy to foster community and celebrate long-standing game anniversaries.
July 15th will see the Grand Anniversary Press Conference， where the future content roadmap for the China server will be unveiled， along with details about the specific activities planned for the anniversary celebration. This presentation is crucial for setting player expectations and outlining the sustained development of the game.
On July 17th， the “Wrath of the Lich King” classic servers will introduce Heroic difficulty for Icecrown Citadel， and the normal difficulty of Ruby Sanctum will also be available. Releasing challenging raid content for classic servers often appeals to a segment of the player base that prioritizes challenging PvE experiences and the nostalgia associated with these iconic raids.
For historical context， World of Warcraft， Blizzard’s first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) built on the Warcraft universe， was initially launched in North America and other regions on November 23， 2004.
In China， World of Warcraft commenced its public beta testing on April 26， 2005， under the代理 operation of The9， with the official launch occurring on June 9th of the same year. The game’s prolonged presence in the Chinese market underscores its significant cultural impact and enduring popularity.
In April 2009， Blizzard decided to transfer the agency and operational rights for World of Warcraft in China from The9 to NetEase. This transition marked a new chapter for the game’s development and community engagement in the region.
