Blizzard Responds To Nostalrius Server Takedown

Earlier this month, a very popular WoW server was taken offline. The server was named Nostalrius, and it was ran by a group of fans, who wanted to offer the same original vanilla World of Warcraft experience that many of us experienced when we first started playing the game. Many users have cried out, asking for an explanation, and asking that Blizzard offer some sort of similar experience.

The company has been publicly quiet on the matter since the news first broke. However, today they have come forward and posted a response to the matter, covering everything from why the server had to be taken down, to the reasons why they can't offer a similar experience, themselves. And as it turns out, they've been trying to find a way to offer vanilla servers for years.

Blizzard's reason for having the Nostalrius server taken down is the same one given by every company that takes down a fan project. Namely, "failure to protect against intellectual property infringement would damage Blizzard's rights." They went on to state that while they have looked into allowing private servers, there is "no clear legal path" to allowing them.

As for creating their own vanilla servers, they have explored options, but they would all be very complicated, and ultimately too difficult to pull off. Besides simply finding a way to get a vanilla server to work with the current client, they would also have to support multiple versions of the game, which they don't find feasible.

They are exploring the idea of a compromise. Something they call a "pristine realm." This would be a current server, with many newer features disabled. This includes leveling acceleration, heirloom gear, character boosts, Recruit-A-Friend bonuses, WoW Token, and access to cross realm zones, as well as group finder. While these would bring back some of the nostalgic feelings of the vanilla game, so far users have had a lukewarm reaction at best.

While none of what they've stated is going to bring back the vanilla servers that so many people want, it's good to hear them say something. Their silence over the last few weeks has upset a lot of players, especially those that enjoyed playing on Nostalrius. Hopefully they will continue this dialogue, so that they can find some sort of compromise that makes everyone happy.

VIA: Blizzard