Blizzard Entertainment Takes Legal Action Against Turtle WoW
Blizzard Entertainment, the company behind the well-known MMORPG World of Warcraft, has initiated a lawsuit against the operators of Turtle WoW. This platform hosts a collection of fan-created mods and updates, including one called Mysteries of Azeroth.
According to the Turtle WoW website, Mysteries of Azeroth is described as a “fan-made expansion story for World of Warcraft Vanilla,” focusing on the original game’s lore and diverging from the changes introduced by Blizzard’s The Burning Crusade expansion in 2007.
Players can access Mysteries of Azeroth by downloading a free client, with the developers open to donations but not requiring them. The lawsuit, filed in California’s Central District on Friday, claims that Turtle WoW’s developers are utilizing Blizzard’s artwork, trademarks, and official code without permission.
A spokesperson for Blizzard provided the following statement: “Our games are built on decades of innovation and creativity, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the integrity of that work for our employees, our partners, and our players. This pirate server illegally uses our code, assets, and trademarks to market an unprotected experience. Given the scale and nature of the infringement, we need to pursue formal remedies to protect the world we’ve built.”
Turtle WoW’s first server launched in 2018, and the group has expanded by adding more servers over time to attract a larger player base. In August, Turtle WoW reported reaching over 44,000 concurrent players across all servers.
The Turtle WoW team has continuously released updates for Mysteries of Azeroth and is planning to release an updated version of the game, built using Unreal Engine 5. Dubbed Turtle WoW 2.0, this iteration aims for enhanced graphics and higher system requirements, while also offering a Legacy version for players who prefer the classic aesthetic.
In comparison, Blizzard launched World of Warcraft: Classic in 2019, providing an official experience of the original game. This Classic version has received updates honoring past expansions like The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, and it requires a subscription just like the main game.
