Crusader-Storm sets 3 January for the fresh launch of its TBC server

Crusader-Storm will launch its Burning Crusade server fresh on Saturday 3 January 2026 at 17:00 UK time (12:00 EST). The team announced the date on 8 December, while its open beta was still running.

The name is not new. Crusader-Storm first went online a little over a year earlier, and in November the developer wrote that it "never really hit off". The developer took the blame for not promoting it long enough before launch and for juggling too many things at once. This time the server went through a closed and an open beta first.

The road to launch

A closed beta was running by early November, and in its second week about 25 people had signed up to test
The open beta started on Friday 28 November at 17:00 UK time with no whitelist, and runs until Monday 22 December
All beta accounts and characters will be wiped before launch, so everyone starts on equal terms
Closed beta testers get a Panda Cub pet to show they were part of that team
In the first week after launch, a Mini Diablo cosmetic pet can drop from mobs the same way bags do, as a token for players who were there from the beginning

Level 60 first

The server opens in a pre-patch stage: the level cap is 60 and the Dark Portal stays closed. The team expects this stage to last one to two months, which gives word of the server time to spread and new players time to catch up before Outland opens. It also hopes to catch some of the interest around the official TBC Classic pre-patch, which it expects on 13 January.

What the server offers

The goal, in the team's words, is "a very similar Burning Crusade BlizzLike experience" with a few small tweaks and quality of life changes.

CMaNGOS core and x1 experience. Limited XP events for new players may come later
The modern 2.5.3 Classic client or the original 2.4.3 client, both downloadable from the website. If you already have 2.4.3, you only change the realmlist
A PvE realm where PvP can be toggled on and off
Cross-faction trading, grouping, whispers, mail and guilds, and Alliance and Horde characters on the same account
Class trainers, riding skill and mounts cost half as much, and dual spec costs 5 gold
Mail arrives in a minute, a guild charter needs one signature, and auctions run twice as long with no deposit
Ore, cloth and standard potions stack to 20, and so do Soul Shards
Server achievements, announced in game and listed on the website, where you can also search the Auction House
No e-mail address or personal details to sign up, and no cash shop

Sources: the team's Reddit posts in r/wowservers about the closed beta (4 and 12 November 2025), the open beta (22 and 27 November 2025) and the launch date (8 December 2025).