Wallcraft starts its beta, The Lost Chapter, on 29 December

Wallcraft announced on 25 December 2023 that its beta, The Lost Chapter, would begin on 29 December. Wallcraft is a custom Vanilla server on the 1.12.1 client, and its developer had spent 2023 showing what the alpha testers were playing.

What the alpha showed in 2023

April: Alpha Karazhan, the version of the zone cut before release, fixed on the 1.12 client
May: Death's Trial, a hardcore mode with a twist. When you die you return to your hearth location and lose every item you carried, so death is a setback rather than the end
May: Goblins and Ogres as playable third-faction races. Goblins can trade with both the Horde and the Alliance, while Ogres are hostile to both
May: two new professions, Inscription for buff scrolls and Survival for fires, tents and gear against harsh weather
November: a direct port of Alpha Northrend to the 1.12 client

Four months in

On 24 April 2024 the developer wrote that the beta was entering its fifth month, with near 100% uptime since the launch in January, several hundred people playing during the week and dozens online at any time. The beta then offered:

Expanded spells and abilities for every class and spec
Free-for-all PvP, so you can group with anyone and fight anyone
A weekly raid group running Upper Blackrock Spire, Zul'Gurub, the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, Molten Core and world bosses
Open-world battlegrounds that you join and leave as you like

Sources: the Wallcraft posts on Reddit (27 April, 14 May, 17 November and 25 December 2023, and 24 April 2024).