The icy winds of Northrend are wailing once more, heralding news that Blizzard Entertainment's Wrath of the Lich King Classic is now live. All players with an active subscription automatically receive access to the re-creation of WoW 's acclaimed second expansion at no additional cost and can log in to begin their adventures into the frozen wilds of Azeroth's northern continent today. The legendary story can be experienced on all realms previously dedicated to World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Classic content.

Players will embark on a treacherous adventure through lush locales, battling foes unlike those found anywhere else in Azeroth, and will fulfil numerous quests before confronting the iconic Lich King in Icecrown Citadel and putting an end to his heartless destruction. This journey includes the rise of the fearsome Death Knight hero class, available to all players (even new ones!) and starting at level 55, the original iteration of the World of Warcraft achievement system to recognize various accomplishments in the game, and the Inscription profession, which enables players to scribe ability-enhancing glyphs that alter the appearance and modify the properties of spells and abilities.Originally released in 2008, the core experience of this beloved expansion has been carefully maintained, while some social and gameplay functionality has been modernized for the present day and Classic community. The current grouping tools have evolved while preserving the experience of forming groups organically. Players will also see other quality-of-life updates that have been crafted to maintain the soul of Classic and to ensure players' journeys through Northrend are as gratifying as they are challenging.

"Wrath of the Lich King Classic contains an iconic adventure from a momentous time in the history of Azeroth—we love this expansion, and we've carefully balanced both the nostalgia for veteran players and the modernization needed for players discovering it for the first time," said World of Warcraft vice president and executive producer Holly Longdale. "By giving extra care to the way players group for raids, as well as their end-game journeys, we've worked hard to ensure all players can experience everything that the massive continent of Northrend has to offer."

Community is at the heart of Classic, and there is plenty of group content for players to explore with friends: from today, 12 dungeons are available as part of the player leveling and maximum-level experience, with 16 total to become available across the expansion. On October 6, those seeking even more formidable thrills can take on the first three of the seven raids—Eye of Eternity, Obsidian Sanctum, and Naxxramas—before continuing their adventures in Ulduar, Trial of the Crusader, Icecrown Citadel, and Ruby Sanctum in future updates.

Players looking to further enhance their experience can choose from two upgrades available for purchase on Battle.net:

• Northrend Heroic Upgrade: a level-70 character boost complete with appropriate gear, mount, starting gold, and expert riding skill, Pebble the penguin pet, and Fishspeaker's Lucky Lure, a toy to summon your very own tuskarr fishing companion.
• Northrend Epic Upgrade: all items included in the Heroic upgrade, plus the flying Kalu'ak Whalebone Glider mount for your Classic characters, the flying Tuskarr Shoreglider mount for your non-Classic Characters, and 30 days of game time.