WoW Classic vs. WoW Retail: What’s the Difference Between These Legendary MMORPGs?

Whether you are an avid player of MMORPGs or if you are only vaguely familiar about the genre, you must have heard about World of Warcraft (WoW). 

It’s because when it comes to MMORPGs, WoW stands front and center in the genre. With its vast outreach and extensive presence, the game holds a legendary status in the gaming world that remains unsurpassed by many other titles. 

But if you are only starting in WoW, you must have stumbled upon the multiple choices you have at your disposal. These options mainly range across WoW Classic and WoW Retail. Both titles provide you with engaging gameplay, but they still maintain their own hallmarks for players to enjoy and appreciate. 

To help you choose between WoW Classic and WoW Retail, here’s a lowdown on the basic differences between both games. 

 

Either Title Offers a Different Version of the Same Game

 

WoW was released in late 2004. From the get go, it established its worldbuilding on narratives and features provided with the original title. But the game started to grow further when it welcomed its first expansion pack titled “The Burning Crusade” in 2007. Since then, the WoW game has received 7 more expansion packs, with the latest one dubbed “Shadowlands” released in 2020.

 

On the other hand, WoW Classic retains the vanilla version of the game before the integration of any expansion packs. This version was released in 2019, and offers features such as WoW Classic gold transactions but skips over additions such as new races that were added through expansions. 

 

Both Titles Can Be Played Side by Side

 

Since WoW Classic and WoW Retail are essentially two different games altogether, they can be played separately without affecting your gameplay of either title. This means that if you have never played WoW before, you can experience the game’s original atmosphere through WoW Classic while also individually enjoying its latest features via WoW Retail. 

 

This provides you with an ideal level of flexibility to choose between a title that you prefer with its overall aesthetic and gameplay. If you like the vanilla version of the game, WoW Classic will be there to help you experience the world of Azeroth in its original form. But if you enjoy what expansions bring to the table, WoW Retail will also hold its doors open for you.

 

Both Titles Offer In-game Transactions

 

Some of the most sought after features of MMORPGs are player levels, upgrades, and rewards. Both WoW Classic and WoW Retail offer this capability. With that being said, getting certain upgrades in WoW Classic gives your character immediate distinction due to the limitation of specific items. For instance, getting an epic mount can give your character immediate prestige in the game. 

 

To enjoy this privilege in WoW Classic, you can cheap WoW Classic gold from reliable sources and spend it to get choice upgrades. In WoW Retail, you can buy a Token from the in-game Shop and sell it for gold or game time. This adds another layer to the game and delivers a significant sense of enjoyment that takes your gameplay to another level. 

 

You Can Play Both Titles With the Same Subscription

 

While the WoW Classic and WoW Retail rollout brings plenty of distinctive features to the table, perhaps the best offering comes in the form of accessibility. It’s because both titles are available under the same subscription. This means that if you obtain a subscription for WoW Retail, you are automatically eligible to access WoW Classic from the same launcher. 

 

If you are gearing up to play WoW for the first time, this also gives you the ability to enjoy both games at your own convenience, without having to pay any additional charges for Classic. This feature also works wonders for loyal players who have been with WoW from the start, and who can now enjoy the sense of nostalgia with what WoW Classic brings to the table. 

 

Which One is the Right Choice for You?

 

To summarize, choosing between WoW Classic and WoW Retail completely depends upon your preference for in-game capabilities. You can make this decision after having a hands-on experience of each title and its gameplay. 

 

Seeing that both games are available under a single subscription, it makes the decision-making process far easier than many other MMORPG titles with similar vanilla and retail versions. Once you have played each game enough, you can easily determine which one is the right version for you.