Mists of Pandaria Classic has officially entered the raid scene, but not with the fanfare many expected.
Data for the first week shows the lowest participation figures for an opening raid week in the entire history of Classic.
Both raid and arena numbers are far below the peaks seen in previous Classic expansions, and the steep drop from past launches has many wondering if the timing of the release sealed its fate.
A Crowded Blizzard Calendar
The launch of MoP Classic came at a particularly hectic time for Blizzard games.
AQ40 just launched on Classic Anniversary realms and retail WoW received its 11.2 patch.
According to player comments, there’s simply too much to do right now, and with retail receiving new content, people are prioritizing that, instead of playing MoP Classic.
According to one comment, a retail guild had 15 members wanting to play MoP Classic, but only 5 ended up getting to Level 90.
The Road Ahead Looks Challenging
With War Within Season 3 beginning on live servers next week, we don’t expect the MoP Classic numbers to improve any time soon.
For many, the timing raises a question Blizzard will need to consider for future launches: is it better to keep the hype rolling by stacking releases, or to give each title more breathing room.
