Burning Crusade Classic reopened the Dark Portal
The Classic journey entered Outland at 22:00 UTC on June 1, 2021, following the earlier choice between progression and Classic Era.
Burning Crusade Classic unlocked Outland at 22:00 UTC on June 1, 2021, or midnight on June 2 in Central Europe. Multiple regions crossed the Dark Portal together on this separate Classic progression path.
The preceding prepatch asked players whether each character would continue into the expansion or remain in Classic Era. That earlier decision did not itself open Outland; the adventure beyond the portal began at the expansion’s scheduled release.
Phase-one raids and dungeons were available subject to entry requirements, while ranked Arena play followed later. This 2021 release was distinct from both the original 2007 expansion and the later Anniversary edition.
WoWAzeroth archive. This is a retrospective account of the event above, not an article originally published on its launch date.