Many players are excited about WoW Forever, but this is a blow to the classic World of Warcraft servers, as it means a large number of players will leave. WoW MoP Classic has already reached Phase 5 and is essentially nearing its end, while WoW TBC Anniversary is undoubtedly the version that will be affected the most.
WoW TBC Anniversary is currently in its strongest phase, but following the announcement of WoW Forever, players are leaving in large numbers. Those who remain in TBC are also facing a question: should they continue playing TBC? It depends on the current state of your character, your guild environment, and the content you want to play.

Player Population Decline
Before BlizzCon, WoW BCC Anniversary player population had already seen a slight decline, dropping from around 260,000 players to 220,000. However, this was relatively normal, as the combined player population across the US and European realms remained around 240,000 throughout August.
From the period after BlizzCon through September 22, however, WoW TBC Anniversary player population dropped significantly, falling from around 220,000 to roughly 130,000. If this trend continues, the player population could soon fall below 100,000.
Player loss can be devastating for an MMO because it reduces the supply of items and the circulation of WoW TBC Anniversary gold in Auction House. For players who need to craft transitional gear, the value of materials in Auction House will gradually increase.
For players who need to run raids, putting together a full group will become more difficult, and everything will slow down. The key question now is whether TBC Anniversary is still worth playing if the population continues to decline at this rate.

Is It Suitable for Starting From Scratch?
If you plan to level from 1 to 70, it is probably better not to waste your time. If you genuinely enjoy the leveling journey, have very little time for raiding, and do not plan to raid at all, then it may still be worth considering. However, if you want to raid in TBC Anniversary and have not started yet, it is probably better not to invest the time.
Forming raid groups is already becoming difficult, and many groups are missing Shamans and Holy Paladins. It is also Phase 3 now, and most players have already reduced Black Temple to raid logging content, clearing it before logging off.
If you start gearing a character from scratch, you will need to progress from Karazhan to SSC and the later content, which requires a considerable amount of time.
Even if you manage to gear your character properly, you may still struggle to get into raids. Many players are focused on extreme optimization, so they will check your gear score and combat logs. As a new character with average gear, you are unlikely to receive many raid invitations.
Players With Existing Characters
If you already have a well-geared character and your guild has not become a ghost guild because of WoW Forever, you can continue playing. However, as more players and guilds leave, your guild could also be affected.
If you only want to play PvP, that is still an option. Battlegrounds usually have relatively short queues, and Arenas are still playable. The problem is that these activities are now largely dominated by players with extremely powerful gear.
If you only play PvE, things become even more difficult. You will need a considerable amount of time to gear your character, and you may still struggle to find a suitable raid spot unless you have a stable guild.
TBC after November 4
Although not every player will leave TBC Anniversary immediately, that is partly because World of Warcraft: Forever is still one month away from launch. Once WoW Forever goes live, the initial weeks are expected to bring a major wave of player departures.
Players will want to experience the new game while it is still fresh. This means many Burning Crusade players will temporarily shift their time toward WoW Forever. Some guilds may move over as entire groups, while some players may leave TBC permanently.
After WoW Forever has been running for some time, TBC Anniversary may stabilize at a much smaller population. Some players may gradually return to TBC, especially when Sunwell phase gives them a strong reason to come back.
Players who have spent several months gearing their characters may not simply abandon all of that progress, especially with the expansion's final raid already on the horizon.
The official team has not announced a complete long-term plan for TBC Anniversary, so it remains unclear whether it will eventually enter a permanent-server model, continue into Wrath Classic, or take an entirely different path.
This may be the biggest issue facing TBC players right now. World of Warcraft: Forever is designed to be permanent, while TBC still has an endpoint. Once Sunwell Plateau is completed and players clear the final content, there will be fewer reasons to remain in Outland.
That does not mean TBC will disappear overnight. Classic Era has already shown that an older version can continue to exist with a smaller but dedicated population, and TBC Anniversary could follow a similar path. However, how the official team handles the period after Sunwell will be extremely important, especially now that Forever gives players a permanent alternative.
If you are completely new or want to level another character from scratch, it may be better to abandon that plan and wait for World of Warcraft: Forever. If you already have a developed character and a reasonably active guild, you can continue playing TBC Anniversary and wait for the release of Sunwell.











