Blizzard Entertainment Files Lawsuit Against Turtle WoW Fan Servers Over Copyright Infringement

Image: Turtle WoW

Blizzard Entertainment, the studio behind World of Warcraft, has officially filed a lawsuit against the operators of Turtle WoW, a network of fan servers known for hosting custom content like the Mysteries of Azeroth expansion.

Turtle WoW describes Mysteries of Azeroth as a “fan-made expansion story for World of Warcraft Vanilla,” designed to explore deeper lore while avoiding the direction Blizzard officially took with its first expansion, The Burning Crusade, in 2007. Players can download the client for free, with donations accepted but not required.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses Turtle WoW of illegally using Blizzard's code, assets, trademarks, and artwork to build an "entire business on a large scale." This, they said, fragments the WoW community, introduces security risks, and confuses players about official versions of the game.

Turtle WoW has been around since 2018, gradually expanding into multiple servers to support its growing player base. Just earlier this month, the fan project reportedly hit a peak of over 44,000 concurrent players, highlighting its popularity within the classic WoW community.

The team has regularly released updates, including content patches for Mysteries of Azeroth, and is currently working on a full client rebuild in Unreal Engine 5. This new version, dubbed Turtle WoW 2.0, promises enhanced visuals and upgraded system requirements, while still offering a legacy mode for those who prefer the old-school look.

This action echoes Blizzard's 2016 shutdown of Nostalrius, another popular private server, which ultimately led to the official release of WoW Classic in 2019. Many fans see parallels, viewing the lawsuit as a sign that Blizzard may be preparing its own enhanced Classic+ version, though the company has not confirmed this.

Reactions online have been intense and divided. Many fans defend Turtle WoW for providing a superior, bot-free, lore-respecting experience with custom content that Blizzard has neglected. Others express frustration that Blizzard's retail WoW has "ruined the lore and mechanics," while Turtle WoW "expanded what was good" and even innovated with UE5 migration.

Still, not everyone is on board. A minority supports Blizzard, viewing Turtle WoW as blatant theft. Some even criticize Turtle WoW's marketing and donations as "greedy," suggesting it blurs the line between passion project and profit.

Overall, the sentiment leans heavily against Blizzard, with many fans viewing the lawsuit as a heavy-handed response to a community-driven effort. Whether this legal battle leads to another official revival — or simply shuts down a beloved fan space — remains to be seen.