A month and a half after receiving a lawsuit from World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment, Turtle WoW has issued a new response in the form of an open letter. Turtle WoW is a massive fan server provider focused on the Classic version of the game, providing official content with some tweaks. In August, Blizzard sued the provider, alleging illegal use of proprietary code, assets and trademarks.
Turtle WoW’s new open letter, addressed to Blizzard Entertainment, discusses the lack of a “formal ecosystem for licensing fan-run community servers.” The Turtle WoW team suggests that official support and licensing could allow products like Turtle WoW to thrive while giving Blizzard oversight.
The letter also breaks down a number of comparable initiatives for fan-driven from companies like Rockstar, Bethesda, and Valve, suggesting that proper efforts with appropriate safeguards can ultimately “strengthen the brand.”
Turtle WoW’s Open Letter Finally Addresses Blizzard Lawsuit
While Turtle WoW’s new open letter isn’t its first response to the lawsuit, it’s a significantly more robust one. Initially, Turtle WoW addressed the matter in the official Discord, averring that “Turtle Wow is here to stay” and suggesting that the team was continually prepared to face challenges.
The open letter acknowledges the reality of the situation more directly, seeking to find a legal compromise that would allow both parties to satisfactorily move forward. Turtle WoW claims to be “open to any licensing structure that fits Blizzard’s risk-management and financial guidelines,” putting the ball in Blizzard’s court.
Blizzard May Have Already Sealed Turtle WoW’s Fate
Blizzard’s lawsuit against Turtle WoW was an unpleasant development for fans, but it wasn’t necessarily a surprise. While Turtle WoW is free-to-play, a donation shop complicated matters, and the team’s push to recreate World of Warcraft in Unreal Engine 5 likely brought additional scrutiny.
Turtle WoW’s newest proposal could potentially resolve some of Blizzard’s stated problems, as the “unprotected experience” was a centerpiece of the legal complaint. That being said, Blizzard might not be interested in meeting in the middle. Licensing fan servers would be a complicated new endeavor for Blizzard, and like the letter states, the company has never taken on this challenge up to this point.
Turtle WoW doesn’t hold the cards in this negotiation, so it’s best for fans to keep expectations in check. It will likely be a while before we see the final outcome of the legal trouble surrounding Turtle WoW. If you’ve been enjoying the Turtle WoW take on a classic World of Warcraft experience, you might want to take advantage of it while you know you can.
- Released
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November 23, 2004
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Engine
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Unreal Engine
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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pc, ps
- Cross Save
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yes
- Expansions
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World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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yes