Please post any other questions you have about the Burning Crusade launch in this thread and we will do our best to answer them throughout the day.

When is the official launch time for the Burning Crusade?

The official launch time is 12:00 AM (midnight) EST on January 16th.

What time will I be able to log in and play BC?

You will be able to log in and play as soon as you have purchased your copy of the Burning Crusade, installed it, and activated your key. Many retailers will be open at midnight. Please check with your local store for more information.

*Players will be able to play the expansion as of the official launch time.

Blizzard will also be participating in midnight sales and signings at several California locations. For more information visit the following link: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/misc/wowx-midnight.xml

Will I need to install from the CD? Why?

It will be necessary to have a Burning Crusade CD and a Burning Crusade authentication key in order to play The Burning Crusade expansion. There is content on the Burning Crusade CD that will need to be installed that was not included in the patches we recently released. Each account (in the event multiple are played by one person) will need its own copy of The Burning Crusade expansion to install the additional content, and be upgraded with the included authentication key.

Will I need to patch after I install from the CD?

Yes, the patch released after the game was completed (2.0.0-to-2.0.3) will need to be reapplied once the expansion is installed. If you’ve deleted that patch from your computer then it is possible that you will need to download it again.

If I have the beta already, do I need to delete the beta and install fresh?

When the game goes live, you will need to uninstall your beta client before installing the expansion. Use your computer's Add or Remove Programs function to remove it. If you do not see the beta listed there, just simply delete the Burning Crusade Closed Beta folder. Remember to back up any screenshots or UI settings that you may want to keep.

Where do I need to enter my key when upgrading? Is it through the client or on the website in Account Management?

You will need to enter your key either through the installer or on the following web page- https://upgrade.worldofwarcraft.com/expansion/

I play on two accounts. Will I be able to upgrade both accounts with one key?

No. You will need to upgrade each account you play on with a different key.

If I bought a Collector’s Edition but upgrade with a regular key, will I be able to upgrade to the CE version later?

No, you won’t. Once you enter a key for the upgrade, the option to enter a key will be gone and you will not be able to upgrade using the Collector’s Edition key.

Will I be able to get the new Collector's Edition pet on all of my characters or only my new characters?

All of the characters attached to the upgraded account will be able to use the new Collector's Edition pet.

I share a computer with someone else; will that person still be able to play if I upgrade but they don’t?

Yes. You will both be able to play as you normally would. The other person will not have access to the Burning Crusade content until the account he or she plays on is upgraded with a Burning Crusade key.

Can I just buy a key online and download?

We are not offering online purchase or download of The Burning Crusade at this time.

Will there be Tuesday Maintenance, or will I be able to play without planned downtime?

There will be no scheduled maintenance for release day, though should it be deemed necessary, we may have rolling restarts.

Will the realms be brought down prior to the release of The Burning Crusade?

No. We do not have any plans to bring down the realms prior to the release of The Burning Crusade. Players will be able to continue playing without interruption.

Will I need to leave my CD in the drive in order to play?

Once you have the expansion installed, you will not be required to have the CD in your drive to play.

I won’t have access to my CDs due to being away from home. Will I be able to upgrade the account I play on?

You will be able to upgrade the account; however, until you install from the CDs, you will not be able to play.

Will everyone receive a free respec upon release of the expansion?

No. There will be no free respecs with the release of the expansion.

Will honor points be reset to zero upon release of the expansion?

No. Players will be able to retain their current honor points.

Will new realms be opened when the expansion is released?

We are planning to open new realms with the release of The Burning Crusade, but we do not have any specifics to share at this time.

Once I install the expansion, can I go to Outland, and how do I get there?

The Dark Portal, the gateway to Outland, is located in The Blasted Lands. The only requirements to enter Outland are that you have installed the Burning Crusade expansion, have upgraded the account you play on with the Burning Crusade authentication key, and your character is level 58 or higher.

Will there be some sort of big ending to the Dark Portal Event that is going to happen at midnight? I don’t want to miss it if I’m in line getting my copy of the expansion.

There will be no final event as a part of the Dark Portal event. The event will run until the release of the expansion at which point players who have upgraded to the expansion will be able to go through the Dark Portal.