If you play WoW, then sometime in the past two weeks you should have noticed a small (but highly frustrating) program running in the background while you play. This programs, known as the Blizzard Background Downloader, is a shoddy little P2P app, based on BitTorrent technology. However, the important thing is that it’s been downloading (or not, as many have found), the WoW v2.0 patch.
This patch represents the first of two major overhauls in the World of Warcraft, the second of which is the Burning Crusade expansion, due to be released globally on January 16th.
The data downloaded to your system will finally be put to use on the 5th (if you’re on a US Server) or the 6th (EU Servers) of December.
The improvements included in this patch include the groundwork for the Burning Crusade, including expanding the in world map to include the Blood Elf and Draenei areas, revamping the PvP system, creating a new Looking for Group Interface and hopefully adding Blood Elf and Draenei NPCs to the existing cities. The current level cap may also be removed, something which has already happened in the Patch Test Realms. The current PTR patch notes are available here.
Just over a month after that, those who purchase the Burning Crusade, will be able to see the epic scope of Warcraft taken to a new level, with the opening of the Dark Portal and the Caverns of Time, the ability for players to create charcters from the two new races and brand new lore which sees player participate in the events of Warcraft III amongst other things.
[Source: WoW Insider]
