Just two weeks after the complete shutdown of Turtle WoW, the fan-driven private server network for World of Warcraft, the creators have unveiled their next steps—a significant pivot in their journey. The developers, now united under the banner of Moonwhisper Games, are embarking on an ambitious venture to create a new MMORPG.
Charting a New Course
In a heartfelt message shared on their Discord server, developer ‘Jamey’ reassured the community that this transition marks not an end, but the dawn of a new chapter. Following the closure of all Turtle WoW servers on May 15, which came after a legal settlement with Blizzard regarding the use of the World of Warcraft intellectual property, the team is ready to start anew. They are committed to crafting their own narrative, universe, and intellectual property.
“We will be building something from the ground up: our own story, our own world, and our own IP,” the team stated. The decision was inspired by the overwhelming farewell from their community, which illuminated their desire to create a game that would bring players together once more. “It’s a game we ourselves would want to play, and a game we would enjoy creating regardless of the time, risks, and costs involved.”
Embracing the Challenge
While the prospect of developing a new MMORPG is daunting, the team at Moonwhisper Games is acutely aware of the challenges ahead. They acknowledge that the MMO genre is notoriously difficult to penetrate, yet they remain undeterred. “We know this is an enormous undertaking. MMOs are among the most ambitious and demanding projects in game development, and we’re under no illusion that this is something that can be built quickly or easily,” they expressed.
However, the developers are not starting from a blank slate. With years of experience in building MMO experiences, managing communities, and creating content, they are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of game development. “We know how challenging this road will be, but we also know it’s a challenge worth taking on,” they affirmed.
Building the Future
Currently, the focus for Moonwhisper Games is on laying the essential groundwork for their new project. This includes developing the world, crafting its lore and history, defining core gameplay pillars, and establishing the foundational elements upon which everything else will be built. “While there’s still a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, we’re excited to share that journey with you and hope you’ll support us along the way,” they stated, inviting interested parties to follow their progress on a new X account.
In a move to redefine their community space, the team is also in the process of removing all private server emulation-related content from their Discord server, which will now serve as the home for Moonwhisper Games. “We’d like it to remain a place where people can simply enjoy games together, discover new ones, and keep the friendships that were formed here over the years,” they concluded. “We have stories to tell, and you’ll be hearing much more from us as development moves forward. Thank you.”
