Below is a compilation of the most frequently asked questions regarding this feature:

When will the Russian version be launched?
We plan to release the Russian version of World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade on August 6th, 2008.

How many realms will be available at launch and what type will these realms be?
There will be five realms available on day one. Two of the realms will be designated as fresh realms for Russian players to experience the game from the beginning, and three will be destination realms for migrations.

Migration destination:
Ashenvale (Ясеневый лес) – (PvP)
Booty Bay (Пиратская бухта) – (PvP)
Azuregos (Азурегос) – (PvE)


Fresh realms:
Thermaplugg (Термоштепсель) – (PvP)
Eversong (Вечная Песня) - (PvE)

Can I transfer my current characters to the Russian realms?
Yes. We intend to offer a free character transfer for Russian players on current European realms to the new Russian realms for a limited time period.

What is the difference between a Russian-only account and a European account?
With a Russian-only account you will be able to create characters and play on Russian realms only, pay your subscription in roubles and enjoy full support in Russian.

With a European account you will be able to create characters and play on both European realms and Russian realms, but you will still need to pay your subscription in European currencies.

What happens if I keep my current European account?
If you retain or create a European account, you will be able to play on both European (English, French, German and Spanish) and Russian realms. However, while playing on European realms, you will only be able to receive support in the language of that realm. You will not be able to take advantage of the Russian realms’ dedicated support and Cyrillic text.

If you have a European account and create a character on a Russian realm, then you will benefit from dedicated Russian support and Cyrillic text for that character.

Do I need to create a Russian account to play the Russian version?
No, you can play the Russian game version with a European account on a Russian realm.

It will be possible to create a dedicated Russian-only account, which will allow you to play on any of the Russian realms. With this account you will be able to play World of Warcraft fully localized in Russian using Cyrillic text and receive in-game and out-of-game support in Russian.

Will the Russian-only account subscription fee be the same as the European account?
No, the subscription fee for the Russian-only account will be specific to the Russian market in Roubles, as follows:
One-month subscription: 359 roubles per month
Three-month subscription: 329 roubles per month
Six-month subscription: 299 roubles per month

Will languages other than Russian be supported on Russian realms?
No. Support will only be available in Russian on the Russian realms, encompassing both the 24/7 in-game support as well as offline technical, customer and billing support. The official World of Warcraft website for the Russian version will also feature full Russian-language forums and community support.

Will a Russian language pack be available?
Yes.

Current players with a European version of World of Warcraft will be able to download a Russian language pack.

Can I transfer my current characters to the Russian realms?
Yes. We intend to offer a free character transfer for Russian players on current European realms to the new Russian realms for a limited time period. More details will follow closer to the release.

Can I transfer to the Russian realms at a later date if I miss the current migration?
We only intend to run the free character transfer for a limited time. We encourage current Russian players who are considering moving to the Russian realms to take advantage of the free character transfer period to do so.

If I transfer my characters to a Russian realm, can a friend who is new to World of Warcraft join me?
Yes, provided you both play on the same new Russian realm.

Can I keep my current character name if I transfer to a Russian realm?
Unfortunately, you will not be able to keep your current character name. In order to offer a fully localized experience, you will need to re-enter your character’s name using the Cyrillic alphabet once you have transferred to a Russian realm.

Can I use Cyrillic letters in my character or guild name on non-Russian realms?
No. The use of Cyrillic letters in the names of characters or guilds will only be supported on the Russian realms.

Will the other account services such as Paid Character Transfer or Character Name Change be available for Russian-only accounts? If so, will the fees be the same?
We intend for all World of Warcraft account services to be available on Russian-only accounts, but pricing and timing of these services has yet to be determined.

What happens to my guild if I decide to transfer?
As with the standard Paid Character Transfer system, we are unfortunately unable to transfer your guild affiliation and tabard design. You will need to reform the guild after transferring to the destination realm.

I’m currently running a big raiding guild and I’m considering transferring to the Russian realms. Will you help me transfer my guild and guild bank?
We regret that we are unable to offer support for full guild transfer during the migration period. We recommend that you disband your guild, transfer characters and items on an individual basis and then arrange to reform the guild on the destination realm.

Can I join the Arena Tournaments with a Russian-only account?
At this stage we are still investigating various options for Russian-only account players to participate in the Arena Tournament.

Will the Russian realms have their own Battlegroup?
Yes. All Russian realms will belong to the same dedicated Russian Battlegroup, Flurry (Шквал), which will not initially be shared with other European realms.

Will there be Russian role-playing realms available on launch day?
At this stage we do not plan to have role-playing realms available on launch day, but we are considering adding RP realms post-launch.

Will Russian realms have their own tab on the realm selection screen?
Yes. The Russian realms tab will be visible to all players with a European account, but you will need to have a Russian version of World of Warcraft installed in order to log in to the Russian realms.

If you have a Russian-only account, the Russian realm tab will be the only tab visible.

Will the Russian realms be accessible only by players located in Russia?
The Russian version is intended for all Russian-speaking players in Europe. We do not intend to have any country restrictions on creating a Russian-only account or accessing the Russian realms.