This Week in World of Warcraft: December 18, 2023

Key Takeaways

• Wrath of the Lich King Classic's Ruby Sanctum raid opened January 11, 2024, sending players against Halion in Wyrmrest Temple.
• Blizzard published an early look at The War Within Hero Talents - a development preview of the then-upcoming expansion, not a live feature.
• The 2024 Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International seasons were announced for the game's 20th-anniversary year.
• Burning Crusade Timewalking, the Pet Battle Bonus Event, and the Deepwind Dunk brawl headlined the December 19 weekly events.
• The Feast of Winter Veil presents were claimable from December 25 through January 2.
• The January Trading Post lineup refreshed January 1, 2024 with a new month of cosmetics bought using Trader's Tender.

Here is how the holiday week of December 18, 2023 played out across retail and Classic.

Wrath Classic: The Ruby Sanctum Opened January 11

The headline Classic news was the Ruby Sanctum. On January 11, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 GMT), the raid opened beneath Wyrmrest Temple in Dragonblight, sending players to aid the red dragonflight against Halion and his Twilight forces. It was the final raid of Wrath of the Lich King Classic before the realms rolled forward into Cataclysm Classic, so it doubled as a send-off for the expansion.

News and Events That Week

The rest of the calendar mixed esports announcements, holiday events, and the usual weekly bonuses. Here is what landed, day by day.

December 18

• Early Look at Hero Talents - Blizzard previewed Hero Talents for The War Within. This was a development reveal of the upcoming expansion's system, which would later unlock at level 71, not something playable in December 2023.
• AWC and MDI 2024 unveiled - Blizzard announced the 2024 Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International seasons, a multi-season esports year tied to WoW's 20th anniversary.

December 19

• Pet Battle Bonus Event - Pet battles awarded bonus experience for the week, a quick way to level a collection.
• Burning Crusade Timewalking Bonus Event - Scaled Outland dungeons returned, paying out Timewarped Badges and a weekly cache.
• PvP Brawl: Deepwind Dunk - The fast, capture-and-score brawl rotated in for a week of low-stakes battleground fun.

December 25

• Feast of Winter Veil presents - The holiday's gifts were waiting under the trees in Orgrimmar and Ironforge, claimable from December 25 through January 2.

December 26

• Battleground Bonus Event - Random battlegrounds paid increased Honor for the week.
• PvP Brawl: Shado-Pan Showdown - The Shado-Pan Showdown brawl rotated in alongside the battleground bonus.

December 29

• January Trading Post preview - Blizzard teased the January Trading Post lineup. The new month of cosmetics refreshed January 1, 2024 and was bought with Trader's Tender earned from monthly activities, not from a sale.

December 31

• New Year fireworks - The in-game New Year fireworks lit up the major-city skies to close out 2023.

With the week's calendar covered, here are the questions players asked most about late-December 2023 in World of Warcraft.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Ruby Sanctum open in Wrath Classic?

The Ruby Sanctum opened January 11, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. PST (23:00 GMT) in Wrath of the Lich King Classic. The raid sat beneath Wyrmrest Temple in Dragonblight and pitted players against Halion, the final raid before Cataclysm Classic.

Were the December 2023 Hero Talents live?

No. The December 18 reveal was a development preview of The War Within's Hero Talents. The expansion was still in early testing, and Hero Talents only became playable later, unlocking at level 71 once The War Within launched in August 2024.

What did Blizzard announce for WoW esports in 2024?

Blizzard unveiled the 2024 Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International seasons, a multi-season competitive year built around WoW's 20th anniversary.

When could you claim the Feast of Winter Veil presents?

The presents under the holiday trees in Orgrimmar and Ironforge were claimable from December 25 through January 2, as part of the Feast of Winter Veil that ran across late December 2023.

Did the January Trading Post have deals or discounts?

No. The Trading Post is a monthly cosmetic shop, not a sale. Its January 2024 lineup refreshed on January 1, and items were bought with Trader's Tender earned from completing that month's activities.

What weekly events ran the week of December 19, 2023?

The Pet Battle Bonus Event, the Burning Crusade Timewalking Bonus Event, and the PvP Brawl: Deepwind Dunk all ran that week, followed by a Battleground Bonus Event and the Shado-Pan Showdown brawl on December 26.

Guardians of the Dream was still the live retail content over the holidays. Players who missed the Burning Crusade Timewalking week can explore Timewalking event boosts whenever it rotates back. Last reviewed 2026-06-22 against Patch 10.2.0 Guardians of the Dream. Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.