Blizzard Sues WoW Private Server It Alleges Raked In Millions

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard is seeking legal action against yet another WoW private server, accusing the creators of Ascension WoW of copyright infringement, racketeering, and having earned millions of dollars illegally.

In a court document submitted on June 12 in California, Blizzard cited many of the same offenses it used against the creators of Turtle WoW in a lawsuit last year. Blizzard alleges the makers of Project Ascension have infringed on its WoW copyright on a “massive scale” by distributing illegal copies of the game, using copyrighted materials, and accepting donations, in effect operating an entire business built on the “large scale, egregious, and ongoing infringement” of Blizzard’s intellectual property.

“Through Project Ascension, Defendants have found a lucrative way to exploit and profit from the popularity of the WoW game experience,” the document states.

Blizzard alleges the creators of Project Ascension are well aware of their illegal activities, and have taken “extraordinary steps” to conceal their identities and safeguard against takedown notices or court judgements. The document states Blizzard believes Project Ascension’s servers are hosted by the Russia-based Aeza Group, an organization that, according to the US Department of the Treasury, is known for “enabling cybercriminals and technology theft” and was sanctioned by the US government in 2025. Blizzard notes that Project Ascension’s choice to work with such a “criminal enterprise” signals “intent to engage in unlawful activity.”

Unlike in its case against Turtle WoW, many of the named defendants in Blizzard’s lawsuit against Project Ascension reside in the US, but have allegedly masked their involvement through multiple shell companies that have no offices or employees. These companies are used to hide assets in an effort to avoid US tax liability, Blizzard alleges. The lawsuit goes on to state Blizzard is “informed and believes” Project Ascension has earned the two main people behind the private server, Derek Powell and Bryan Thomas Mannion, millions of dollars.

As part of the lawsuit, Blizzard is seeking the handover of all copies and materials that infringe on Blizzard’s IP (including the game’s modified client), the shutdown of Project Ascension, monetary relief, and the full accounting of “any and all monies” collected in connection with Project Ascension.

Project Ascension is widely seen as the last large private server still operating following Blizzard’s takedown of Turtle WoW and Stormforge in April. According to its website, it offers multiple ways to play, including a “classless” version of WoW where players can mix and match abilities as well as a version with 21 “new” classes “inspired deeply by Warcraft lore.”

The court sided with Blizzard in its action against Turtle WoW back in April, with the two parties soon after reaching a private settlement. A few weeks later, Stormforge announced it would soon shut down after receiving a cease and desist from Blizzard.

Blizzard’s recent actions against private servers have some fans wondering if a new version of WoW Classic is just around the corner. Prior to this year, the last time Blizzard shut down a high-profile WoW private server was Nostalrius back in 2016, only to announce WoW Classic a year later.

That has led to speculation Blizzard could be poised to unveil what fans call “Classic+” at BlizzCon in September–a version of original WoW that in theory would receive new content and changes without progressing through the game’s various expansions. Blizzard has not yet officially announced what’s next for WoW Classic, but did tease Classic players “have a lot to look forward to” during a 2026 State of Azeroth presentation.