How to test WoW Hardcore on the PTR realms

Get ready for an entirely new WoW experience.

Anub'arak boss in Trial of the Crusader raid in WoW WOTLK Classic
Defeat Anub'arak and snag powerful loot. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

World of Warcraft Classic Hardcore was a fan-favorite community-made challenge that is now being formally implemented into the game by Blizzard. The test realms for WoW Classic Hardcore are finally available for testing, but many players do not know how to gain access to these PTR realms.

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In WoW Classic Hardcore, your character only has one life. If your character dies from any cause, you will need to delete your character and completely erase your progress. After gaining significant traction with the WoW community, Blizzard decided to dedicate several servers to run WoW Classic Hardcore for those that want to experience this incredible challenge.

If you are trying to get into the PTR realms to jump on WoW Classic Hardcore, this is what you will need to know.

How to get into the WoW Classic Hardcore PTR Realms

The WoW Classic Hard testing will take place in PTR realms starting on June 29, 2023. In order to download the PTR realm, first boot up your Battle.net launcher and to account settings in the top right corner of the app.

Image of the Battle.net launcher options.
Get to your account settings through your Battle.net launcher | Screenshot via Dot Esports

Related: When does WoW Hardcore release? PTR release date

From here, you will be taken to the Battle.net website. On the sidebar, select the Games & Subscriptions tab. Once here, you will see all the games on Battle.net that you have bought or have active subscriptions. Scroll to the very bottom until you see an option that states “
Create a Public Test Realm (PTR) account to access new World of Warcraft content before it goes live.”

Image of the PTR download section in Battle.net
Scroll to the bottom of Games and Subscriptions until you spot the PTR section | Screenshot via Dot Esports

In order to create an account for a public test realm, you will need an active subscription to World of Warcraft. After ensuring your subscription is up to date, simply click ‘Create PTR account’ and begin filling in the necessary information.

After the account has been created, you can then download WoW Classic PTR and launch the developmental version of the game from your regular Battle.net launcher.

Author
Image of Blaine Polhamus
Blaine Polhamus
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. Avid gamer for two decades and gaming writer for three years. I'm a lover of anything Souls-like since 2011. I cover everything from single-player RPGs to MMOs.