Blizzard Sues Turtle WoW, Popular Private Server

Blizzard Entertainment has initiated legal action against the operators of “Turtle WoW,” a prominent private server, alleging copyright and trademark infringement of World of Warcraft, circumvention of anti-piracy measures, and even racketeering. The lawsuit was filed on August 29, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 2:25-cv-08194).

Turtle WoW has gained recognition as a large and active private WoW server, offering custom content such as new zones, races, music, and events built on the original 2004 World of Warcraft game. Blizzard states that while they encourage legal player creativity through official channels, private servers like Turtle WoW “devalue the WoW experience” and damage their brand and business.

The complaint highlights Turtle WoW’s fan-made expansion, “Mysteries of Azeroth,” and marketing efforts for “Turtle WoW 2.0,” which aims to recreate WoW in Unreal Engine 5 with improved visuals, positioning it as a competitor to Blizzard’s own World of Warcraft Classic. Blizzard claims the project uses unlicensed WoW imagery on its site and social media, and generates “substantial revenue” through “donations” that grant in-game cosmetic items like mounts and pets.

The impact of the lawsuit on Turtle WoW remains to be seen. The lawsuit identifies Yulia “Torta/Shenna” Savko, a Russian national, as the key figure behind the operation. Other defendants include European-based programmers working for Turtle WoW and at least one American who managed marketing and public relations. Blizzard seeks an injunction to stop the alleged infringing activities and monetary compensation. However, enforcing a U.S. court ruling against the owner, given her location in Russia, will likely prove challenging.

Further reading: Lawsuit