World of Warcraft housing expert recreates The Burning Crusade's iconic login screen on their in-game PC

In my mind’s eye, I can perfectly picture the cinematic where Sylvanas Windrunner burns Teldrassil in Battle for Azeroth. It’s as clear as day: the World Tree ablaze, smog rising into the sky. Then, there’s the first time you see the Temple of the Jade Serpent in Mists of Pandaria; one of the most beautiful videogame vistas ever made. But, if you’re an OG OG World of Warcraft player, the login screen for The Burning Crusade is, perhaps, the MMO’s most iconic piece of art. The Dark Portal beckons, flanked by its leering statues, guarded by the dragon-esque gargoyle that sits on top of it. We’ve seen it a hundred times before, and are likely to see it a hundred times again. I haven’t, however, seen it like this.

The introduction of player housing to World of Warcraft has led to some truly weird and wonderful creations. From quaint, cozy-core cottages to treehouses and, ahem, shrines to Xal’atath’s feet, I’m consistently surprised by people’s creativity.

If you logged in post-Midnight launch, you’ll have been gifted a decor version of The Dark Portal to celebrate the kickoff of Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary. I’ve seen it appear in myriad houses since then, in all different disguises. What we haven’t seen, however, is a recreation of the Burning Crusade loading screen on a miniature PC inside someone’s house. Burning Crusade-ception, or whatever the cool kids say these days.

Created by the eloquently named ‘Idibegajranolegaj’ on Reddit (I’m sure it means something), we see a perfectly sculpted monitor, alongside a gorgeous, neon purple tower. There’s a desk lamp, a hand-crafted keyboard, and a particularly cozy looking gaming chair – sure, it ain’t SecretLab, but those cushions look pretty damn plush.

The focus, however, is the TBC loading screen on the monitor. Masterfully recreated using the Dark Portal decor piece and various other oddities, it even has functioning UI buttons; Idibegajranolegaj notes that interacting with them “makes your character sit on them.”

“It was originally going to be a Windows XP wallpaper but the portal accidentally wandered in and it turned into this,” they write, and honestly, I know which one I’d pick.

As someone who has watched far too many creators redecorate their Orbiters in Warframe, I’m always blown away by the things people manage to construct with nothing more than a few wooden blocks and various bits of virtual furniture.

This one, however, also brings back good memories; I spent a lot of time in Burning Crusade Classic, having missed it the first time around (my mom was pretty strict on videogames), and Idibegajranolegaj’s little creation just reminds me of nostalgia-tinged nights spent exploring Azeroth. My posture is even the same as theirs – which probably explains the back pain my almost 30-year-old-self experiences nowadays. Still, I wouldn’t trade those memories for the world.