Gankers Podcast Ep. 1 – The Journey, Not Just the Raid: Leveling, Classic+, and the Soul of WoW
You can’t talk about World of Warcraft without talking about leveling. Not raids. Not parses. Not even BiS lists. Because at the end of the day, it all starts with stepping into that first cave, pulling your first mob, and hoping your buddy isn’t AFK.
In Episode 1 of the Gankers Podcast, long-time guild leader Althilos and his co-host Holyhulkster kick off the series not with patch notes or meta breakdowns—but with a loose, passionate conversation about the real heart of WoW: the journey.
And it hits hard.
“You Just Gotta Enjoy Leveling Again.”
That’s how Althilos puts it—and he would know. He’s been leading the same guild since 2019, through Classic, SoM, SoD, and more rerolls than anyone wants to admit. Alongside Holy, the two reflect on the soul of Classic WoW, and why Season of Discovery reignited something in veteran players.
“There’s something weird about Season of Discovery—it brought back that sense of purpose in zones we thought we were done with.” — Holyhulkster
This episode isn’t a bullet list of features. It’s a conversation. The kind you’d have at 2am after your dungeon group finally kills Thermaplugg and someone asks, Why does this game still hit so hard?
The Classic+ Debate: Endgame Isn’t Enough
Things get deeper as the pair explore the idea of Classic+. Not just a buzzword—an actual vision. What would it look like if Blizzard truly built out the entire Classic experience, not just the 60 content?
“If you’re gonna do Classic+, it’s gotta be more than just Naxx again. Build the world, not just the bosses.” — Althilos
This isn’t just armchair dev talk. There’s clear thought behind the discussion:
Improve the leveling game without removing the challenge
Introduce new progression that doesn't nullify existing content
Explore zone revamps, emergent systems, and horizontal content
It’s a layered discussion that challenges how we think about progression in WoW. Holy adds:
“Imagine if there was good content to do at all points in the game… not just at the top.”
Boosting, Twinking, and the Rise of Emergent Gameplay
The podcast also touches on hot-button topics like boosting, dungeon meta, and how players create value in unexpected places.
Holy admits he’s no stranger to boosting friends, while Alth frames it as an evolution of gameplay:
“Emergent systems like that are part of what gives Classic its staying power. It’s the players solving problems their own way.”
They even touch on twinking, black lotus memes, and how community-driven goals and restrictions keep the game fresh—especially for multi-account grinders.
Nostalgia vs Burnout: What Keeps Us Subbed?
Throughout the episode, there’s a subtle theme of nostalgia—not as a marketing tool, but as a shared feeling. WoW Classic isn’t just a game. It’s a cultural loop we’ve willingly repeated for 20 years.
“The game started at level 1. And yeah, 60 mattered—but the journey there, especially that first time, it was a blast.” — Holy
But it’s not all rose-tinted goggles. They acknowledge burnout, the danger of overloading players with content, and how Classic could lean into choice-based progression instead of funneling everyone through the same 5 raids.
What Comes Next
This is just the beginning. The Gankers Podcast is sprinting toward a goal of 100+ episodes in just 3 months. Topics on the roadmap include:
PvP vs PvE realm identity
Private server innovation (Turtle WoW, Project Epoch)
Addons and the impact of UI mods on gameplay
MMO design beyond WoW (Ashes of Creation, Riot MMO)
And… plenty of arguments about Cowboys, Birds, and boost etiquette.
If you’ve ever sat in Discord late at night arguing whether Scholo is harder than Strat, or if Hunter is actually hard to play, this podcast is your people.
🎧 Listen Now
🔍 Tags for the SEO Gods
#GankersPodcast #ClassicWoW #WoWPodcast #WorldOfWarcraft #SeasonOfDiscovery #ClassicPlus #MMORPG #GamingCommunity #LevelingInWoW #PrivateServers #TurtleWoW #WoWAddons #SoD #BlizzardEntertainment
