We're pleased to announce that our upcoming content patch, “Before the Storm,” is now available on the Public Test Realms. This patch will include an all new Honor System and brand new talents for every class. It will also be the last major content patch released before World of Warcraft's first expansion, The Burning Crusade! Be sure to read about all of the exciting changes on our patch notes page. To learn more about how you can help test this patch, click here.
Also:
The Public Test Realms (PTR) for the 2.0.1 patch are now live! We are currently in the process of upgrading a group of realms to a new storage solution, upgrading those realms in preparation for the expansion and overall performance improvements. While these realms are undergoing maintenance we will not be able to offer character copies to the PTRs. The realms currently down for extended maintenance are scheduled to be brought back up on November 15, at approximately 5:00 PM PST, and we expect the character copies to be available shortly after they are brought back up. Until that time you can create new characters and still test many of the new features such as the new Looking For Group system.
We're not planning to offer premades for the 2.0.1 test. This is to help direct testing to areas, classes, and skills that people are familiar with to help ensure testing and feedback are indicative of the player's knowledge and experience with the characters and level being played.
For more information on the PTRs please read the FAQ by clicking here:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/ptr.html