realmlist.wtf

realmlist.wtf is a Warcraft Text File that tells the WoW-client which server to connect to, as of 2.1 a patchlist directive was added, presumably in conjunction with the new features of the World of Warcraft Launcher.

File Contents

enGB client used as example:

set realmlist eu.logon.worldofwarcraft.com 
set patchlist eu.version.worldofwarcraft.com

For US clients

set realmlist us.logon.worldofwarcraft.com
set patchlist us.version.worldofwarcraft.com

Editing this file would allow your client to connect to free, private World of Warcraft (MaNGOS) servers.

Due to the popularity of free, private WoW servers; this file was made more difficult to find. During patch 3.0.2 it was moved out of the main World of warcraft folder into a subfolder. It can still be modified to acess private servers but is now located in the default location C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Data\enUS\realmlist.wtf

Patchlist directive

Around 2.1 a new directive was added to the to the realmlist.wtf, the current use of this directive is unknown, but it's believed to be added to support the Blizzard Launcher's latest feature to notify you of new patches, the launcher itself connects to us.version.worldofwarcraft.com and gets a file called PatchSequenceFile.txt this file seem to contain a update path for the game, and the launcher.

Post-2.1, the Patchlist directive now also supports the Public Test Realm Clients, and updates those as nessecary, as such the file now have additional contents. There is also support for the background downloader although it is hard to say when this was added.

PatchSequenceFile.txt contents

[GAME]
CurrentBuild=7359
6546=WoW-2.x.x.x-2.2.0.7272-{PLATFORM}-{OS}-{LANG}
6692=WoW-2.x.x.x-2.2.0.7272-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}
6729=WoW-2.x.x.x-2.2.0.7272-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}
6739=WoW-2.x.x.x-2.2.0.7272-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}
6803=WoW-2.x.x.x-2.2.0.7272-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}
6898=WoW-2.1.3.6898-2.2.0.7272-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}
7272=WoW-2.2.0.7272-2.2.2.7318-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}
7318=WoW-2.2.2.7318-2.2.3.7359-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}


[PTR]
currentbuild=7441
7382=WoW-0.3.0.7382-0.3.0.7441-{CPU}-{OS}-{LANG}


[LAUNCHER]
CurrentBuild=200


[BACKGROUND]
date=Monday, October 29, 2007 08:22:14 GMT