Uh…I know. Uh…just like in Vanilla, there were even more in the first two years.
Blizzard eventually merged and eliminated pvp servers over time as customers got tired of ganking. PvP servers were more numerous than PvE servers from 2004-2006. In 2007, the exodus from PVP servers, and creation of more PvE servers began. Retail now has no PvP servers, and it uses warfronts.
Launch 2004: 43 PvP servers, 41 PvE servers, 5 RP servers, zero rp-pvp servers
September 2005: 55 PvP servers, 44 PvE servers, 7 RP servers, 2 RP-PvP servers (ED and Maelstrom)
End of 2005: 62 PvP servers, 47 PvE servers, 7 RP servers, 5 RP-PvP servers
Leading up to warfronts: In 2017 Blizzard announced warfronts, because the play on PvP servers, despite any relative number strength to PvE servers, wasn’t the PvP of old. The PvP server ratios went WAY out of whack. In fact the only relatively balanced PvP server left was a single RP-PvP server (ED and then later WA for a bit as ED shook out, long story) The notion that ‘most’ people played PvP servers leading up to warfronts is deceptive because the state of wPvP was nothing near the level of 2005-2006. PVE server populations on single servers, were in fact, higher than PvP servers in terms of overall logins and activity. Blizzard had to help PvP by giving players what they say was the best of both worlds: everyone should try world pvp, but have the option to flag beforehand TO AVOID GETTING GANKED AT LOW LEVELS. To pretend that ganking lowbies on PvP servers wasn’t always a problem, is rather, short sighted in light of actual statistical trends, and contrary to the decision the developers made to eliminate PvP servers altogether.
2018-2019: No PvP servers. All PvE servers. But wait! Warfronts (absolutely dead in comparison to early Vanilla wpvp) which essentially is a PvE server with the ability to flag for PvP.
My theory on why Blizzard launched more PvP servers? The hype. Everyone wants to believe they will be on top, or participate in some massive noble war, but over time, the ganking ruins it. People forgot why they left the first time. Maybe new players think it will be like Fortnite for the first time. Either way, people missed the vanilla days of PvP. Nostalgia. Or. Gankers get to relive being a major PITA and scream carebear to the uninitiated. Whatever floats their boat.
Already the forums are filling up with confused complaints by people who got ganked, or want better balance, or (insert whatever scapegoat for getting wiped in PvP here).
A few of us remember PvP, enjoy PvP, and know what is coming. So many others…they will be jumping to a PvE server, just like post vanilla, especially because this time around there are players who REALLY know their classes and will dominate pvp at a level the early vanilla pioneers couldn’t.