World of Warcraft
News, coverage and analysis tracking World of Warcraft across the outlets.
Latest coverage
WoW: Forever dev says 'there's a real longing for that slower, more deliberate pace' in MMOs: 'A…
World of Warcraft: Forever's associate production director Clay Stone discusses the appeal of a slower, more deliberate pace in MMORPGs, citing the success of Classic, Season of Discovery, and Hardcore modes. He suggests that the modern world's constant information overload creates a longing for less rushed gameplay experiences, and that "WoW Forever" aims to answer the question of whether it's too late to start playing with an emphatic 'no'.
World of Warcraft Forever beta continues to adjust dungeon XP and bans over 4K accounts for RMT
The World of Warcraft beta is continuing its fourth week with an increased level cap and the opening of the City of Dalaran dungeon. Blizzard has banned over 4,000 accounts for real-money trading and is actively adjusting dungeon XP gains. Future updates may include revisiting racial abilities and adding more attunement quests.
WoW: Forever's list of changes snowballed as Blizzard got more excited, says dev: 'Our original pitch internally was: We'll do 4 new dungeons'
Blizzard Entertainment's associate production director Clay Stone revealed that the scope of World of Warcraft: Forever evolved significantly from its initial concept. What began as a pitch for four new dungeons expanded to nine, driven by developer excitement and player reception to previous classic iterations like Season of Discovery. This evolution aims to deliver a more substantial experience than initially expected.
New World of Warcraft: Forever dungeon commits one of the MMO's biggest no-nos
The new City of Dalaran dungeon in World of Warcraft: Forever is causing controversy by allowing Horde players to access the Alliance-controlled city. This is achieved through a specific quest chain and item, though players note limitations on NPC services. The inclusion has sparked debate among players regarding lore consistency and whether it is a bug or intended feature.
Massively Overthinking: What’s your preferred form of MMORPG character build system?
This article discusses various MMORPG character build systems, with staff members sharing their preferences for granularity, freedom, or defined rotations. Some prefer deep, customizable systems like City of Heroes, while others favor simpler, meta-driven approaches for ease of play. The core theme revolves around balancing player choice with game design and accessibility.
D&D Beyond Reveals D&D: World of Warcraft Character Classes
Wizards of the Coast has released a preview for D&D: World of Warcraft, showcasing the supplement's thirteen character classes. This upcoming release aims to integrate elements from the popular MMORPG into the tabletop role-playing game.
Why Some Great Competitive Games Never Become Great Esports: The Spectator Design Problem - Walkthrough, Tips, Review
This analysis explores why many deep competitive games fail to become successful esports, focusing on the 'spectator design problem.' A game needs to be engaging for viewers, tournament organizers, and broadcasters, not just players. Factors like readability, production costs, and publisher control over intellectual property significantly impact a game's potential as an esport.
World of Warcraft: Forever is "simplifying" Blizzard's usual PvP but also adding a controversial weekly grind as MMO fans beg "please don't do the weeklies thing"
World of Warcraft: Forever is introducing a simplified Player versus Player system that aims to be approachable but includes a controversial weekly grind. Players have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the mandatory weekly tasks, preferring a simpler Honor and Rank Point acquisition model without time-gated progression.
As it lays off developers and closes studios, Xbox gets into the movie business
Xbox has launched a new division called Xbox XP, focusing on film, television, merchandise, partnerships, and live experiences, headed by former Mojang president Kayleen Walters. This move comes as Xbox is undergoing significant layoffs and studio closures, drawing criticism for prioritizing expensive new ventures over game development staff.
Vague Patch Notes: What we remember about MMORPGs overrules their past
This article analyzes how player memory and received stories often supersede factual reality in MMORPGs, using the infamous 18-hour Final Fantasy XI Pandemonium Warden fight as a prime example. It argues that even inaccurate narratives can serve a purpose and shape a game's legacy, influencing perceptions of games like WildStar and Ultima Online.
‘It’s Difficult To Justify the Investment’ – How MMORPGs Built (and Lost) the Live-Service Throne
This article discusses how MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and EverQuest pioneered the live-service game model. It explores how these games built the foundation for the industry's current obsession with never-ending online experiences, while also touching on how this model has evolved and sometimes faltered.
World of Warcraft Forever shows off new PvP features and upcoming Skyborne model changes
World of Warcraft Forever is introducing new Player versus Player features, including the Battle for the Darkspear Islands battleground with dual reputation tracks. The PvP system is also being revamped with Honor and Rank being separated, and a new "playstyle" selection is being added to the LFG system. Additionally, changes are coming to Skyborne character models and druid forms.
Blizzard is changing the appearance of WoW: Forever's new Skyborne race in response to community feedback
Blizzard Entertainment is altering the appearance of the new Skyborne race in World of Warcraft: Forever in response to community feedback. Developers have acknowledged that the initial models missed the mark and are implementing changes to better align with the game's classic MMO aesthetic, which has been met with widespread approval from players.
How WoW Guilds Recruit and Retain Players in Midnight
This analysis explores how guilds in World of Warcraft recruit and retain players, particularly in the context of the Midnight Season 2 and its challenging content structure. It highlights how recruitment requirements have become more demanding due to the season's design, leading players to seek boosts and emphasizing the importance of fixed schedules and non-seasonal projects like player housing for retention. The article also discusses how alternate characters are now a valuable tool for keeping players engaged and maintaining roster stability.
Blizzard promises to make the blue elves in World of Warcraft: Forever look worse (positive)
Blizzard Entertainment has announced plans to visually update the new "Skyborne" race in World of Warcraft: Forever, responding to player feedback that their appearance was too modern compared to the game's classic aesthetic. The developer will implement a "retro makeover" to better match the game's original style, with updates for both "HD" and "SD" model settings.
We tried to earn as much gold in WoW: Forever as we could in 2 hours—which involved a mugging, slander, and at…
PC Gamer writers Harvey Randall, Fraser Brown, and Joshua Wolens attempted to earn as much gold as possible in World of Warcraft: Forever within a two-hour time limit. Harvey Randall, playing as 'The Orc of Wisdom,' successfully used roleplaying and wisdom-sharing to earn the most gold, while Fraser Brown struggled significantly, resorting to animal noises and skinning critters with minimal success. Joshua Wolens leveraged his status as a games journalist to solicit donations, achieving a moderate amount of gold.
World of Warcraft: Forever drops the PvP grind so normal people can have fancy titles too
World of Warcraft: Forever is simplifying its Player versus Player (PvP) system to make prestigious titles and gear more accessible to a wider player base. The new system will use a currency and point-based progression, removing the intense weekly leaderboard grind that previously discouraged casual players.
Casually Classic: Five more World of Warcraft Forever features that look amazing
This opinion piece highlights five features of the upcoming World of Warcraft Classic "Forever" project that are expected to be amazing. The author praises the developers' understanding of what made Classic special, the addition of new stories and zones, improvements to class diversity, realmless rulesets, and the embrace of "friction" in game design.
Perfect Ten: Revisiting our last ten ‘Stormiest Future’ winners
This article revisits Massively Overpowered's past predictions for MMORPGs with 'stormy futures,' analyzing the outcomes for games like New World, Cryptic Studios' library, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, and Star Citizen. Many of the predicted 'stormy' futures materialized, with some games shutting down or facing significant challenges, while others, like World of Warcraft and Cryptic Studios, have shown resilience or recovery.
Critical Role's latest D&D episode was so stressful, I discovered a new noise my mouth can make
The author describes the intense stress and emotional reactions experienced during a recent Critical Role Dungeons & Dragons episode, particularly focusing on a critical moment involving player Sam Riegel and his character's near-death experience. The article highlights the dramatic tension and narrative stakes of the actual play series, deeming it highly engaging.
