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by Published on 2024-09-19 05:05 PM

Season of Discovery Phase 5 Arrives September 26
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Season of Discovery Phase 5 allows players to venture into the Blackwing Lair and Zul’Gurub raid dungeons, collect new Tier 2 armor sets, and more— all waiting for you to discover. Your new adventures begin at 1:00 pm PDT globally.



Blackwing Lair


In the dark recesses of the mountain's peak, Nefarian, the eldest son of Deathwing, conducts some of his most awful experimentation, controlling mighty beings like puppets and combining the eggs of different dragonflights with horrific results. Should he prove successful, even darker pursuits rest on the horizon.

Step into Blackwing Lair as a reimagined 20-40 player raid dungeon with a host of new mechanics including a swappable difficulty system allowing you to engage in greater challenges by activating new raid-wide effects based on each of the five dragonflight’s unique abilities.

Leave no raider behind. Tuned as a 20-player encounter, players can bring additional friends to the adventure, with up to 40 players!

As you make your way through the depths of the lair, keep a sharp eye out for some additional drops and their rewarding discoveries.



New Tier 2 Sets and Reworked Itemization Inside

Similar to Tier 1 sets from the Molten Core raid, Tier 2 armor sets are expanding to include multiple variations for different talent specializations and playstyles.

The alternate versions of these new Tier 2 sets have new appearances and increased stats from the previous version of the Tier 2 sets and utilize Tier 1 set bonuses. This allows players more options to choose from when selecting the gear they would like to use while fine-tuning their playstyle.

Players can also exchange Firelands Embers from the Blackrock Eruption event by visiting with Lokthos Darkbargainer in Blackrock Depths for elemental essences.



New Rewards on the Tarnished Undermine Real vendor

Pix Xizzix now has additional new items such as Tier 2 bracer tokens for all classes available to purchase along with relics for druids, paladins, and shaman.



Zul’Gurub


Deep within the jungles of Stranglethorn, an ancient troll city full of untold peril awaits. Do you have what it takes to delve into its mysteries? Assemble a band of hardy explorers and make your way to Zul’Gurub, a max-level, up to 20-player raid instance with many epic items to procure from its verdant tree-lined avenues and lost temples.


Zul’Gurub invites 10-20 players into this raid dungeon. Rewards and difficulty are tuned for 10, with room for 20 to join in the hunt for treasures untold.

Players will be able to earn updated and redesigned rewards. Hakkar also offers new encounter mechanics and rewards for defeating him while all Zandalari Priests alive. Defeating Zandalari Priests now also grants access to buffs from powerful loa spirits like Hethiss and Shirvallah. Players will need to figure out the best route through Zul’Gurub to maximize the the effectiveness of these powerful spells.

Players may also manually choose which boss they would like to face in the Edge of Madness Encounter. To fight a specific boss, click on their specific tablet and activate the brazier with Gurubashi Mojo Madness while the aura is active.



Simplified Rune Discovery

In Season of Discovery Phase 5, many rune abilities have their discoveries streamlined to allow players to more easily complete those discoveries and obtain their runes.

Pix Xizzix in Booty Bay now also makes bind-on-account tokens available for characters who have finished certain shared discoveries such as the Dark Riders, Wild Gods, Ley Lines, or Illari Duskfeather. Simply purchase the relevant emblem and mail it to an alt character to redeem at a special Rune Broker in Stormwind and Orgrimmar for their appropriate class rune.



New Class-Specific Item Discoveries

We have more discoveries for you to make in Phase 5, including new class-specific items for every class to find. For now, our lips are sealed on more details.



PvP Updates

The new phase ushers in additional Honor updates along with an increase to PvP ranks over time beginning with the release of Phase 5, allowing characters to continue earning ranks above rank 10. Players earn more honor in battlegrounds along, by turning in Marks of Honor, and will earn slightly more Marks of Honor from losses in Warsong Gulch and Arathi basin.



More Surprises Ahead!

Season of Discovery Phase 5 adds a few other surprises in the form of a new raid boss and new dungeon boss, complete with all new loot! We look forward to seeing you engage with these new encounters.

  • New: The Crystal Vale Raid
    Fight Prince Thunderaan reimagined as a true world boss tuned for 20 players but allowing up to 40. This encounter is available to all players regardless of whether you’re on the Thunderfury questline. Players can earn exciting new loot designed for all classes and specializations. Did someone say, “Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker?” You’ll be able to earn this legendary weapon which has had a few additional improvements for Season of Discovery.
  • Demon Fall Canyon
    Step back into Demon Fall Canyon to encounter a new boss, just waiting to set you a new challenge.



Good luck and may your blades never dull and your mana bar be plentiful!
by Published on 2024-09-19 02:38 PM

Pirate's Day Celebration - September 19, 2024
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Hoist sail and make way for Booty Bay because Pirate’s Day begins 19 September! A WoW Classic version of Pirate's Day will also be available for hardy heroes wishing to embrace the pirate's life.

Bring Your Sea Shanty to Booty Bay

Pirates have taken over the goblin town of Booty Bay and Captain DeMeza is recruiting any scurvy dog she can into her buccaneer ranks. Visit her or her henchmen in the capital cities if the pirate’s life is for you!

Feeling out of place in Booty Bay without a proper costume? Don’t worry. /Dance one little jig with the Dread Captain DeMeza and she’ll be impressed enough to press you into her crew and outfit you properly. If you get attached to your new look, you can do the quest You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat!! Succeed, and you’ll get an Emergency Pirate Outfit (or five) for when Pirate’s Day is but a distant memory and your inner pirate is clawing to get out.

What good is a pirate without an avian companion on their shoulder? Captain DeMeza (for the exchange of a few shiny coins) can help you call forth a temporary companion named Petey to take with you wherever you sail.

From time to time the captain will shout for a brave party to take on a terror of the deeps–an elite shark known as Ol' Eary. Make sure you have a hearty crew with you or you could become just so much chum in the waters of the bay.

Join the Beach Party


Once you and your crew have helped the captain handle Ol’Eary, you can celebrate with the crew at a little beach party just south of Booty Bay. Those with the Feat of Strength "Advast Ye, Admiral" can also purchase a toy from Edward Techt–the Jolly Roger to show off their dedication to the cause.

If you’re really feeling generous, you can also purchase a Big Bag of Booty from Captain DeMeza and spread the wealth around to all your pirate pals in a burst of glittery glory.

New in Dragonflight

Avast ye! Go from a swabbing scallywag to old salt when you deck out your Highland Drake in a coffer-carrying saddle with the Pirate's Day Armor. Grab your loot from Dread Captain DeMeza in Booty Bay and use it at any Rostrum of Transformation located in the Dragon Isles. Ye savvy?




WoW Classic

Capital city commoners will be donning the latest swashbuckling fashion. Speak to any of them, and they'll set you up with pirate garb for one hour and give you the newest scuttlebutt. Apparently, Dread Captain DeMeza is riling up the crowd with talk of Pirate's Day.

Once in Booty Bay, look for Dread Captain DeMeza and her crew on the bank rooftop, and you can speak to her to raise a toast and become a pirate for the day. Doing so will grant you a 12-hour pirate costume buff, and you'll complete the achievement, The Captain's Booty.

When: September 19 (24 hours)
Where: Darnassus, Exodar, Ironforge, Orgrimmar, Silvermoon City, Stormwind, Thunderbluff, and Undercity




Get out there, ye scurvy barnacles, and earn yer sea legs, aaargh!
by Published on 2024-09-19 09:53 AM

20th Anniversary Update PTR Development Notes - September 18, 2024
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker)
Here are this week’s 20th Anniversary Update PTR notes:

Classes
  • Druid
    • Balance
      • Circle of Life and Death causes Moonfire, Sunfire, Stellar Flare, and Starfall to deal their damage in 15% less time (was 20%).
        • Developer’s note: We are keeping an eye on this talent. Our intent is that it’s an appealing option for players who enjoy it or for certain fights where it’s strong. We recognize that not all players enjoy updating DoTs more frequently, especially in sustained AOE, so we want to ensure there are other options of comparable power for those players.
  • Hunter
    • Hero Talents
      • Dark Ranger
        • Extra Black Arrows from Withering Fire will now apply their periodic effect.
          • Developer’s note: For tuning reasons, Withering Fire’s extra arrows do not trigger most ancillary Black Arrow effects. The periodic damage effect is an exception to this rule to allow for deeper synergies with talents like Phantom Pain.
      • Beast Mastery
        • Frenzy’s Personal Resource Display aura has had its duration corrected.
      • Marksmanship
        • Wailing Arrow no longer consumes Trick Shots.
        • Fixed an issue that prevented Wailing Arrow from benefitting from Hydra’s Bite.
      • Survival
        • Bombardier’s aura is now removed at more reasonable times.
        • Spearhead’s cast animation now blends with other animations.
  • Mage
    • Alter Time’s visuals have been updated.
    • Hero Talents
      • Frostfire
        • Frostfire Burst’s visuals have been updated.
      • Spellslinger
        • Splintering Orbs can now generate a maximum of 6 Splinters (was 4 Splinters).
      • Sunfury
        • Spellfire Spheres are now anchored relative to your chest’s position.
    • Arcane
      • Spellslinger
        • Developer’s note: Adjustments to Arcane’s talents and Frost’s updates to Splinterstorm have reduced the power of Spellslinger considerably. We’re aware of these issues and will continue to make changes as necessary.
        • Arcane Splinter damage increased by 30%.
        • Fixed an issue where Splinterstorm damage was not equal to Splinter damage.
        • Spellfrost Teachings chance to trigger increased to 5%.
      • Sunfury
        • Arcane Soul’s overlay has been updated.
    • Fire
      • Hyperthermia’s overlay has been updated.
    • Frost
      • Spellslinger
        • Developer’s note: Adjustments to Arcane’s talents and Frost’s updates to Splinterstorm have reduced the power of Spellslinger considerably. We’re aware of these issues and will continue to make changes as necessary.
        • Frost Splinter damage increased by 60%.
        • Spellfrost Teachings chance to trigger increased to 5%.
        • Spellfrost Teachings Orb damage bonus on proc increased to 30% (was 20%).
  • Shaman
    • Enhancement
      • Flowing Spirits now correctly grants the Feral Spirit buff associated with their elements.
      • Molten Thunder chance to trigger increased by 60%.
      • Totemic
        • An issue causing Whirling Earth to not be consumed has been resolved.

Dungeons and Raids
  • Timewalking dungeons will now scale enemies to your current level as opposed to scaling you to the level of the dungeon.
    • Developer’s note: Timewalking now uses the same scaling system as Chromie Time, allowing us to better maintain Timewalking dungeons and control their intended tuning.

User Interface and Accessibility
  • Character Select Screen
    • New characters that are created are now placed into the campfire scene if there is room, and directly under the scene in the list if there is not.
  • Warband Bank
    • Reagents stored in the Warband bank can now be used to fill all types of crafting orders.
  • Accounts that fall under Age Appropriate Design Code (AADC) will now have the “Block Guild Invites” setting turned on by default.
  • When logged in to a character, the AddOn List dropdown will now default to that character rather than All.
  • Lore objects map icons have been adjusted for better visibility.
by Published on 2024-09-19 01:34 AM

The War Within Hotfixes - September 18, 2024
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Achievements
  • Fixed an issue where the cosmetic rewards for Nemesis and Let Me Solo Him were not delivered upon defeating Zek'vir. Those that have not received their rewards are able to obtain them by re-defeating Zek'vir on any difficulty.
  • The First Echo, A Series of Echoes, and Many Echoes are now credited to players in raid groups.

Classes
  • Death Knight
    • Exterminate aura now has a 30-second duration and is now cleared at the start of raid encounters Mythic+ dungeons.
  • Hunter
    • Raptor Strikes and Mongoose Bites empowered by Merciless Blows should no longer cleave to stealthed or breakable crowd-controlled enemies.
  • Priest
    • Holy
      • Archon: Fixed an issue causing Resonant Energy and Shock Pulse to not stack properly when Halo is cast by multiple Priests.
  • Mage
    • Frostfire: Fixed an issue that caused Frostfire Bolt to not deal its damage if its missile lands on targets out of line of sight.
    • Hyperthermia will now guarantee Heating Up, Hot Streak, and critical strikes when casting Flamestrike.
    • Icy Veins no longer consumes Ice Floes.
    • Living Bomb can no longer hit or spread to dead targets.
    • Living Bomb's explosion will no longer damage breakable crowd-controlled targets.
    • Living Bomb will prefer being applied to targets not in breakable crowd control.
    • Fixed an issue that allowed Arcane Mages to generate 2 Spellfire Spheres at once.
    • Burden of Power can no longer be instantly consumed by the Arcane Blast that proc'd it.

Delves
  • Fixed an issue where learning Relicblood of Zekvir would prevent other curios from dropping.
  • Fixed an issue where Reno Jackson could become uninteractible if hit by a Sporbit's explosion.
  • Kobold Delves
    • Resolved an issue where the Enchanted Candle or Air Totem could despawn upon picking it up.
  • Fungal Folly
    • Kasthrik will no longer lie to you when you successfully complete his puzzle.
  • Skittering Breach
    • Adjusted Light Dash to feel more responsive in the Shadow Realm variant. The distance Light Dash will go is shorter, but the cooldown to use each charge is faster.
    • Light Dash should hit Grasping Shadow's even if the player is a few feet above it.

Dungeons
  • Grim Batol
    • Addressed an issue where Forgemaster Throngus' Molten Pool visual can fail to appear on stairs.
  • Mists of Tirna Scithe
    • Tred'ova's selection circle now correctly matches the range it can be attacked from.

Events
  • Resolved an issue where the map tooltip for the Theater Troupe event was displaying incorrect information about the current play.

Items and Rewards
  • Necrotic Wake Challenger's Cache now correctly awards Crests.
  • Fixed an issue that could prevent alts from getting a valorstone discount from a main character's high weapon item level in some circumstances.
  • Addressed an issue preventing some Veteran world equipment from being able to convert to Tier.
  • Fateweaved Needle and Fateweaved Mallet no longer scale with Haste.
  • Tanks are now ineligible for Need rolls on melee damage trinkets such as Skyterrors's Corrosive Organ and Void Reaper's Contract. Tanks will no longer find them in their Great Vaults without switching to an appropriate damage loot specialization.

Player versus Player
  • Warlock
    • Affliction
      • Fixed an issue causing Tormented Crescendo procs to remove Stealth from nearby enemies.

Professions
  • Alchemy
    • Fixed a bug that caused Algari Alchemist Stone to offer substantially less primary stat on proc than intended.

Quests
  • Inscription contracts for additional reputation from World Quests should now properly function with Skyriding World Quests in Khaz Algar.
  • Bags of Seeds now drop more often on the quest "Seeds of Salvation" in Hallowfall.

User Interface
  • The battle pet Mister Muskoxeles now appears properly in Collections.
by Published on 2024-09-18 08:32 AM

Save up to 50% with Great Deals - September 17-23
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Save up to 50% on World of Warcraft Skyriding mounts and up to 30% on the Cataclysm Classic Blazing Heroic Pack and Blazing Epic Upgrade during our sale through September 23, 2024.



Take to the Skies

Save up to 50% on Skyriding mounts and ride the slipstreams of Ahn’kahet with style.


  • Dread Raven
  • Enchanted Fey Dragon
  • Ensorcelled Everwyrm
  • Heart of the Aspects
  • Hogrus, Swine of Good Fortune
  • Imperial Quilen
  • Jade, Bright Foreseer
  • Lucky Yun
  • Luminous Starseeker
  • Mystic Runesaber
  • Nether-Gorged Greatwyrm
  • Sapphire Skyblazer
  • Shu-zen, the Divine Sentinel
  • Squeakers, the Trickster
  • Steamscale Incinerator
  • Sunwarmed Furline
  • Sylverian Dreamer
  • Vulpine Familiar
  • Wen Lo, the River’s Edge
  • Wondrous Wavewhisker




Save on Cataclysm Classic Fiery Upgrades

Save up to 30% and heat up your Cataclysm Classic experience during your adventures in Azeroth.


Blazing Heroic Pack

The Blazing Heroic Pack includes Lil’ Wrathion pet for both WoW Classic progression and modern World of Warcraft characters, the Avatar of Flame flying mount for WoW Classic progression characters, and a Runebound Firelord Skyriding mount for modern World of Warcraft characters*. WoW Classic progression characters will also enjoy Hammer Regalia Transmog Set and Town-In-A-Box Starter Set toy .

Blazing Epic Upgrade

The Blazing Epic Upgrade includes everything in the Blazing Heroic Pack, plus a Level 80 Character Boost and 30 days of Game Time.




Certain restrictions apply. Visit shop.battle.net for more information.

  • * The toy, Transmog set, and Avatar of Flame mount are only available on WoW Classic progression. The Runebound Firelord mount only available on modern WoW® realms. Lil’Wrathion Pet available in WoW Classic progression and modern WoW realms.
  • Requires WoW® Subscription or Game Time.
  • Boost only available on WoW Classic progression realms. and usable only on the WoW game account for which it was purchased or redeemed.

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