World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

Dungeons and Raids

• Battle of Dazar’alor
  
  • Stormwall Blockade
    
    • Soul of the Tidepriest/Tidepriestess now waits 15 seconds before casting their empowerment spells on Normal difficulty (was 5 seconds).
      
    • Sea Storm's cast time has been increased to 4 seconds on Normal difficulty (was 2.5 seconds).
      
    • Sea Storm initial AOE damage reduced by 20% on Normal difficulty.
      
    
    
  • Lady Jaina Proudmoore
    
    • Glacial Shards border visibility increased, and move speed decreased by roughly 20%.
      
    • Howling Winds visual intensity lowered by 10%.
      
    • The G.M.O.D. mount now has a chance to drop on completion of the final wing on Raid Finder difficulty.
      

Items

• Heart of Azeroth
  
  • Fixed an issue causing Endless Hunger to repeatedly consume the essence of certain corpses.
    

Player versus Player

• Heart of Azeroth
  
  • Bonded Souls healing reduced by 85% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 50%).
    
  • Developers’ notes: We’ve identified that Bonded Souls has been providing too much healing in an arena environment when multiple members of a team equip the trait.
    
  
  
• Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  
  • Restoration
    
    • Focused Growth now reduces the mana cost of Lifebloom by 8% (was 20%).
    • Focused Growth now increases the healing of Lifebloom by 8% per stack (was 20%).
      
    • Developers’ notes: As we’ve monitored PvP matches since our PvP mana changes to healers and Restoration Druids, we’ve found that Lifebloom, as a source of healing, has become too-efficient. While the reduction to Focused Growth’s increased healing and mana cost savings is a sizeable change, Restoration Druids have a wide variety of well-performing PvP talent options to fit in its place.
      
• Paladin (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
  
  • Retribution
    
    • Fixed an issue where Hammer of Reckoning could cause Avenging Wrath and Crusade to have a shorter duration than intended.
      

Today, we’re working on hotfixes that will focus on two areas of concern.

As we’ve monitored PvP matches since our PvP mana changes to healers and Restoration Druids, we’ve found that Lifebloom, as a source of healing, has become too-efficient. While the reduction to Focused Growth’s increased healing and mana cost savings is a sizeable change, Restoration Druids have a wide variety of well-performing PvP talent options to fit in its place.

Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

• Restoration
• Focused Growth now reduces the mana cost of Lifebloom by 8% (was 20%).
• Focused Growth now increases the healing of Lifebloom by 8% per stack (was 20%).

Additionally, we’ve identified an Azerite Trait that has been providing too much healing in an arena environment when multiple members of a team equip the trait.

Items

• Heart of Azeroth
• Bonded Souls healing reduced by 85% when engaged in combat with enemy players (was 50%).

These changes are not live yet, but will be made live soon. I’ll update this post when the changes go live, and as always, you’ll see them noted in their final form in our next Hotfixes Update.

Sharpen your swords and reinforce your boards, because you’re called to the PvP Arena for the hectic mayhem of Skirmishes.

This Week: Arena Skirmishes
All week, from anywhere in Azeroth, open the Group Finder (default hotkey: i), select the Player vs. Player tab on the bottom of the window, and then under Casual, choose Arena Skirmish and JOIN BATTLE. You’ll be matched up with teammates and provided with opponents to kill in the Arena. You can also queue for a Premade group or create your own group within the Premade tab.

Look for the following all week long:

• Chronicler Shoopa in Zuldazar and in Boralus has a quest for you–The Arena Calls. Or, if you forget to pick it up there, you can start it from within the Adventure Journal.
  
  • Quest requirement: Win 10 Arena PvP Skirmishes
    
  • Reward: A PvP loot box
    
• Passive buff: +50% honor gains from Skirmishes

If you’ve been looking to make some Honor gains, this is the week to do it!

We’re sitting down with Senior 3D Animator Ian Lang and 3D Artist Kenny McBride to discuss the wizardry behind World of Warcraft’s art development and animation.

Watch live Thursday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. PST on Twitch!