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Category: The War Within

Get an Early Look at Eight New Hero Talent Trees

Quote from: Blizzard

The War Within expansion introduces Hero Talents as a new update to World of Warcraft classes. They are an evergreen form of character progression for each class specialization that introduces new powers and class fantasies. Feedback is critical to us as a part of creating an impactful and fun addition to the game, so we are sharing our goals for Hero Talents with the community to get first impressions of them and learn how well we’re meeting those goals.

In this article, we take a closer look at the philosophies around Hero Talents for eight more trees: Elune’s Chosen and Wildstalker Druids, Scalecommander Evoker, Herald of the Sun and Templar Paladins, Trickster Rogue, Diabolist Warlock, and Colossus Warrior.

Index

What Are Hero Talents?

Hero Talents are new, self-contained talent trees that players unlock access at level 71. Hero Talents build on the abilities and talents of current classes and specializations. Players can choose a single Hero Talent tree to activate on a character and these talents can be changed in the same way class talents can be currently changed in the game. There are three Hero Talent trees for each class (excepting druid with four and demon hunter with two).  Each specialization has two Hero Talent trees they can choose between, and each of these trees is available as an option for two specializations.

For example, warriors have three Hero Talent tree options: Slayer, Colossus, and Mountain Thane. Fury has access to Mountain Thane and Slayer, Protection has access to Mountain Thane and Colossus, and Arms has access to Colossus and Slayer.

There are 11 nodes in a Hero Talent tree. The first of these unlocks with the system at level 71, and you earn 1 talent point per level from level 71 to 80, so you get every talent in the tree by level 80. Hero Talents will have starter builds available, and your saved builds will save your Hero Talent choices as well.

What to Expect from Hero Talents

Each Hero Talent tree starts with a “keystone” talent that introduces the core mechanic and concept of the tree. This could be a new ability, an enhancement to an existing ability or cooldown, or a new buff you can trigger. The bottom talent of each tree is a “capstone” talent that builds on the core themes of the tree or adds new power to the keystone.

Each tree will offer or modify some class utility and include defensive bonuses that are useful to all specializations. We are aiming for all trees to be about equal in the amount of utility and defensiveness they provide. Trees for characters that can take on a tanking role may have some additional defense bonuses that will be less valuable to healers or damage dealers (DPS), such as bonuses to tank talents or cooldowns. Three or four nodes in each tree will be choice nodes where you can choose between two options.

Hero Talents are meant to add enough damage or healing throughput to be significant without being so important that these new talents overshadow your current class and spec tree talents. Most Hero Talent trees add new visual effects to classes, both to communicate what they’re doing and bring their class fantasies to life. However, these are not complete visual reworks – your class and spec are still the same at their core, and that will continue to come through.

Maintaining Freedom to Choose

We want players to be free to choose the Hero Talent tree that has the gameplay, visuals, or flavor that they prefer. Our goal is for both options to feel similarly effective in raid dungeons, Mythic+, and PvP. We’re working to avoid abilities or bonuses in Hero Talents that could make a certain tree feel “required” for activities where we can.

We know that for some players, prioritizing total throughput is the most important thing to them, even if the difference between choices seems small. That’s okay but keeping Hero Talent balance close is one of our priorities so that players can play what they prefer and still be viable in any content.

How We Chose Hero Talent Concepts

Since we announced Hero Talents at BlizzCon, it’s been great to see all the conversation and speculation surrounding the 39 Hero Talent titles. We’d like to share some of the thinking that went behind choosing those concepts.

Each Hero Talent concept must be appropriate for both of the specs that can use it. Some concepts build on overlaps in abilities or flavors between the two specs that can use it, like Colossus warriors, which are as mighty as Arms warriors and as imposing as Protection warriors. Others create new themes that are appropriate for both specs, like Fatebound rogues.

Hero Talents also retain your combat role and the gear that you use so that you’re not competing for new types of gear. For iconic Warcraft character archetypes, we wanted to be sure that we could deliver on their fantasy with World of Warcraft’s classes. Blademasters just wouldn’t be Blademasters without abilities like Wind Walk and Mirror Image, but those abilities don’t fit in a warrior’s toolkit.

Lastly, there are several iconic character archetypes that are strongly tied to specific races and factions, such as Keeper of the Grove or Mountain Thane. It’s exciting to embody these storied archetypes, but we want to ensure that characters of every race and faction can see themselves as those archetypes. We’re open to feedback on what feels good for your characters versus what is frustrating.

Gameplay and Hero Talents

We have several goals for what it feels like to play World of Warcraft with Hero Talents. Here are some of our guiding principles for how they affect your capabilities, your rotation, what you pay attention to in combat, and your user interface.

We like to say on the team that our goal for Hero Talents gameplay is for them to make you “what you are, but more.” We know that many of you have long histories with your favorite classes, and you play them because you like their gameplay and the spells and abilities that matter in their rotation, whether it’s the spinning plates of Affliction, the cycles of Arcane, or the frenetic reactivity of Fury. Hero Talents don’t override what matters to a class. You should feel like you’re playing your spec with a twist or a boost and not as if the things you care about have become unimportant or been replaced.

A Hero Talent tree might add new behavior or bonuses to an existing ability, like Keeper of the Grove’s bonuses to Force of Nature and Grove Guardian treants. They might occasionally reset the cooldown on abilities or replace spells with more powerful versions. They might make it easier to maintain important buffs or grant additional resources at key moments.

One thing that we’re keeping a close eye on is complexity. Classes in WoW have a lot of abilities and talents, and there’s a lot to learn about each one. We want Hero Talents to add new fun without creating new burdens, either in customizing or playing a character. Most Hero Talent trees do not add new buttons that players will need to add to their action bar or find a new keybind for. There will be additional opportunities for players to express their skill, but we’re trying not to add things like complex maintenance buffs that increase the cognitive load for everyone playing a class. Most of the choices a player will make about how complex they want their rotation to be will continue to be made in their class and spec talent trees.

Some Hero Talents do require you to take certain talents in your class or spec trees to access their powers. This is often because those talents fit the flavor and theme of that specific Hero Talent tree. The Mountain Thane warrior tree enhances Avatar and Thunder Clap, Templar paladin gives extra power to Wake of Ashes, and Elune’s Chosen druids can cast a particularly strong Fury of Elune. However, a Hero Talent tree will only ever require or enhance a small number of class or spec talents. It’s important to us that there still is freedom in customizing your class build.

Show Us the Hero Talent Trees!

Over the coming months, we’ll continue to share full designs for Hero Talent trees from The War Within. We’re excited to hear what you think of them.

Below, you’ll find the Hero Talents for Elune’s Chosen and Wildstalker Druids, Scalecommander Evoker, Herald of the Sun and Templar Paladins, Trickster Rogue, Diabolist Warlock, and Colossus Warrior.

Specializations: Balance and Guardian

Dedicate yourself to the Moon Goddess, increasing your control over the moon and stars. Infuse abilities with astral might and call down potent lunar magic from the sky.

ELUNE’S CHOSEN KEYSTONE

Boundless Moonlight:

  • Fury of Elune (Balance and Guardian) now ends with a flash of energy, blasting nearby enemies for Astral damage.
  • Full Moon (Balance) calls down 2 Minor Moons that deal Astral damage and generate 3 Astral Power.
  • Lunar Beam (Guardian) now causes you to leech life equal to 10% of all damage dealt to enemies within the beam.

ELUNE’S CHOSEN ROW 1

Moon Guardian: (Balance) Moonfire and Starfire generate 2 additional Astral Power. (Guardian) Free automatic Moonfires from Galactic Guardian generate 5 Rage.

Lunar Insight:Moonfiredeals 10% additional damage.

Glistening Fur:Bear Form and Moonkin Form reduce Arcane damage taken by 6% and all other magic damage taken by 3%.

ELUNE’S CHOSEN ROW 2

Lunar Amplification:Each non-Arcane damaging ability you use increases the damage of your next Arcane damaging ability by 3%, stacking up to 3 times.

Atmospheric Exposure: Enemies damaged by Full Moon, Fury of Elune, or Lunar Beam take 4% increased damage from you for 6 seconds.

Choice Node: Moondust and Elune’s Grace

  • Moondust:Enemies affected by Moonfire are slowed by 30%.
  • Elune’s Grace: Using Wild Charge in Bear Form or Moonkin Form incurs a 3 second shorter cooldown.

ELUNE’S CHOSEN ROW 3

Choice Node:Stellar Command and Lunar Calling

  • Stellar Command Increases the damage of Full Moon by 15% (Balance). Increases the damage of Lunar Beam by 30% (Guardian.) Increases the damage of Fury of Elune by 15% (Balance/Guardian.)
  • Lunar Calling:Starfire deals 40% increased damage to its primary target, but no longer triggers Solar Eclipse. Thrash now deals Arcane damage, and its damage is increased by 12%.

Choice Node: The Light of Elune and Astral Insight

  • The Light of Elune: Moonfire damage has a chance to call down Fury of Elune to follow your target for 3 seconds and generates 18 Astral Power or Rage over its duration.
  • Astral Insight: Incarnation: Chosen of Elune and Incarnation: Guardian of Ursoc increase Arcane damage from spells and abilities by 10% while active. Convoke the Spirits duration and number of spells cast increased by 25%.

Choice Node: Arcane Affinity and Lunation

  • Arcane Affinity: All Arcane damage from your spells and abilities is increased by 3%.
  • Lunation: Your Arcane abilities reduce the cooldown of Fury of Elune by 2 seconds and the cooldown of New Moon, Half Moon, and Full Moon by 1 second. Your Arcane abilities reduce the cooldown of Lunar Beam by 3 seconds.

ELUNE’S CHOSEN CAPSTONE

The Eternal Moon: Increases the power of Boundless Moonlight: 

  • Fury of Elune (Balance and Guardian): The flash of energy now generates 6 Astral Power or 6 Rage and its damage is increased by 50%.
  • Full Moon (Balance): New Moon and Half Moon now also call down 1 Minor Moon.
  • Lunar Beam (Guardian): Lunar Beam increases Mastery by an additional 8%, deals 30% increased damage, and lasts 3 seconds longer

Specializations: Feral and Restoration

Wildstalkers are druids who feel such an affinity for the remote wilds of the world that they live amongst them, mostly in cat form, hunting to perpetuate the cycle of life and death and destroy those who would despoil nature. They use their healing powers to restore life to barren spaces and the creatures who live there.

WILDSTALKER KEYSTONE

Thriving Growth: Rip and Rake damage has a chance to cause Bloodseeker Vines to grow on the victim, dealing bleed damage over 6 seconds.&

Wild Growth, Rejuvenation, and  Efflorescence have a chance to cause Symbiotic Blooms to grow on the target, healing over 6 seconds. Multiple instances of these can overlap.

WILDSTALKER ROW 1

Hunt Beneath the Open Skies: Damage and healing while in Cat Form increased by 5%. Moonfire and Sunfire damage increased by 10%.

Strategic Infusion: Tiger’s Fury and attacking from Prowl increases the chance for Shred, Rake, and Brutal Slash to critically strike by 8% for 6 sec. Casting Regrowth increases the chance for your periodic heals to critically heal by 10% for 6 sec.

Wildstalker’s Power:Rip Damage increased by 6%. Ferocious Bite damage increased by 4%. Rejuvenation healing increased by 3%. Efflorescence and Lifebloom healing increased by 6%.

WILDSTALKER ROW 2

Wildstalker’s Prescence:Wild Growth and Rake last 20% longer.

Choice Node:Entangling Vortex and Flower Walk

  • Entangling Vortex: Enemies pulled intoUrsol’s Vortex are rooted in place for 6 seconds. Damage may cancel the effect.
  • Flower Walk: During Barkskin your movement speed is increased by 10% and every second flowers grow beneath your feet that heal up to 3 nearby injured allies.

Choice Node: Bond with Nature & Harmonious Constitution

  • Bond with Nature: Healing you receive is increased by 10%.
  • Harmonious Constitution: Your Regrowth’s healing on yourself is increased by 50%.

WILDSTALKER ROW 3

Choice Node: Resilient Flourishing and Root Network

  • Resilient Flourishing: Bloodseeker Vines and Symbiotic Blooms last 2 additional seconds. When a target afflicted by Bloodseeker Vines dies, the vines jump to a nearby unaffected target for their remaining duration.
  • Root Network: Each active Bloodseeker Vine increases the damage your abilities deal by 2%. Each active Symbiotic Bloom increases the healing of your Lifebloom and Wild Growth by 2%.

Bursting Growth: When Bloodseeker Thorns expire they explode in thorns, dealing physical damage to nearby enemies. Damage reduced above 5 targets. When Symbiotic Blooms expire, flowers grow around their target, healing them and up to 3 nearby allies.

Choice Node: Twin Sprouts and Implant

  • Twin Sprouts: When Bloodseeker Vines or Symbiotic Blooms grow, they have a 10% chance to cause another growth of the same type to immediately grow on a valid nearby target.
  • Implant: Feral Frenzy immediately causes a Bloodseeker Vine to grow on the target. Casting Regrowth that is made instant via Nature’s Swiftness causes a Symbiotic Bloom to grow on the target.

WILDSTALKER CAPSTONE

Vigorous Creepers: Bloodseeker Vines increase the damage your abilities deal to affected enemies by 10%. Symbiotic Blooms increase the healing your spells do to affected targets by 8%.

Specializations: Augmentation and Devastation

Scalecommanders are the chosen generals of the Dracthyr, specializing in calling targets and inspiring those around them. They are experts in using flight during a battle, and are often seen leading the charge while in the sky.

SCALECOMMANDER KEYSTONE

Mass Eruptions / Mass Disintegrate: Empower spells cause your next Disintegrate (Devastation) and Eruption (Augmentation) to strike up to 3 targets. When striking less than 3 targets, Disintegrate or Eruption damage is increased by 25% for each missing target.

SCALECOMMANDER ROW 1

Might of the Black Dragonflight: Black spells deal 10% increased damage.

Bombardments: Mass Disintegrate marks your primary target for destruction for the next 10 seconds. You and your allies have a chance to trigger a Bombardment when attacking marked targets, dealing Volcanic damage split amongst all nearby enemies.

Onslaught: Entering combat grants a charge of Burnout, causing your next Living Flame to cast instantly.

SCALECOMMANDER ROW 2

Melt Armor: Deep Breath (Devastation) and Breath of Eons (Augmentation] cause enemies to take 20% increased damage from Bombardments and Essence abilities for 12 seconds.

Wingleader: Bombardments reduce the cooldown of Deep Breath (Devastation) and Breath of Eons (Augmentation) by 1 second for each target struck, up to 3 seconds.

Unrelenting Siege: For each second you are in combat, Azure Strike and Living Flame deal 1% increased damage, up to 50%.

SCALECOMMANDER ROW 3

Choice Node: Hardened Scales and Menacing Presence

  • Hardened Scales: Obsidian Scales reduces damage taken by an additional 5%.
  • Menacing Presence: Knocking an enemy up or backward reduces their damage done to you by 15% for 8 seconds.

Choice Node: Extended Battle and Diverted Power

  • Extended Battle: Essence abilities extend Bombardments by 1 second.
  • Diverted Power: Bombardments have a chance to generate Essence Burst.

Choice Node: Nimble Flyer and Tailwinds

  • Nimble Flyer: While Hovering, damage taken from area of effect attacks is reduced by 10%.
  • Tailwinds: Deep Breath (Devastation) and Breath of Eons (Augmentation) reset the cooldown of Hover.

SCALECOMMANDER CAPSTONE

Maneuverability: Deep Breath (Devastation) and Breath of Eons (Augmentation) can now be steered in your desired direction. In addition, Deep Breath (Devastation) and Breath of Eons (Augmentation) burn targets for Volcanic damage over 12 seconds.

Specializations: Holy and Retribution

Heralds of the Sun infuse themselves with Radiant Solar energy to inflict burns on enemies and cauterize their allies’ wounds. They are deeply bonded to this power and can manifest potent solar rays while fully connected to the Light.

HERALD OF THE SUN KEYSTONE

Sunspot: Wake of Ashes (Retribution) and Holy Prism (Holy) cause your next 2 Holy Power spending abilities to create a Sunspot on your target, dealing Radiant damage or healing over 8 seconds. 10% of Sunspots damage and healing radiates to nearby allies or enemies, reduced beyond 5 targets.

HERALD OF THE SUN ROW 1

Choice Node: Morning Star and Gleaming Rays

  • Morning Star: Every 5 sec, your next Sunspot’s damage or healing is increased by 5%, stacking up to 10 times. Morning Star stacks twice as fast while out of combat.
  • Gleaming Rays: While a Sunspot is active, your abilities that use Holy Power deal 10% increased additional damage or healing.

Eternal Flame: Heals an ally immediately and over an additional 20 seconds. Healing increased by 25% when cast on self. Replaces Word of Glory, costs 3 Holy Power.

Luminosity: Critical strike chance of Hammer of Wrath and Divine Storm (Retribution) and Holy Shock and Light of Dawn (Holy) increased by 10%.

HERALD OF THE SUN ROW 2

Choice Node: Illumine and Will of the Dawn

  • Illumine: Sunspots reduce the movement speed of enemies by 50% and increase the movement speed of allies by 20%.
  • Will of the Dawn: Movement speed increased by 5% while above 80% health. When your health is brought below 35%, your movement speed is increased by 40% for 5 seconds. Cannot occur more than once every 60 seconds.

Choice Node: Eternal Sun and Lingering Radiance

  • Eternal Sun: Sunspot’s duration is increased by 2 seconds and Eternal Flame’s duration is increased by 3 seconds.
  • Lingering Radiance: Sunspots leave an Eternal Flame for 12 seconds on allies or a Greater Judgment on enemies when they expire or are extended.

Sun Sear: Hammer of Wrath and Divine Storm (Retribution) and Holy Shock and Light of Dawn (Holy) critical strikes cause the target to burn for additional Radiant damage over 4 seconds or be healed for over 4 seconds.

HERALD OF THE SUN ROW 3

Aurora: After you cast Wake of Ashes (Retribution) or Holy Prism(Holy) gain Divine Purpose.

Solar Grace: Your Haste is increased by 4% for 12 seconds each time you apply a Sunspot. Multiple stacks may overlap.

Second Sunrise: Hammer of Wrath and Divine Storm (Retribution]) and Holy Shock and Light of Dawn (Holy) have a 15% chance to cast again at 30% effectiveness.

HERALD OF THE SUN CAPSTONE

Sun’s Avatar: During Avenging Wrath, you become linked to your Sunspots, causing Radiant damage to enemies or healing to allies that pass through the beams, reduced beyond 5 targets.

Activating Avenging Wrath applies 4 Sunspots onto nearby allies or enemies and increases Sunspot’s damage and healing by 20%.

Specializations: Protection and Retribution

Templar stop at nothing to fulfil their divine purpose of bringing justice and purging the wicked. They call down hammers of light and unleash devastating combinations of Physical and Holy attacks that vanquish their enemies.

TEMPLAR KEYSTONE

Light’s Guidance: Wake of Ashes (Retribution) and Eye of Tyr (Protection) are replaced with Hammer of Light for 12 seconds after they are cast.

  • Hammer of Light: Hammer down your enemy with the power of the Light, dealing Holy damage to the target and up to 4 nearby enemies. Additionally, calls down Empyrean Hammers from the sky to strike 3 nearby enemies for Holy damage. Costs 5 Holy Power.

TEMPLAR ROW 1

Choice Node: Templar’s Watch and For Whom the Bell Tolls

  • Templar’s Watch: Hammer of Light, Wake of Ashes (Retribution), and Eye of Tyr (Protection) deal 30% increased damage when striking only 1 enemy. This amount is reduced by 6% for each additional target struck.
  • For Whom the Bell Tolls: Divine Toll grants up to 100% increased damage to your next 3 Judgments when striking only 1 enemy. This amount is reduced by 20% for each additional target struck.

Shake the Heavens: After casting Hammer of Light, you call down an Empyrean Hammer on a nearby target every 2 seconds for 8 seconds.

Empyrean Hammer: When Empyrean Hammer critically strikes, 60% of its damage is dealt to nearby enemies. Enemies hit by this effect deal 5% reduced damage to you for 8 seconds.

TEMPLAR ROW 2

Sacrosanct Crusade: When you cast Wake of Ashes (Retribution) or Eye of Tyr (Protection), gain Shield of Vengeance at 10% effectiveness.

Higher Calling: Crusader Strike, Hammer of Wrath, and Blade of Justice (Retribution) and Judgment (Protection) extend the duration of Shake the Heavens by 1 second.

Choice Node: Bonds of Fellowship and Unrelenting Charger

  • Bonds of Fellowship: You receive 20% less damage from Blessing of Sacrifice and each time its target takes damage, you gain 4% movement speed up to a maximum of 40%.
  • Unrelenting Charger: Divine Steed lasts 2 seconds longer and increases your movement speed by an additional 30% for the first 3 seconds.

TEMPLAR ROW 3

Choice Node: Endless Wrath and Sanctification

  • Endless Wrath: Calling down an Empyrean Hammer has a 10% chance to reset the cooldown of Hammer of Wrath and make it usable on any target, regardless of their health.
  • Sanctification: Casting Judgment increases the damage of Empyrean Hammer by 10% for 10 seconds. Multiple applications may overlap.

Hammerfall: Templar’s Verdict and Divine Storm (Retribution) and Shield of the Righteous and Word of Glory (Protection) call down an Empyrean Hammer on a nearby enemy. While Shake the Heavens is active, this effect calls down an additional Empyrean Hammer.

Undisputed Ruling: Hammer of Light applies Judgment to its targets and increases your Haste by 15% for 6 seconds (Protection). Additionally, Eye of Tyr grants 3 Holy Power.

TEMPLAR CAPSTONE

Light’s Deliverance: You gain a stack of Light’s Deliverance when you call down an Empyrean Hammer. At 50 stacks, casting Hammer of Light empowers you for 12 seconds to cast Hammer of Light an additional time for free.

Specializations: Outlaw and Subtlety

Misdirection, dirty tricks, and flashing blades are on display when a Trickster enters a fight. A clever Trickster distracts an opponent with a devious misdirection or sword’s flourish then slashes the fool with a blade they never saw coming. Coins are taken, leaving pockets lighter and egos bruised.

TRICKSTER KEYSTONE

Unseen Blade: Feint now grants 2 Combo Points and quickly slashes with an Unseen Blade dealing damage to nearby enemies. Targets struck are Fazed for 5 seconds.

Fazed enemies take 5% more damage from you and cannot parry your attacks.

TRICKSTER ROW 1

Surprising Strikes: Attacks that generate Combo Points deal 25% increased critical strike damage to Fazed targets.

Choice Node: Smoke and Mirrors

  • Smoke: You take 5% reduced damage from Fazed targets.
  • Mirrors: Feint reduces area damage taken by an additional 10%.

Flawless Form: Killing Spree (Outlaw) and Secret Technique (Subtlety) grant Mastery for 5 seconds. Multiple applications may overlap.

TRICKSTER ROW 2

Choice Node: So Tricky and Don’t Be Suspicious

  • So Tricky: Tricks of the Trade’s threat redirect duration is increased to 1 hour.
  • Don’t Be Suspicious: Blind and Shroud of Concealment have 10% reduced cooldown. Pick Pocket and Sap range increased by 10 yards.

Devious Distractions: Distract and Killing Spree (Outlaw) and Secret Technique (Subtlety) cause targets to be Fazed for 10 seconds.

Choice Node: Thousand Cuts and Flickerstrike

  • Thousand Cuts: Slice and Dice grants 10% additional attack speed and gives your auto attacks a chance to trigger Unseen Blade.
  • Flickerstrike: Taking area damage while Feint is active or dodging while Evasion is active triggers Unseen Blade. This effect may only occur once every 5 seconds.

TRICKSTER ROW 3

Nimble Flurry: Killing Spree (Outlaw) and Secret Technique (Subtlety) deal 10% more damage and have a 10% reduced cooldown.

Choice Node: Cloud Cover and No Scruples

  • Cloud Cover: Distract now creates a cloud of smoke for 10 seconds and its cooldown is increased to 90 seconds. Attacks from within the cloud afflict targets with Fazed for 5 seconds.
  • No Scruples: Finishing moves have a 10% increased chance to critically strike Fazed targets.

Elaborate Twirl: Increases the duration of Flawless Form by 2 seconds.

TRICKSTER CAPSTONE

Coup de Grace: After 4 strikes with Unseen Blade, your next Dispatch (Outlaw), Eviscerate, or Black Powder (Subtlety)will be performed as a Coup de Grace, dealing 40% increased damage. If the primary target is Fazed, gain 5 stacks of Flawless Form.

Specializations: Demonology and Destruction

The defeat of the Legion has left many demons unbound and potent magics untouched. Bring the remnants of the Burning Crusade to heel, commanding greater demons once thought to be uncontrollable and wreak havoc across the battlefield using abyssal powers from the Twisting Nether.

DIABOLIST KEYSTONE

Diabolic Ritual: Spending a Soul Shard grants Diabolic Ritual for 20 seconds. While Diabolic Ritual is active, each Soul Shard spent reduces its duration by 1 second. When Diabolic Ritual expires you gain Demonic Art, causing your next ability that costs Soul Shards to summon an Overlord, Mother of Chaos, or Pit Lord that unleashes a devastating attack against your enemies.

DIABOLIST ROW 1

Cloven Souls: Enemies damaged by your Overlord have their souls cloven, increasing damage taken by you and your pets by 10% for 20 seconds.

Touch of Rancora: Diabolic Ritual increases the damage of your next ability that costs Soul Shards by 30% and reduces its cast time by 50%.

Secrets of the Coven: Mother of Chaos empowers your next Shadow Bolt or Incinerate to become Demonfire Barrage.

  • Demonfire Barrage: Channel a barrage of 4 Shadow Bolts at 150% effectiveness toward the enemy target over 1.5 seconds.

DIABOLIST ROW 2

Choice Node: Soul-Etched Circles and Annihilan’s Bellow

  • Soul-Etched Circles: You always gain the benefit of Soulburn when casting Demonic Circle: Teleport, increasing your movement speed by 50% and making you immune to snares and roots for 6 seconds.
  • Annihilan’s Bellow: Howl of Terror cooldown is reduced by 15 seconds and range is increased by 5 yards.

Choice Node: Cruelty of Kerxan and Infernal Machine

  • Cruelty of Kerxan: Nether Portal, Summon Demonic Tyrant, and Summon Infernal grant Diabolic Ritual and reduce its duration by 3 seconds.
  • Infernal Machine: Abilities that cost Soul Shards decrease the duration of Diabolic Ritual by 1 additional second while your Demonic Tyrant, Nether Portal, or Infernal is active.

Choice Node: Infernal Vitality and Infernal Bulwark

  • Infernal Vitality: Unending Resolve heals you for 30% of your maximum health over 10 seconds.
  • Infernal Bulwark: Unending Resolve grants Soul Leech equal to 10% of your maximum health and increases the maximum amount Soul Leech can absorb by 10% for 8 seconds.

DIABOLIST ROW 3

Flames of Xoroth: Fire damage increased 2% and damage dealt by your demons is increased 2%.

Abyssal Dominion: Grimoire: Felguard and Cataclysm gain additional effects:

  • Grimoire: Felguard (Demonology) lasts 3 seconds longer and its cooldown is reduced by 30 seconds.
  • Casting Cataclysm (Destruction) summons an Overfiend that casts Chaos Bolt 2 times at 80% effectiveness before departing.

Gloom of Nathreza: Hand of Gul’dan deals 15% increased damage for each Soul Shard spent. Enemies marked by your Havoc take 5% increased damage from your single target spells.

DIABOLIST CAPSTONE

Ruination: Summoning a Pit Lord causes your next Hand of Gul’dan or Chaos Bolt to become Ruination.

  • Ruination: Call down a demon-infested meteor from the depths of the Twisting Nether, dealing Chaos damage on impact to all enemies within 8 yards of the target and summoning 3 Wild Imps.

Specializations: Arms and Protection

Colossus Warriors are the peak of pure physical might and resilience. They are veterans of countless battles and have the scars to show for it. Colossus’ know not only how to take a hit and keep going, but how and where to put their strikes to use to ensure their enemies don’t.

Developer’s Note: The Warrior tree will be updated in the War Within to make the Shockwave talent more easily accessible via class talents.

We wanted to call this out as the Colossus tree interacts with Shockwave in a few places.

COLOSSUS KEYSTONE

Demolish: Unleash a series of precise and powerful strikes against your target and enemies within 8 yards of it. You can block, parry, and dodge while using this ability. 45 second cooldown.

COLOSSUS ROW 1

Martial Expert: Your critical strike damage is increased by 10% and the amount blocked by your critical blocks is increased by 10%.

Colossal Might: Mortal Strike and Shield Slam grant a stack of Colossal Might. Colossal Might increases damage dealt by Demolish by 10% and stacks up to 5 times. Demolish consumes Colossal Might.

Choice Node: Boneshaker and Earthquaker

  • Boneshaker: Shockwave’s stun duration is increased by 2 seconds.
  • Earthquaker: Shockwave also knocks enemies into the air, and its cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds.

COLOSSUS ROW 2

Choice Node: One Against Many and Arterial Bleed

  • One Against Many: Shockwave, Cleave, Whirlwind, and Revenge deal 5% more damage per target affected up to 5.
  • Arterial Bleed: Colossal Might increases the damage of Rend and Deep Wounds by 2% per stack.

Tide of Battle: Colossal Might increases the damage of Overpower and Revenge by 2%.

Choice Node: No Stranger to Pain and Rally

  • No Stranger to Pain: Total damage prevented by Ignore Pain increased by 15%.
  • Rally: Taking damage has a low chance to give you a Second Wind for 2 seconds.

COLOSSUS ROW 3

Practiced Strikes: Mortal Strike and Shield Slam damage increased by 15%.

True Might: Mortal Strike and Shield Slam critical strikes grant an additional stack of Colossal Might.

Mountain of Muscle and Scars: You deal 5% more damage and take 2.5% less damage. Size increased by 5%.

COLOSSUS CAPSTONE

Unstoppable Force: Colossal Might now stacks 10 times. If you were to gain an additional stack of Colossal Might but are already at max stacks, the cooldown of Demolish is reduced by 2 seconds. While channeling Demolish, you are grounded, making you immune to stuns and effects that move you.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing more as we progress.

Visit our first and second preview articles to learn more about additional Hero Talents in development.

Get an Early Look at Hero Talents for Druid, Hunter, Mage, and Priest

Quote from: Blizzard

The War Within expansion introduces Hero Talents as a new update to World of Warcraft classes. They are an evergreen form of character progression for each class specialization that introduces new powers and class fantasies. Feedback is critical to us as a part of creating an impactful and fun addition to the game, so we are sharing our goals for Hero Talents with the community to get first impressions of them and learn how well we’re meeting those goals.

Index

What Are Hero Talents?

Hero Talents are new, self-contained talent trees that players unlock access at level 71. Hero Talents build on the abilities and talents of current classes and specializations. Players can choose a single Hero Talent tree to activate on a character and these talents can be changed in the same way class talents can be currently changed in the game. There are three Hero Talent trees for each class (excepting druid with four and demon hunter with two).  Each specialization has two Hero Talent trees they can choose between, and each of these trees is available as an option for two specializations.

For example, warriors have three Hero Talent tree options: Slayer, Colossus, and Mountain Thane. Fury has access to Mountain Thane and Slayer, Protection has access to Mountain Thane and Colossus, and Arms has access to Colossus and Slayer.

There are 11 nodes in a Hero Talent tree. The first of these unlocks with the system at level 71, and you earn 1 talent point per level from level 71 to 80, so you get every talent in the tree by level 80. Hero Talents will have starter builds available, and your saved builds will save your Hero Talent choices as well.

What to Expect from Hero Talents

Each Hero Talent tree starts with a “keystone” talent that introduces the core mechanic and concept of the tree. This could be a new ability, an enhancement to an existing ability or cooldown, or a new buff you can trigger. The bottom talent of each tree is a “capstone” talent that builds on the core themes of the tree or adds new power to the keystone.

Each tree will offer or modify some class utility and include defensive bonuses that are useful to all specializations. We are aiming for all trees to be about equal in the amount of utility and defensiveness they provide. Trees for characters that can take on a tanking role may have some additional defense bonuses that will be less valuable to healers or damage dealers (DPS), such as bonuses to tank talents or cooldowns. Three or four nodes in each tree will be choice nodes where you can choose between two options.

Hero Talents are meant to add enough damage or healing throughput to be significant without being so important that these new talents overshadow your current class and spec tree talents. Most Hero Talent trees add new visual effects to classes, both to communicate what they’re doing and bring their class fantasies to life. However, these are not complete visual reworks – your class and spec are still the same at their core, and that will continue to come through.

Maintaining Freedom to Choose

We want players to be free to choose the Hero Talent tree that has the gameplay, visuals, or flavor that they prefer. Our goal is for both options to feel similarly effective in raid dungeons, Mythic+, and PvP. We’re working to avoid abilities or bonuses in Hero Talents that could make a certain tree feel “required” for activities where we can.

We know that for some players, prioritizing total throughput is the most important thing to them, even if the difference between choices seems small. That’s okay but keeping Hero Talent balance close is one of our priorities so that players can play what they prefer and still be viable in any content.

How We Chose Hero Talent Concepts

Since we announced Hero Talents at BlizzCon, it’s been great to see all the conversation and speculation surrounding the 39 Hero Talent titles. We’d like to share some of the thinking that went behind choosing those concepts.

Each Hero Talent concept must be appropriate for both of the specs that can use it. Some concepts build on overlaps in abilities or flavors between the two specs that can use it, like Colossus warriors, which are as mighty as Arms warriors and as imposing as Protection warriors. Others create new themes that are appropriate for both specs, like Fatebound rogues.

Hero Talents also retain your combat role and the gear that you use so that you’re not competing for new types of gear. For iconic Warcraft character archetypes, we wanted to be sure that we could deliver on their fantasy with World of Warcraft’s classes. Blademasters just wouldn’t be Blademasters without abilities like Wind Walk and Mirror Image, but those abilities don’t fit in a warrior’s toolkit.

Lastly, there are several iconic character archetypes that are strongly tied to specific races and factions, such as Keeper of the Grove or Mountain Thane. It’s exciting to embody these storied archetypes, but we want to ensure that characters of every race and faction can see themselves as those archetypes. We’re open to feedback on what feels good for your characters versus what is frustrating.

Gameplay and Hero Talents

We have several goals for what it feels like to play World of Warcraft with Hero Talents. Here are some of our guiding principles for how they affect your capabilities, your rotation, what you pay attention to in combat, and your user interface.

We like to say on the team that our goal for Hero Talents gameplay is for them to make you “what you are, but more.” We know that many of you have long histories with your favorite classes, and you play them because you like their gameplay and the spells and abilities that matter in their rotation, whether it’s the spinning plates of Affliction, the cycles of Arcane, or the frenetic reactivity of Fury. Hero Talents don’t override what matters to a class. You should feel like you’re playing your spec with a twist or a boost and not as if the things you care about have become unimportant or been replaced.

A Hero Talent tree might add new behavior or bonuses to an existing ability, like Keeper of the Grove’s bonuses to Force of Nature and Grove Guardian treants. They might occasionally reset the cooldown on abilities or replace spells with more powerful versions. They might make it easier to maintain important buffs or grant additional resources at key moments.

One thing that we’re keeping a close eye on is complexity. Classes in WoW have a lot of abilities and talents, and there’s a lot to learn about each one. We want Hero Talents to add new fun without creating new burdens, either in customizing or playing a character. Most Hero Talent trees do not add new buttons that players will need to add to their action bar or find a new keybind for. There will be additional opportunities for players to express their skill, but we’re trying not to add things like complex maintenance buffs that increase the cognitive load for everyone playing a class. Most of the choices a player will make about how complex they want their rotation to be will continue to be made in their class and spec talent trees.

Some Hero Talents do require you to take certain talents in your class or spec trees to access their powers. This is often because those talents fit the flavor and theme of that specific Hero Talent tree. The Mountain Thane warrior tree enhances Avatar and Thunder Clap, Templar paladin gives extra power to Wake of Ashes, and Elune’s Chosen druids can cast a particularly strong Fury of Elune. However, a Hero Talent tree will only ever require or enhance a small number of class or spec talents. It’s important to us that there still is freedom in customizing your class build.

Show Us the Hero Talent Trees!

Over the coming months, we’ll continue to share full designs for Hero Talent trees from The War Within. We’re excited to hear what you think of them.

Below, you’ll find the Hero Talents for the Keeper of the Grove Druids, Dark Ranger Hunters, Frostfire Mages, and Oracle Priests.

Specializations: Balance and Restoration

Keepers of the Grove take inspiration from Cenarius’ mighty children to protect the balance of nature and safeguard the Dream. They channel the power of the Dream to make their spells especially potent and summon empowered treants to protect their allies and crush their enemies.

KEEPER OF THE GROVE KEYSTONE

Dream Surge: Force of Nature grants 3 charges of Dream Burst, causing your next Wrath or Starfire to explode on the target, dealing Nature damage to nearby enemies. Damage is reduced above 5 targets.

Grove Guardians causes your next targeted heal to create 2 Dream Petals near the target, healing up to 3 nearby allies. Stacks up to 3 charges.

KEEPER OF THE GROVE ROW 1

Treants of the Moon: Your treants cast Moonfireon nearby targets about once every 6 seconds.

Expansiveness: Your maximum mana is increased by 5% and your maximum Astral Power is increased by 20.

Protective Growth: Your Regrowth protects you, reducing damage you take by 8% while your Regrowth is on you.

KEEPER OF THE GROVE ROW 2

Choice Node: Power of Nature & Durability of Nature

  • Power of Nature: YourForce of Nature treants no longer taunt and deal 20% increased damage. Your Grove Guardians increase the healing of your Rejuvenation, Efflorescence and Lifebloom by 5% while active.
  • Durability of Nature: Your Force of Nature treants have 50% increased health. Your Grove Guardians Nourish and Swiftmend spells also apply a minor Cenarion Ward that heals the target over 8 seconds the next time they take damage.

Cenarius’ Might: Casting Starsurge or Starfall increases the damage of your next Starsurge or Starfall by 10%, stacking up to 2 times. Casting another spell cancels this effect.

Casting Regrowth, Wild Growth, or Swiftmend increases the healing of your next Regrowth, Wild Growth, or Swiftmend by 10%, stacking up to 2 times. Casting another spell cancels this effect.

Choice Node: Grove’s Inspiration & Persistent Enchantments

  • Grove’s Inspiration: Wrath and Starfiredamage increased by 12%. Regrowth, Wild Growth, and Swiftmend healing increased by 6%.
  • Persistent Enchantments:Orbital Strike applies Stellar Flare for 20 seconds and Primordial Arcanic Pulsar grants Celestial Alignment for 2 additional seconds. Reforestation grants Tree of Life for 2 additional seconds.

KEEPER OF THE GROVE ROW 3

Choice Node: Bounteous Bloom & Early Spring

  • Bounteous Bloom: Your Force of Nature treants generate 3 Astral Power every 2 seconds. Your Grove Guardians’ healing is increased by 20%.
  • Early Spring: Force of Nature cooldown reduced by 10 seconds. Grove Guardians cooldown reduced by 3 seconds.

Choice Node: Power of the Dream & Control of the Dream

  • Power of the Dream: Force of Nature grants an additional stack of Dream Burst. Healing spells cast with Dream Surge generate an additional Dream Petal. Cenarius’ Might increases spell damage or healing by an additional 5%.
  • Control of the Dream: Time elapsed while your major abilities are available to be used is subtracted from that ability’s cooldown after the next time you use it, up to 5 seconds. Affects Nature’s Swiftness, Incarnation: Tree of Life, Force of Nature, Celestial Alignment, and Convoke the Spirits.

Blooming Infusion: Every 5 Regrowths you cast make your next Wrath, Starfire, or Entangling Roots instant and increases the damage it deals by 100%. Every 5 Starsurges or Starfalls you cast makes your next Regrowth or Entangling Roots instant.

KEEPER OF THE GROVE CAPSTONE

Harmony of the Grove: Each of your Force of Nature treants increases damage your spells deal by 3% while active. Each of your Grove Guardians increases your healing done by 3% while active.

Specializations: Marksmanship and Beast Mastery Hunter

You have made a pact with dark magic and have embraced hatred and necromancy for your own personal benefit. Strike from the shadows and assault your enemies with necrotic/shadow empowered abilities. Enemies who fall from your abilities further empower your dark energies.

DARK RANGER KEYSTONE

Black Arrow: Fire a Black Arrow into your target, causing it to take Shadow damage every 2 seconds for 16 seconds. Each time Black Arrow deals damage, you have a chance to reset the cooldown of Aimed Shot or Barbed Shot. 30 second cooldown.

DARK RANGER ROW 1

Ranger’s Finesse: Aimed Shot and Rapid Fire deal 15% increased damage. Barbed Shot and Kill Command deal 15% increased damage.

Dark Hounds: Each time Black Arrow deals damage, you have a chance to manifest an undead hound to charge your target and deal Shadow damage.

Death Shade: When you apply Black Arrow to a target, you gain the Deathblow or Hunter’s Prey effect.

DARK RANGER ROW 2

Choice Node: Dark Empowerment & Grave Reaper

  • Dark Empowerment: When Black Arrow resets the cooldown of an ability, gain 15 Focus.
  • Grave Reaper: When a target affected by Black Arrow dies, the cooldown of Black Arrow is reduced by 12 seconds.

Choice Node: Embrace the Shadows & Smoke Screen

  • Embrace the Shadows: You heal for 15% of all Shadow damage dealt by you or your pets.
  • Smoke Screen: Exhilaration grants you 3 seconds of Survival of the Fittest. Survival of the Fittest activates Exhilaration at 50% effectiveness.

Dark Chains: Disengage will chain the closest target to the ground, causing them to move 40% slower until they move 8 yards away.

DARK RANGER ROW 3

Intense Darkness: When Trueshot or Call of the Wild is active, Black Arrow deals damage 50% faster.

Shadow Surge: When Multi-Shot hits a target affected by Black Arrow, a burst of Shadow energy erupts dealing moderate Shadow damage to all enemies near the target. This can only occur once every 6 seconds.

Choice Node: Darkness Calls & Shadow Assassin

  • Darkness Calls: All Shadow damage you and your pets deal is increased by 10%.
  • Shadow Assassin: Kill Shot has a 15% chance to generate a charge of Aimed Shot or Barbed Shot when used on a target affected by Black Arrow.

DARK RANGER CAPSTONE

Withering Fire: When Black Arrow resets the cooldown of Aimed Shot or Barbed Shot, a barrage of dark arrows strikes your target for Shadow damage and increases the damage you and your pets deal by 10% for 6 seconds.

Specializations: Fire and Frost

Frostfire Mages harness a fusion of fire and ice magic to burn and freeze their enemies. Their use of elemental magic empowers them, enabling devastating combinations of spell casts and increasing their output by manipulating temperatures.

FROSTFIRE KEYSTONE

Frostfire Mastery: Your damaging Fire spells generate 1 stack of Fire Mastery and Frost spells generate 1 stack of Frost Mastery. Fire Mastery increases your Haste by 1% and Frost Mastery increases your Mastery by 1% for 12 seconds, stacking up to 8 times each. Adding stacks does not refresh duration.

FROSTFIRE ROW 1

Choice Node: Imbued Warding & Meltdown

  • Imbued Warding: Blazing Barrier also casts an Ice Barrier at 25% effectiveness for Fire. Ice Barrier also casts a Blazing Barrier at 25% effectiveness for Frost. This also affects your Mass Barrier.
  • Meltdown: You melt slightly out of your Ice Block and Ice Cold, allowing you to move slowly during Ice Block and increasing your movement speed over time. Ice Block and Ice Cold trigger a Blast Wave when they end.

Frostfire Bolt: Launches a bolt of Frostfire at the enemy, dealing Frostfire damage, slowing movement speed by 50%, and causing additional Frostfire damage over 8 seconds. Frostfire Bolt generates a stack of both Fire Mastery and Frost Mastery. Replaces Frostbolt for Frost and Fireball for Fire. 2 second cast time.

Choice Node: Elemental Affinity & Flame & Frost

  • Elemental Affinity: The cooldown of Frost spells is reduced by 10% for Fire. The cooldown of Fire spells is reduced by 30% for Frost.
  • Flame and Frost: Cauterize resets the cooldown of your Frost spells with a base cooldown shorter than 4 minutes when it activates for Fire. Cold Snap additionally resets the cooldown of your Fire spells.

FROSTFIRE ROW 2

Isothermic Core: Comet Storm now also calls down a Meteor at 100% effectiveness onto your target’s location. Meteor now also calls down a Comet Storm at 150% effectiveness onto your target location.

Choice Node: Severe Temperatures & Thermal Conditioning

  • Severe Temperatures: Casting Frost or Fire spells increases the damage of your next Frostfire Bolt by 6%, stacking up to 5 times.
  • Thermal Conditioning: Frostfire Bolt’s cast time is reduced by 10%.

Frostfire Infusion: Your Frost and Fire spells have a chance to trigger an additional bolt of Frostfire, dealing Frostfire damage. This effect generates Frostfire Mastery when activated.

FROSTFIRE ROW 3

Excess Frost: Reaching maximum stacks of Frost Mastery causes your next Phoenix Flames (Fire) / Flurry (Frost) to also cast Ice Nova at 200% effectiveness. When you consume Excess Frost, the cooldown of Meteor (Fire) / Comet Storm (Frost) is reduced by 5 seconds.

Frostfire Empowerment: Your Frost and Fire spells have a chance to activate Frostfire Empowerment, causing your next Frostfire Bolt to always critically strike, explode for 80% of its damage to nearby enemies, and be instant cast.

Excess Fire: Reaching maximum stacks of Fire Mastery causes your next Fire Blast (Fire) / Ice Lance (Frost) to apply Living Bomb at 150% effectiveness. When this Living Bomb explodes, reduce the cooldown of Phoenix Flames by 10 seconds (Fire) / gain Brain Freeze (Frost).

FROSTFIRE CAPSTONE

Flash Freezeburn: Frostfire Empowerment grants you maximum benefit of Frostfire Mastery and refreshes its duration. Activating Combustion or Icy Veins grants you Frostfire Empowerment.

Specializations: Holy and Discipline Priest

Gain insight into the future and use it to protect and empower your allies. Future sight grants the Priest the ability to grant multiple different and unique beneficial effects to their allies.

ORACLE KEYSTONE

Premonition: Divine the future, and gain access to a spell that gives you an advantage against your fate. Replaces Power Infusion. 1 minute cooldown. Instant Cast.

  • Solace: Increases your target’s healing received by 25% for 10 seconds.
  • Insight: Increases your targets magic damage dealt by 10% for 10 seconds.
  • Glory: Increases your target’s physical damage dealt by 10% for 10 seconds.

ORACLE ROW 1

Preventative Measures: Increases the damage absorbed by Power Word: Shield by 10% and the healing done by Prayer of Mending by 10%.

Preemptive Care: Increases the duration of Atonement by 1 second and increases the duration of Renew by 3 seconds.

Choice Node: Waste No Time & Miraculous Recovery

  • Waste No Time: Premonition causes your next Power Word: Radiance, Heal, or Prayer of Healing to be instant cast and cost 15% less mana.
  • Miraculous Recovery: Reduces the cooldown of Power Word: Life by 3 seconds and allows it to be usable on targets below 50% health.

ORACLE ROW 2

Assured Safety: Power Word: Shied applies 1 stack of Prayer of Mending to your target. Prayer of Mending casts apply a Power Word: Shield to your target at 20% effectiveness.

Choice Node: Prompt Deliverance & Divine Feathers

  • Prompt Deliverance: Reduces the cooldown of Purify by 2 seconds.
  • Divine Feathers: When an ally walks through your Angelic Feather, you are also granted 100% of its effect.

Foreseen Circumstances: Pain Suppression reduces damage taken by an additional 10%. Guardian Spirit lasts an additional 2 seconds.

ORACLE ROW 3

Grand Reveal: When your Power Word: Shield is fully absorbed or your Prayer of Mending heals, gain a stack of Grand Reveal. At 150 stacks, gain an additional charge of Premonition.

Choice Node: Perfect Vison & Versatile Divinations

  • Perfect Vision: Reduces the cooldown of Premonition by 10 seconds.
  • Versatile Divinations: Premonition can now trigger the Brilliance and Urgency effects.
  • Brilliance: Restores 5% of your target’s maximum mana.
  • Urgency: Increases your target’s Haste by 12% for 10 seconds.

Choice Node: Divine Providence & Fatebender

  • Divine Providence: Increases the duration of your Premonition effects by 2 seconds.
  • Fatebender: Premonition’s effect is increased by 30% if the divined spell is different than the previous Premonition.

ORACLE CAPSTONE

Clairvoyance: Premonition has a low chance to grant you Clairvoyance.

  • Clairvoyance: Grants your target and two nearby allies all the effects of Premonition at 100% effectiveness.

Get more thoughts and insights from our developers along with World of Warcraft creators:

Marca de Lo Salvaje– Druid (Spanish)

Jellybeans– Hunter (English)

Portal Para Dalaran– Mage (English)

Taliesin and Evitel– Priest (English)

You can also join the Warcraft Priests Discord to dive deeper into more discussions and theory-crafting.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing more as we progress in development.

Visit our previously published article to learn more about the San’layn Death Knight, Chronowarden Evoker, Lightsmith Paladin, and Mountain Thane Warrior Hero Talents.

World of Warcraft in 2024 —The Road Ahead

Quote from: Blizzard

Whew! It has been an incredible year for the WoW Team. We are endlessly grateful to our community for being in our world as we grow, change, experiment, and deliver as much magic and fun as possible!

This time last year, I posted our first roadmap. I’m so thankful to our team for seeing it all become real, and then some! We know that promising a thing is a far distant second to actually delivering on that promise. With that said, we continue to learn and evolve with each release and announcement this year, and we are fully focused on listening and responding to you and building for a strong future in Azeroth for all of us.

Listing everything we did together this year is huge: six Dragonflight content updates, Wrath content updates and the return of the Icecrown Citadel raid dungeon, Classic Hardcore launch, BlizzCon 2023, an incredible Race to World First in Dragonflight Season 3, and just recently, Classic Season of Discovery! This year has been one to remember and we want to keep the momentum going!

Now it’s time to share a look ahead into 2024!

In modern World of Warcraft, you’re going to see three more content updates for Dragonflight arriving before World of Warcraft: The War Within releases next year. In these updates, we’ll be wrapping up the story for this expansion and laying the foundation for our next one. Dragonflight Season 4 will revisit Dragonflight’s dungeons and raids, along with outdoor content, featuring updated rewards, and a few new twists. Then, in the Spring/Summer, we’ll ask for your feedback when the War Within expansion alpha and beta tests drop.  We will continue to communicate details, dates, and more goodness as we get closer to content updates, just like this year! Well, most of it anyway (we’ll have some surprises in store too!).  Coming up next in January, we have the Seeds of Renewal content update on tap and we’re currently keeping an eye on your feedback on the live public test realms (PTR) for this update.

In WoW Classic, we have updates coming for Classic Hardcore with “Self Found” support in February as a new way to challenge players and add a little more hardcore into your Hardcore. Lok’tar ogar! We’ll also have more phases to release in Season of Discovery next year as the adventure continues. And, of course, Cataclysm Classic is right around the corner in the first half of next year!

We remain committed to delivering content in all flavors of World of Warcraft so no matter how you play, you won’t have to look far ahead to know something is right around the corner for you!

Above all, we are thankful for the gift of working on World of Warcraft with you and embracing a time of evolution. From us all on the WoW Team, please have a happy, healthy holiday and a peaceful New Year.

We remain dedicated to continuing this amazing journey alongside you all.

Holly Longdale
Executive Producer

Get an Early Look at Hero Talents in The War Within

Quote from: Blizzard

The War Within expansion introduces Hero Talents as a new update to World of Warcraft classes. They are an evergreen form of character progression for each class specialization that introduces new powers and class fantasies. Feedback is critical to us as a part of creating an impactful and fun addition to the game, so we are sharing our goals for Hero Talents with the community to get first impressions of them and learn how well we’re meeting those goals.

What Are Hero Talents?

Hero Talents are new, self-contained talent trees that players unlock access at level 71. Hero Talents build on the abilities and talents of current classes and specializations. Players can choose a single Hero Talent tree to activate on a character and these talents can be changed in the same way class talents can be currently changed in the game. There are three Hero Talent trees for each class (excepting druid with four and demon hunter with two).  Each specialization has two Hero Talent trees they can choose between, and each of these trees is available as an option for two specializations.

For example, warriors have three Hero Talent tree options: Slayer, Colossus, and Mountain Thane. Fury has access to Mountain Thane and Slayer, Protection has access to Mountain Thane and Colossus, and Arms has access to Colossus and Slayer.

There are 11 nodes in a Hero Talent tree. The first of these unlocks with the system at level 71, and you earn 1 talent point per level from level 71 to 80, so you get every talent in the tree by level 80. Hero Talents will have starter builds available, and your saved builds will save your Hero Talent choices as well.

What to Expect from Hero Talents

Each Hero Talent tree starts with a “keystone” talent that introduces the core mechanic and concept of the tree. This could be a new ability, an enhancement to an existing ability or cooldown, or a new buff you can trigger. The bottom talent of each tree is a “capstone” talent that builds on the core themes of the tree or adds new power to the keystone.

Each tree will offer or modify some class utility and include defensive bonuses that are useful to all specializations. We are aiming for all trees to be about equal in the amount of utility and defensiveness they provide. Trees for characters that can take on a tanking role may have some additional defense bonuses that will be less valuable to healers or damage dealers (DPS), such as bonuses to tank talents or cooldowns. Three or four nodes in each tree will be choice nodes where you can choose between two options.

Hero Talents are meant to add enough damage or healing throughput to be significant without being so important that these new talents overshadow your current class and spec tree talents. Most Hero Talent trees add new visual effects to classes, both to communicate what they’re doing and bring their class fantasies to life. However, these are not complete visual reworks – your class and spec are still the same at their core, and that will continue to come through.

Maintaining Freedom to Choose

We want players to be free to choose the Hero Talent tree that has the gameplay, visuals, or flavor that they prefer. Our goal is for both options to feel similarly effective in raid dungeons, Mythic+, and PvP. We’re working to avoid abilities or bonuses in Hero Talents that could make a certain tree feel “required” for activities where we can.

We know that for some players, prioritizing total throughput is the most important thing to them, even if the difference between choices seems small. That’s okay but keeping Hero Talent balance close is one of our priorities so that players can play what they prefer and still be viable in any content.

How We Chose Hero Talent Concepts

Since we announced Hero Talents at BlizzCon, it’s been great to see all the conversation and speculation surrounding the 39 Hero Talent titles. We’d like to share some of the thinking that went behind choosing those concepts.

Each Hero Talent concept must be appropriate for both of the specs that can use it. Some concepts build on overlaps in abilities or flavors between the two specs that can use it, like Colossus warriors, which are as mighty as Arms warriors and as imposing as Protection warriors. Others create new themes that are appropriate for both specs, like Fatebound rogues.

Hero Talents also retain your combat role and the gear that you use so that you’re not competing for new types of gear. For iconic Warcraft character archetypes, we wanted to be sure that we could deliver on their fantasy with World of Warcraft’s classes. Blademasters just wouldn’t be Blademasters without abilities like Wind Walk and Mirror Image, but those abilities don’t fit in a warrior’s toolkit.

Lastly, there are several iconic character archetypes that are strongly tied to specific races and factions, such as Keeper of the Grove or Mountain Thane. It’s exciting to embody these storied archetypes, but we want to ensure that characters of every race and faction can see themselves as those archetypes. We’re open to feedback on what feels good for your characters versus what is frustrating.

Gameplay and Hero Talents

We have several goals for what it feels like to play World of Warcraft with Hero Talents. Here are some of our guiding principles for how they affect your capabilities, your rotation, what you pay attention to in combat, and your user interface.

We like to say on the team that our goal for Hero Talents gameplay is for them to make you “what you are, but more.” We know that many of you have long histories with your favorite classes, and you play them because you like their gameplay and the spells and abilities that matter in their rotation, whether it’s the spinning plates of Affliction, the cycles of Arcane, or the frenetic reactivity of Fury. Hero Talents don’t override what matters to a class. You should feel like you’re playing your spec with a twist or a boost and not as if the things you care about have become unimportant or been replaced.

A Hero Talent tree might add new behavior or bonuses to an existing ability, like Keeper of the Grove’s bonuses to Force of Nature and Grove Guardian treants. They might occasionally reset the cooldown on abilities or replace spells with more powerful versions. They might make it easier to maintain important buffs or grant additional resources at key moments.

One thing that we’re keeping a close eye on is complexity. Classes in WoW have a lot of abilities and talents, and there’s a lot to learn about each one. We want Hero Talents to add new fun without creating new burdens, either in customizing or playing a character. Most Hero Talent trees do not add new buttons that players will need to add to their action bar or find a new keybind for. There will be additional opportunities for players to express their skill, but we’re trying not to add things like complex maintenance buffs that increase the cognitive load for everyone playing a class. Most of the choices a player will make about how complex they want their rotation to be will continue to be made in their class and spec talent trees.

Some Hero Talents do require you to take certain talents in your class or spec trees to access their powers. This is often because those talents fit the flavor and theme of that specific Hero Talent tree. The Mountain Thane warrior tree enhances Avatar and Thunder Clap, Templar paladin gives extra power to Wake of Ashes, and Elune’s Chosen druids can cast a particularly strong Fury of Elune. However, a Hero Talent tree will only ever require or enhance a small number of class or spec talents. It’s important to us that there still is freedom in customizing your class build.

Show Us the Hero Talent Trees!

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing full designs for Hero Talent trees from The War Within. We’re excited to hear what you think of them.

We’re starting things off by sharing the first set of trees here. Below, you’ll find the Hero Talents for San’Layn Death Knights, Chronowarden Evokers,  Lightsmith Paladins , and Mountain Thane Warriors.

Specializations: Blood and Unholy

San’layn are death knights who have mastered the vampiric arts of the darkfallen. They consume the vitality of their enemies to protect and restore themselves. Their endless hunger only strengthens them.  

SAN’LAYN KEYSTONE

Vampiric Strike: Your Death Coil and Death Strike have a 10% chance to make your next Heart Strike or Scourge Strike become Vampiric Strike. Vampiric Strike heals you for 3% of your maximum health and grants you Essence of the Blood Queen, increasing your Haste by 1.5%, up to 7.5% for 20 seconds.

SAN’LAYN ROW 1

Choice Node: Newly Turned & Vampiric Speed

  • Newly Turned: Raise Ally revives players at full health and grants you an absorption shield equal to 20% of your maximum health.
  • Vampiric Speed: Death’s Advance and Wraith Walk movement speed bonuses are increased by 10%. Activating Death’s Advance or Wraith Walk increases 4 nearby allies movement speed by 20% for 5 sec.

Blood-Soaked Ground: While you are within your Death and Decay, your physical damage taken is reduced by 5% and your chance to gain Vampiric Strike is increased by 5%.

Choice Node: Vampiric Aura & Bloody Fortitude

  • Vampiric Aura: Your Leech is increased by 3%. While Lichborne is active the Leech amount is increased by 100% and affects 4 nearby allies.
  • Bloody Fortitude: Icebound Fortitude reduces all damage you take by up to an additional 30% based on your missing health. Killing enemies that grant honor or experience reduces the cooldown of Icebound Fortitude by 3 sec.

SAN’LAYN ROW 2

Infliction of Sorrow: When Vampiric Strike damages an enemy affected by Blood Plague or Virulent Plague it consumes the disease dealing 200% of the remaining damage. While Gift of the San’layn is active, Vampiric Strike no longer consumes your disease and instead extends the duration of your disease by 3 sec and deals 20% of the remaining damage to the enemy.

Frenzied Bloodthirst: Essence of the Blood Queen stacks 2 additional times and increases the damage of your Death Coil and Death Strike by 5% per stack.

The Blood is Life: Vampiric Strike has a chance to summon a Blood Beast to attack your enemy for 10 sec. Each time the Blood Beast attacks it stores a portion of the damage dealt and when the Blood Beast dies it explodes dealing 50% of the damage accumulated to nearby enemies and healing the death knight for the same amount.

SAN’LAYN ROW 3

Visceral Regeneration: Your Heart Strike and Scourge Strike have a 3% per stack of Essence of the Blood Queen to refund a Rune. Vampiric Strike doubles the chance to refund a Rune.

Incite Terror: Heart Strike and Scourge Strike extend the duration of Essence of the Blood Queen by 0.5 seconds. Vampiric Strike increases the extension by 100%.

Choice Node: Sanguine Scent & Pact of the San’layn

  • Sanguine Scent: Your Death Coil and Death Strike have a 15% chance to trigger Vampiric Strike when damage enemies below 35% health and it is guaranteed to critically strike.
  • Pact of the San’layn: Your store 50% of all Shadow damage dealt into your Blood Beast to explode for additional damage when it expires.

SAN’LAYN CAPSTONE

Gift of the San’layn: While Vampiric Blood or Dark Transformation is active you gain Gift of the San’layn. Gift of the San’layn increases the effectiveness of your Essence of the Blood Queen by 100% and replaces your Heart Strike and Scourge Strike with Vampiric Strike for the duration.

Specializations: Augmentation and Preservation

Chronowardens can manipulate time and see into the future. By specializing in Bronze magic, they are slightly unstable due to the vast amount of knowledge available to them. They are precise, erudite, and organized individuals who seek to understand the world through careful study.

CHRONOWARDEN KEYSTONE

Chrono Flame: Living Flame is enhanced with Bronze magic, repeating 15% of the damage or healing you dealt to the target in the last 5 seconds as Arcane, up to a fixed amount.

CHRONOWARDEN ROW 1

Warp: Hover now warps you through time and space and its cooldown is reduced by 5 seconds. Hover continues to allow Evoker spells to be cast while moving.

Temporal Burst: Tip the Scales overloads you with temporal energy, increasing your Haste, movement speed and cooldown recovery rate by 2%, ramping up to 40% over 20 seconds.

Reverberations: Spiritbloom heals for an additional 30% over 8 seconds. Upheaval deals 30% additional damage over 8 seconds.

CHRONOWARDEN ROW 2

Choice Node: Interdimensional Phase & Motes of Acceleration

  • Interdimensional Phase: Warp reduces damage taken by 30%, starting high and reducing over 2 seconds.
  • Motes of Acceleration: Warp leaves a trail of Motes of Acceleration. Allies who come in contact with a mote gain 20% increased movement speed for 30 seconds.

Threads of Fate: Casting an Essence ability during Temporal Burst causes a nearby ally to gain a Thread of Fate for 15 seconds, granting them a chance to echo their damage or healing spells, dealing 15% of the amount again.

Primacy: For each damage over time effect from Upheaveal or Spiritbloom, gain 3% Haste, up to 9%.

 

CHRONOWARDEN ROW 3

Choice Node: Careful Contemplation & Time Convergence

  • Careful Contemplation: Your Intellect and Stamina are increased by 10%, but your cooldowns are increased by 10%.
  • Time Convergence: Abilities with a 45 second or longer cooldown grant 10% Intellect for 15 seconds. Defensive abilities grant 10% Stamina for 15 seconds. Essence spells extend the duration by 1 second.

Choice Node: Master of Destiny & Golden Opportunity

  • Mastery of Destiny: Empower spells amplify all your active Threads of Fate, increasing their power by 100% for 8 seconds, stacking up to 2 times.
  • Golden Opportunity: Echo & Prescience have a 25% chance to not incur a cooldown. Echo has a 25% chance to not cost Essence.

Instability Matrix: Each time you cast an empower spell, unstable time magic reduces its cooldown by up to 15 seconds. Echo has a 25% chance to not cost Essence.

CHRONOWARDEN CAPSTONE

Afterimage: Empower spells send up to 3 Chrono Flames to your targets. Chrono Flames have a small chance to grant you Essence Burst.

Specializations: Holy and Protection

Lightsmiths are paladins who have developed such masterful control over the Light that they are able to wield it tangibly, employing constructs to empower their weapons and defenses and to protect their allies.

LIGHTSMITH KEYSTONE

Holy Armaments: Will the Light to coalesce and become manifest at a target location as a Holy Armament, which may be wielded by you or your allies. Alternates between Holy Bulwark and Sacred Weapon. Lats 20 sc after being cast. Max 2 charges.

Holy Bulwark: While wielding a Holy Bulwark, gain an absorption shield for 15% of your maximum health and an additional 5% every 2 seconds, stacking up to 30%.

Sacred Weapon: While wielding a Sacred Weapon, your spells and abilities have a chance to deal additional Holy damage or healing.

LIGHTSMITH ROW 1

Choice Node: Rite of Sanctification & Rite of Adjuration

  • Rite of Sanctification: Imbue your weapon with the power of the Light, increasing your armor by 5% and your primary stat by 1%. Lasts 1 hour. Weapon imbue.
  • Rite of Adjuration: Imbue your weapon with the power of the Light, increasing your Stamina by 3% and causing your Holy Power spenders to sometimes unleash a burst of healing around a target. Weapon imbue.

Solidarity: If an ally picks up an Armament, you also gain its benefits. If you pick up an Armament, a nearby ally also gains its benefits.

Choice Node: Divine Guidance & Blessed Assurance

  • Divine Guidance: For each Holy Power ability cast, your next Consecration does additional Holy damage or healing split across all enemies, up to a fixed total.
  • Blessed Assurance: Casting a Holy Power spender increases the damage and healing of your next Crusader Strike by 100%.

LIGHTSMITH ROW 2

Laying Down Arms: When an Armament fades from you, the cooldown of Lay on Hands is reduced by 15 seconds, and you gain Shining Light or Infusion of Light.

Choice Node: Divine Inspiration & Forewarning

  • Divine Inspiration: Your spells and abilities have a chance to manifest a Holy Armament nearby.
  • Forewarning: The cooldown of Holy Armaments is reduced by 20%.

Choice Node: Fear No Evil & Excoriation

  • Fear No Evil: While wielding an Armament the duration of Fear effects is reduced by 50%.
  • Excoriation: Enemies within 5 yards of Hammer of Justice’s target are slowed by 15%.

LIGHTSMITH ROW 3

Shared Resolve: The effect of your active Aura is increased by 33% on targets with your Armaments.

Valiance: Consuming Shining Light or Infusion of Light extends the duration of any active Armaments by 3.0 seconds, or reduces the cooldown by 3 seconds if none exist.

Hammer and Anvil: Judgment critical strikes cause a shockwave around the target, dealing additional Holy damage or healing at the target’s location.

LIGHTSMITH CAPSTONE

Blessing of the Forge: Avenging Wrath summons an additional Sacred Weapon, and during Avenging Wrath your Sacred Weapon casts spells on your target and echoes the effects of your Holy Power abilities.

Specializations: Fury and Protection

Mountain Thanes embody the strength of the mountains and the power of the storm. They channel thunder and lightning through their reinforced bodies to make them an unstoppable force.

MOUNTAIN THANE KEYSTONE

Lightning Strikes: Damaging enemies with Thunder Clap, Revenge, Raging Blow, or Execute has a 10% chance to also strike one with a lightning bolt, dealing moderate Nature damage. Lightning Strikes occur 50% more often during Avatar.

 MOUNTAIN THANE ROW 1

Call of Thunder: The Stormstrike damage or Nature damage your abilities deal is increased by 5%. Stormstrike damage ignores Armor. Thunder Clap damage increased by 50%. For Fury only, Thunder Clap generates 5 Rage and Improved Whirlwind and Meat Cleaver now improve Thunder Clap as well as Whirlwind.

Ground Current: Lightning Strikes also deal low amounts of Nature damage to enemies near their target. Damage reduced beyond 5 targets.

Strength of the Mountain: Shield Slam damage increased by 20%. Bloodthirst and Rampage damage increased by 10%.

MOUNTAIN THANE ROW 2

Thunder Blast: Shield Slam and Bloodthirst have a 20% chance to grant you Thunder Blast, stacking up to 2 charges. Thunder Blast causes your next Thunder Clap to become a Thunder Blast that deals Stormstrike damage.

Choice Node: Storm Bolts & Storm Shield

  • Storm Bolts: Storm Bolt also hits 1 additional nearby target, stunning them for 2 seconds.
  • Storm Shield: Intervening a target grants them a shield for 5 seconds that absorbs magic damage equal to 3 times your Armor.

Choice Node: Flashing Skies & Valarjar Training

  • Flashing Skies: Chance for Lightning Strikes to critically strike is increased by 5% and their critical strike damage is increased by 10%.
  • Valarjar Training: Lightning Strikes reduce the cooldown of Ravager by 0.5 second.

MOUNTAIN THANE ROW 3

Choice Node: Steadfast as the Peaks & Keep Your Feet on the Ground

  • Steadfast as the Peaks: Victory Rush increases your maximum health by 10% for 5 seconds.
  • Keep Your Feet on the Ground: Thunder Blast reduces damage you take by 4% for 5 seconds.

Choice Node: Gathering Clouds & Thorim’s Might

  • Gathering Clouds: Your attacks trigger Lightning Strikes 15% more often.
  • Thorim’s Might: Lightning Strikes generate 3 Rage. Revenge, Raging Blow, and Execute damage increased by 15%.

Burst of Power: Lightning Strikes have a 20% chance to make your next 2 Shield Slams or Bloodthirsts have no cooldown.

 MOUNTAIN THANE CAPSTONE

Avatar of the Storm: Casting Avatar grants you 2 charges of Thunder Blast and resets the cooldown of Thunder Clap. While Avatar is not active, Lightning Strikes have a 10% chance to grant you Avatar for 4 seconds.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and sharing more as we progress in development.

Unveiling AWC & MDI in 2024!

Quote from: Blizzard

The Arena World Championship (AWC) and Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) return in 2024 to culminate the final champions of Dragonflight and usher in a new age with The War Within™.

2024 is a massive year for Warcraft. With WoW celebrating its 20th anniversary, Arena World Championship (AWC) and Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) will celebrate the culmination of Dragonflight before diving into The War Within with a full year of scheduled programming, including three seasons of competition and additional bonus events throughout the year.

For all competitions in the upcoming year, we’ve partnered with Raider.IO to provide open registration for anyone to sign up to participate. With $2 Million (USD) of prizes on the line, new in-game rewards to earn, and an increased breadth of competitions during the year—it’s bound to be another great year of action. Registration is now open for the first events, which will broadcast live on Twitch and YouTube, in addition to competitors streaming their perspectives!

ARENA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

With the launch of Dragonflight, we moved the Arena World Championship (AWC) to a Seasonal Cup model to allow players more opportunities to compete and create phenomenal moments. In 2024, we’re building upon this and adding a new layer to what will now be a combined Season of Cups between the remainder of Dragonflight’s chapters.

To culminate Dragonflight, we will host a combined season of AWC split between in-game Seasons 3 and 4. After the first two AWC Cups in Season 3, teams will compete in a new ‘Mid-Season Clash’ featuring qualified teams from Europe and North America and add a $100,000 USD bounty to the previous Seasonal model. After this event, AWC Cups will resume in Season 4 with AWC Points from all four Cups contributing toward the AWC Dragonflight Finals, where teams will have the chance to be crowned the Champions of Dragonflight and secure their share of the $300,000 USD Prize Pool.

Both the Mid-Season Clash and AWC Dragonflight Finals will have an associated AWC Gauntlet event to decide the final spots. Each set of AWC Cups in Season 3 and Season 4 will have unique in-game banners that participants can earn. Beginning today, teams can sign up on Raider.IO for the Dragonflight Season 3 Cups to achieve the “Dreaming Banner of the Aspects” banner.

WoW_Esports_2024_Flowchart_AWC_rev2_1920x1080.png

MYTHIC DUNGEON INTERNATIONAL

Across Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) and The Great Push (TGP), we’re continuing to expand with three total seasons planned in 2024. To round out Dragonflight, MDI and TGP will have events across Season 3 and Season 4, respectively—before launching into The War Within with an entire season of MDI matches to celebrate the new expansion. Across the year, more than $900,000 USD in prizing will be available between MDI and TGP programs.

DRAGONFLIGHT SEASON 3 – MYTHIC DUNGEON INTERNATIONAL

Starting today, registration for MDI Season 3 is now open for the first season of 2024. Season 3 and Season 4 will feature condensed schedules as we gear up for The War Within, meaning each weekend will be even more competitive before crowning a champion. Dragonflight Season 3 will kick off with Time Trials beginning January 31. From there, the top 16 teams will be split into two groups, each with a $30,000 USD prize pool and four qualifying spots to the MDI Global Finals. The MDI Global Finals will be an eight-team bracket with a $200,000 prize pool and the final chance to be crowned MDI Global Champions in Dragonflight.

Starting today, registration for MDI Season 3 is now open in partnership with Raider.IO. Any player who completes the Season 3 Time Trails will also earn the new “Dreaming Banner of the Aspects,” so register your team today!

WoW_Esports_2024_Flowchart_MDI_rev2_1920x1080.pngDRAGONFLIGHT SEASON 4 – THE GREAT PUSH

The Great Push ended 2023 with incredible competition and returns in Season 4 with some of the best hits of Dragonflight’s Dungeons and its own $260,000 USD prize pool. More information, including Format, Registration, and new in-game rewards, will be shared after Season 4 is announced—watch this space!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

LOOKING AHEAD

The War Within is soon upon us, and both Arena World Championship and Mythic Dungeon International will celebrate the launch, distributing a combined $800,000 USD between the programs in Season 1 of the new expansion. We’re very excited for all the action throughout all three seasons in a monumental year that marks 20 years of World of Warcraft.

We can’t wait to get the 2024 competitions underway, so sign up on Raider.IO. Stay on top of the latest news by subscribing to our Twitch and YouTube channels and following the WoW Esports Twitter.

Good luck, and have fun!

Tune In to the WoWCast Q&A

Quote from: Blizzard

Thank you for all your WoW Q&A submissions! Join World of Warcraft Game Director Ion Hazzikostas, Associate Game Director Morgan Day, World of Warcraft Classic Lead Software Engineer Ana Resendez, Associate Production Director Clayton Stone, Assistant Lead Game Designer Tim Jones, and host Bethany Stout as they answer your questions and take a look at what’s going on behind the scenes of World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft Classic now, and cast a light on what’s coming in the future. (Video is in English Only)

Become a part of a thrilling new story 20 years in the making; pre-purchase The War Within today. And from the fires of destruction, a new Azeroth arises; upgrade now to venture into a new age with Cataclysm Classic.

World of Warcraft®: Deep Dive Panel Recap

Quote from: Blizzard

During the World of Warcraft®: Deep Dive panel at BlizzCon 2023, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas took viewers deeper into the features coming in the next chapter of World of Warcraft: The War Within™.

During the World of Warcraft: What’s Next panel, the philosophy to continue to utilize evergreen content to make World of Warcraft better with every new feature addition was discussed. With The War Within expansion, the intention is to continue to build on the foundations of Dragonflight and carrying those philosophies forward with replayability, depth, and player agency while considering all the varying playstyles found in the game.

Introducing Delves

Delves are quick adventures for one to five players as a solo experience, with friends, or even as a dungeon group. These adventures are integrated into the outdoor realm as a new endgame pillar alongside dungeons, raids, and PvP. Designed to provide variety, flexibility, and replayability,  there are 12 Delves available at launch that take place throughout Khaz Algar in a variety of environments.

Shaped by lessons learned from Torghast, Islands, and Scenarios, Delves intends to allow more player choice and variety.

Just the Facts:

  • 10–15-minute adventures
  • Players will unravel mysteries and seek out treasure throughout Khaz Algar
  • New Seasonal Rewards with a narrative tie-in and NPC companions

Season One will include the NPC companion, Brann Bronzebeard.  These companions will level up as they journey with you and can be customized to be a compliment to your character, whether you need them to do more damage or heal a bit for you.

Entering one of these adventures won’t involve any loading screens to transition into a Delve portal. As you solve the mysteries and puzzles within and defeat the boss at the end, you’ll make your way to a room overflowing with treasure offering currency, gold, chances at cosmetics, and more. If you have the right key, you may even be able to open any large Resplendent Chests that will show up from time to time. These keys can be earned in other Delves, outdoor gameplay, or in a weekly quest. These items will be balanced against dungeon and raid loot.

Delve Locations

Delves will be integrated into the various zones with a variety of environments, settings, and inhabitants.

Isle of Dorn Hallowfall The Ringing Deeps Azj-Kahet
Earthcrawl Mines Skittering Breach The Waterworks The Spiral Weave
Kriegval’s Rest Nightfall Sanctum The Dread Pit Rak-Rethan Abyss
Fungal Folly The Sinkhole Deepwalker Hold
  Mycomancer Cavern

Delves have several difficulty tiers, resulting in a variety of potential rewards.

The Great Vault

The Great Vault will add the new “World” category, removing PvP. For the first time, players who take part in outdoor world activities will be able to earn rewards from the Great Vault. Whether it’s from completing outdoor objectives or by doing Delves, players will be able to unlock rewards based on the level of difficulty completed. Rewards can potentially reach the level of Heroic raiding or close to Mythic 15 dungeon range.

Players who take part in PvP will no longer need to access the Guild Vault for rewards—which were often more random than players wanted. Instead, players will receive additional Conquest to be able to purchase the items they want most.

There will be a variety of cosmetics available in Delves such as fun new helms like a fungarian hat, kobold helm with candles, or even the terrifying new undersea creature, kobyss, helm.

Players who take part in Delves will also be able to unlock a new customizable flying mount.

Warbands

In summary, Warbands mean account-wide everything. As the years have progressed, World of Warcraft players have changed the way they play, leveling up multiple alternative characters has become the norm instead of focusing only on one character.  This is the result of the leveling experience becoming faster over time and playing alternate characters a regular expectation. Players who want to play additional characters currently run into additional challenges, however.

Warbands is an attempt to change the system and create a more alt-friendly experience and reset the foundation of World of Warcraft allowing for the accomplishments of individual players to be reflected across all of their characters on their Battle.net account. This new system will focus on adding convenience and flexibility but will not provide additional power to alts.

  • Warband Bank: Share Items between all of your characters on a single Battle.net account in one convenient bank.
  • Warbound Items: These are bonus personal loot items that drop at a slightly lower level that can be shared with alternate characters.

Additional Integrations

  • Transmogrification Collection: This system will expand to allow players on one character to add additional class specific items that they can’t equip to their transmog collection. This allows a player on a mage character to collect a warrior item and be able to add it to the transmog collection for use on your warrior character instead.
  • Warband Reputations: Many Reputations in The War Within will become available for all characters to access through integration with Warbands. As an example: unlocking a recipe on one character won’t be reliant on gaining the trust of a faction again on an alternate character.
  • Flight Paths: Once unlocked on one character, all characters in your Warband can access them.
  • Delves: Leveling up a companion NPC will be accessible to characters in your Warband.
  • Achievements: Instead of only specific achievements being account-wide, they are being updated so that they are all account-wide rewarding the individual player instead of the character for the accomplishment.
  • Login Screen: When you log in to the game, you’ll be able to see a selection of your characters on the login screen waiting for you to choose who you will go on your next adventure with.

Hero Talents

With Hero talents, you’ll be receiving 10 new talent points for each of the 10 levels you’ll earn while playing through The War Within. These new talent points will focus on offering the ability to explore a deeper class fantasy, provide additional flexibility to suit your play style, and offer progression and agency while not adding excessive complexities.

With four available specializations, development began with the druids. As an example, a Balance druid might choose between Keeper of the Grove or Elune’s Chosen. You’ll be able to swap between the same way as you change talents any other time during gameplay.

Adding Hero talents to the mix provides three talent trees to choose from: Class, Hero, and Specialization. With ten points available to apply to Hero talents, you’ll be able to access all of the available nodes on a given Hero tree. The choices will lie in which of the talents you want to take first as you level up.

Within the Hero tree there are additional choice nodes you’ll be able to select depending on the type of content you are undertaking.

The Keeper of the Grove tree is available to both Balance and Restoration druids. This selection focuses on summons and offers additional choice nodes.

Elune’s Chosen tree is available to Balance and Guardian druids.

This tree is all about Elune and calling down her power to smite foes and protect allies.

Hero Talent Trees

There are 39 Hero talent specializations available.

Death Knight

  • Rider of the Apocalypse
  • San’layn
  • Deahtbringer
 Hunter

  • Sentinel
  • Pack Leader
  • Dark Ranger
 Priest

  • Voidweaver
  • Oracle
  • Archon
 Warrior

  • Colossus
  • Slayer
  • Mountain Thane
Demon Hunter

  • Aldrachi Reaver
  • Fel-Scarred
 Mage

  • Sunfury
  • Frostfire
  • Spellslinger
 Rogue

  • Deathstalker
  • Trickster
  • Fatebound
  
Druid

  • Keeper of the Grove
  • Elune’s Chosen
  • Wildstalker
  • Druid of the Claw
 Monk

  • Master of Harmony
  • Shado-pan
  • Conduit of the Celestials
 Shaman

  • Stormbringer
  • Farseer
  • Totemic
  
Evoker

  • Chronowarden
  • Ruby Adept
  • Scalecommander
 Paladin

  • Lightsmith
  • Herald of the Sun
  • Templar
 Warlock

  • Soul Harvester
  • Hellcaller
  • Diabolist
  

Names of all Hero Talent trees subject to change.

Each class specialization will have access to two of the three Hero trees to choose from.

Other Features

Earthen Allied Race

Players will be able to play through The War Within campaign and the endgame questline to unlock access to  the Earthen Allied Race.  This new race is able to join either the Horde or the Alliance and will be available to play as the following classes: Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior. Leveling this new Allied Race will also unlock the new Earthen Heritage Armor.

Dynamic Flight

Dragonriding is here to stay and will also be available for many flying mounts in all flyable areas even prior to the launch of The War Within. Players will also be able to toggle between dynamic flight or the flying style introduced originally in The Burning Crusade (TBC).

Dynamic Flight will be available from the start in Khaz Algar and players will be able to unlock the TBC style of flight at maximum level by exploring the zones of The War Within and completing the campaign.  Players will also be able to collect glyphs throughout Khaz Algar as they explore.  These glyphs will be shifting to an evergreen state in which players shouldn’t feel as if they need to go back to Dragonflight to gain any they missed before. Some abilities that players have collected from their adventures in the Dragon Isles may be restricted to the Dragon Isles, but base abilities like increased Vigor will become a part of how Dynamic Flight works and available to everyone as they level up.

New Battleground!

This new 10v10 capture-point map is set in the Ringing Deeps. This battleground is similar to Silvershard Mines, but with some additional twists. Players will fight for control of minecarts along with a central node, teams will want to control.

Interface Updates

As a part of the continuing refinement of the Interface, the Spellbook is getting some additional cleanup. It will provide a larger and cleaner layout, take advantage of modern display resolutions, and allow more pages to fit on one screen. It will serve as a one-stop-shop for your spells and talents within the same tab along with specialization information.

Aspects of the quest interface are also evolving allowing more filtering along with hide or show objectives in your quest log. Icons are also getting cleaned up.

While not large changes, development continues to work to streamline the User Interface to improve the default capabilities.

Cross-Realm Guilds

Players will be able to apply for a guild or recruit new players to their guild freely, regardless of the realm they are on. Mythic raiding will be available from the first day of the launch of The War Within. The Hall of Fame will still exist to commemorate the top guilds in each season and in each tier and save their accomplishments, but there’s no longer a need to tie it to unlocking the ability to do the content within the game.

This is another means toward removing social barriers that currently exist so that players can join with their friends wherever they are.

We look forward to sharing more about the future of The War Within as development continues.

Don’t forget to submit your questions for the Q&A next week!