I’ve been known to die on some very odd hills. I maintain that Forspoken wasn’t really that bad, and that Redfall could have been great if it had just gotten a little bit of TLC. My list of ‘bad World of Warcraft opinions’ is also pretty extensive, but perhaps the worst is my compulsion to go to bat over Plunderstorm. While WoW’s pirate-themed battle royale mode launched to a somewhat lukewarm reception, I loved it from the very moment I started playing, despite my vehement hatred for PvP. Fun, ferentic, and genuinely innovative, I’m beyond excited to announce that WoW Plunderstorm is back, and somehow it’s even better than before.
If you aren’t familiar with Plunderstorm, it’s essentially a pirate-themed battle royale mode. Taking World of Warcraft‘s classic MMORPG mechanics and confining them to a small, ever-shrinking space filled with other ravenous players, you’ll have to take down both NPC enemies and your fellow swashbucklers to claim first place. There’s 60 players per round, and you can queue up either solo or with a friend – last time around I dragged my partner in kicking and screaming, and it was amazing (well, I had fun at least).
When you kill an enemy, you can loot their spells, adding them to your own roster. Akin to items in Apex Legends and Fortnite, abilities are split across various tiers, so some are absolutely going to be better than others. While the original spell roster returns in this iteration, there are two new offensive spells – Aura of Zealotry and Celestial Barrage – and two additions to the utility pool – Call Galefeather and Void Tear – on the list, too.
Aura of Zealotry increases movement speed and corrupts the ground around the player, dealing DoT damage to enemies while enhancing ally movement and attack speed. Similarly, Celestial Barrage calls down moonbeams that deal damage, letting you live out your Boomkin fantasy – the tables have finally turned. Call Galefeather summons a huge bird that knocks enemies back, and Void Tear lets you place a mark that you can then teleport back to, damaging and slowing foes.
But, of course, we’re all playing for the rewards. One of the complaints about Plunderstorm is that it offers unique loot that’s inaccessible to those who don’t want to play PvP. While you’ll still have to play the mode in order to access its cosmetics, they’re now housed within the Plunderstore, which features a series of new drops, as well as items from the previous event. Bubbles the Crab, I will add you to my roster I swear. It’s worth noting that you don’t need to win in order to fill out your coffers, so hopefully that’ll make earning rewards a little bit easier.
There’s a series of smaller quality-of-life changes, too, including the ability to choose your exact drop location, a new practice tool, and improved spell swapping. The standout for me is the Spell List, however, which gives you a complete rundown of any spells that are available for pickup nearby, easily allowing you to grab the one you want and move on.
Blizzard’s newest iteration of World of Warcraft Plunderstorm is available right now. You’ll need a WoW subscription to play, and it can be accessed via retail WoW’s game menu.
If Plunderstorm has inspired you to dive back into Azeroth, we have a list of all the best WoW addons – trust me when I say you’ll need them. Alternatively, if you’re looking to explore a sprawling new world but not break the bank, here’s our guide to all the best free MMORPGs.
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