A tank is much better in World of Warcraft than all the others. Almost 9 out of 10 professional tanks play the same class – that is a problem.
If you want to succeed in high-level dungeons in World of Warcraft, you have to learn a lot – and ideally also play the correct class. Currently, one class especially dominates among tanks in dungeons of level 15 and above. Other tanks are hardly considered and are on the brink of oblivion. It’s time for Blizzard to change this.
Which tank is so successful? The currently most successful tank in the “Mythic+” category is the Protection Paladin. When you look at the current season and filter for the highest possible dungeons – that is, Mythic+15 and above – on the raider.io site, the dominance of the Paladin becomes clear:
- A solid 88% of tanks are playing a Protection Paladin.
- Protection Warriors make up 4.3%.
- Vengeance Demon Hunters are at 2.6%.
- Blood Death Knights stand at 2.0%.
- Brewmaster Monks account for 1.8%.
- Guardian Druids are at the bottom with 1.4%.
Healers and DPS specializations face similar issues. Discipline Priests currently dominate everything in high-level M+, and among DPS, especially Enhancement Shamans, Enhancement Warlocks, and Frost Death Knights are in demand.
What are the implications? That certain classes are seen as the optimum in Mythic+ is not fundamentally new. However, that it is as extremely one-sided as it is currently, is rather rare. This leads to a perception in the community that only these classes and specializations can succeed – while others are then disregarded.
In a recent interview, Ion Hazzikostas made it clear that the community’s perception often differs from the actual data (via PCGamer). All classes are currently well capable of handling the challenges of Mythic+ – regardless of whether they belong to the “Mega Combo” or not.
However, the community’s perception can drastically shape the gaming experience. Because when players see that the same classes and specializations are always chosen in the most successful groups, this view seeps into the collective gaming understanding of the entire community.
This, in turn, may lead to the possibility that you might not get invited to dungeons if you don’t belong to the corresponding class or specialization.
What does Blizzard plan? In the second season of The War Within, dungeons are expected to become a bit easier again. Because “Mythic+” has never been as tough as it is now. The revisions of The War Within have robbed many players of enjoyment – in addition to the quite complex dungeons with numerous mechanics where even the smallest mistakes can lead to a quick end.
The next versions of the PTR for Patch 11.1 Lorenhalt are likely to contain some of these changes. And then it remains to be seen whether Mythic+ will regain a bit of popularity with the start of Patch 11.1 – or whether even more people will be drawn into the depths or raids.
