World of Warcraft has introduced a new mode that has nothing to do with WoW: Plunderstorm, a Battle Royale. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus played it and is thrilled. Only one thing dampens the fun.
Patch 10.2.6 was a question mark for a long time. Quite literally: Even on the roadmap, there was no information about the update. No one was allowed to test it publicly, no one found anything about it. Only that the patch had something to do with pirates was in the air.
Then suddenly the announcement came: WoW gets a Battle Royale with Plunderstorm. Just like that, without anyone expecting it. A whole, standalone mode that requires no preparation from anyone.
The majority of the community reacted just as I did: We could hardly believe that this was really happening. I mean: Who the hell expects a new Battle Royale years after the boom, especially from Blizzard AND as a mode in WoW?
After initial skepticism, I thought: I’ll try out Plunderstorm. At the moment I’m going through a rough patch and have little motivation for WoW anyway. But, oh boy, I was not prepared for what this mode would do to me …
Entering with no expectations, leaving with full enthusiasm
To briefly catch you up: Plunderstorm works quite simply. You create a character, who then lands with up to 59 other players in the Alterac Valley, where open PvP takes place. Everyone against everyone, solo or in duos.
Everyone starts “naked” with only an attack skill, a healing potion, and a consumable item. You find abilities, essentially the “weapons” of the game, in matches in chests or from special enemies. You can level up too, which makes the character stronger.
I started my first round with the thought that it wouldn’t amount to anything. But while wandering around and learning the mechanics, Plunderstorm became more and more enjoyable.
At the end of the rather short round of about 10–15 minutes, I was already looking for the next match. By now, I have certainly played around 50 rounds – without a victory.
But I don’t care, Plunderstorm is fun. Plunderstorm is total chaos and I love (almost) everything about it.
PvP without addons and without sweaty wannabes
What sets Plunderstorm apart from WoW itself and especially from genre competitors like Fortnite and PUBG is the unique mix. It still feels like the well-known MMORPG, but with concentrated action gameplay.
Blizzard forbids addons in Plunderstorm, something that is usually essential for PvP in WoW. Now I have to pay attention to what the opponents are doing and what I can still do. I focus on the game, not on any displays.
The advantages that other players have accumulated over the years are gone. Everyone has the same conditions, the spells in the game have never been available before. I have to learn everything just like the casual player who started yesterday or the PvP expert who has had their PvP twink in Stranglethorn Vale since Classic.
What surprised me particularly is the combat system itself. There’s neither the classic tab-targeting from WoW nor a real action gameplay as seen in other MMORPGs. Instead, the game selects a target on its own if you don’t specify one, usually the nearest opponent. This brings a whole new flow that I’m not used to from WoW.
Not everything is perfect, but there’s always room for improvement
I still have a few criticisms. One is that some skills are simply completely OP. Without much practice, you can’t fight against Fire Whirl at all. Even when you are dominating the opponent and playing better, it often suffices for them to have the spell to decide the fight.
The other is the connection. But that’s a problem that PvP generally has. It’s hardly possible to hit opponents who are lagging around. Luckily, that happens rather rarely anyway.
Blizzard has already announced that Plunderstorm will not be balanced. And honestly: I don’t think it has to be. You just play. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. That’s it.
Unfortunately just a pleasure for a short time … or?
What saddens me most when I think about Plunderstorm is the message that the mode carries: Time-limited. The Battle Royale is a “Limited Time Mode” that will disappear again.
I find it incredibly unfortunate, as I would love to have a Battle Royale in WoW that I can play over and over again as a permanent addition. Hopefully, the player numbers are so amazing that Plunderstorm simply has to stay.
In general, I think it’s great that Blizzard is trying something new and showing what still lies within the 20-year-old MMORPG. WoW can offer more than just raids and M+. I strongly hope for more such experiments in the future.
Another advantage of Plunderstorm is that it removes exactly what players are currently criticizing: “This is why so many hunters play” – players find WoW too hard, want fewer skills
