The newest class in World of Warcraft still has a problem properly establishing itself. And that, even though it is extremely strong.
The selection of classes in World of Warcraft is quite large now. You can now choose from 13 classes – some are particularly well-suited for beginners, others less so. However, anyone who believes that the distribution of classes is approximately balanced is gravely mistaken. For even several years after its introduction, one class remains at the bottom end of popularity.
Currently, the action in WoW is still taking place on the Isle of Sirens:
Which class is the least popular? That is the Caller. The class can only be played by Dracthyr and was introduced with the last expansion, Dragonflight. It differs from other classes in that it has different “charge abilities” and possesses a medium range – it is designed somewhere between melee and ranged combat.
At the same time, the Caller has a unique playstyle with the Enhancement specialization. Because the Caller drastically improves the other members of the group and increases their performance. So, it is a supporter who still deals solid damage.
What do the numbers say? Looking at the data, it is clear that the Caller is significantly trailing behind. While Paladins, Hunters, and Druids each make up around 10% of all characters, the Caller is in last place by a wide margin.
Only 3.7% of all characters are a Caller.
Even Monks and Rogues – the next spots – are represented almost twice as often, at 6.2% and 6.3% respectively.
Why is the Caller so unpopular? There are likely many reasons for this, all of which add up to provide a rather poor overall picture. One of the most discouraging factors is probably that Callers play “very differently” than many other, older classes. For example, positioning is particularly important for the Caller since a healing spell is a cone-shaped ability. This means that ranged players “behind” the Caller do not receive healing.
This mix of “ranged, but not really” is rather peculiar for some. The limited range forced Callers, especially at the start of Dragonflight, to position themselves somewhere in the middle – meaning they were neither a fixed part of the ranged nor melee camp.
Additionally, the Caller is still the “youngest” class in World of Warcraft, which often presents a hindrance. Because many players are already bound to their long-established mains and do not want to try anything new.
It is still somewhat peculiar, as the Caller has repeatedly been part of the “perfect meta” when it comes to completing Mythic+ dungeons. Already several times, an Enhancement Caller was virtually indispensable and was desperately sought after, even though many people at that time did not even understand how strong a Caller actually is.
Another reason may be that only Dracthyr can play Callers; the class is exclusively tied to this race. This does not appeal to all players aesthetically and is likely to further contribute to only a small fraction considering taking a closer look at a Caller.
What about you? Have you created a Caller and leveled it to the maximum level? Or do you avoid the class because it feels so “different” from all the other classes in World of Warcraft?
Even rarer than Callers are some of the hardest achievements in WoW, which only a very few players have accomplished.
