When combining all the adjustments, there is probably no other specialization in WoW: Forever that undergoes such a comprehensive transformation as the Survival Hunter.
In the PvE area of Vanilla and Classic WoW, Survival always served merely as a talent provider. The two alternatives, Beast Mastery and Marksmanship, promised more damage potential. Moreover, the promise of a hunter who could also hold his own in melee combat did not work at all back then.
Accordingly, a lot of work lay ahead for the Forever developers to transform Survival into a competitive option. And it seems they have succeeded! The talent tree now follows a clear vision and rewards players who maximize the switch between melee and ranged attacks.
In particular, Mongo Bite receives a much larger role in the gameplay of Survival with talents like “Tracking Prey” and “Slashing Strikes”. Additionally, the new “Ripper Kick” deals melee weapon damage and increases the hunter’s movement speed.
How great the damage potential of the once neglected specialization is can be seen in the first simulations from the beta on, for example, mythicsim.com. There, Survival hunters regularly land in 1st place, sometimes with a significant lead.
Of course, one should take these results with caution at the moment, but they show how much work Blizzard has invested in Survival. Anyone who has always wanted to play a competitive melee hunter can finally do so in WoW: Forever. That alone is already a great victory for all involved.
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