Those who deal DPS in World of Warcraft find no group. A problem that keeps arising in the game’s dungeons.
It’s an old problem that keeps coming up. Those looking for a group in World of Warcraft can either be overwhelmed by requests or desperately try to get accepted somewhere. Everyone who is neither a healer nor a tank needs a lot of patience and may end their evening frustrated on many occasions.
Multifaceted problems that make DPS difficult to place
What is the problem? “The problem” is actually a simplification, as there are several issues that reinforce each other.
On the one hand, there is traditionally an oversupply of DPS characters. Although a group requires 3 DPS characters and only one healer and one tank, there are usually many, many more DPS characters. This means that tanks and healers essentially have free choice and can pick exactly those they want from dozens of applicants.
Furthermore, there is the problem of the meta. When watching the pros tackling the hardest content, there are usually 5 to 6 classes that are considered particularly good. This view gradually seeps down to the rest of the community – even if it shouldn’t matter for lower-level content. This leads to mainly certain specializations being invited.
Lastly, healers and tanks like to invite other players who already have a high item level and are practically “overgeared” – which drastically simplifies the dungeon run.
All these effects lead to DPS characters often waiting a long time for a group and facing numerous rejections. While tanks and healers receive almost immediate invites, DPS characters have to wait for a long time.
This is how the community discusses: In the official forums, and also in the WoW subreddit, discussions keep piling up about how hard it is for characters with DPS specialization. A current post addresses the topic somewhat cynically, as the title reads: “Since I stopped playing tank and now I’m doing DPS, my journey through M+ is much more peaceful and relaxed.” Those who are surprised and click here read: “Because I’m not being taken at all.”
This is an experience that apparently many are having:
- “Completing keystones as DPS is an impossible experience. I just play with guildmates and do solo content like hunting or depths when I can’t play with them.” – Foreign-Chipmunk-839
- “Yes, it’s really tough as DPS. You apply for 20 groups and wait 15 to 30 minutes to find a good group for a dungeon. For classes with Bloodlust, it’s probably easier. I’m a Shadow with item level 260 and 2,200 rating, and I have problems getting invited to anything above +9.” – Far-Position8951
- “From a healer’s perspective, it feels so strange to see a DPS having to wait 10 to 30 minutes to get into a group because they’re not tanking – only to then constantly tell the tank how to do their job. That makes no sense.” – Zeliek
How can one counteract this? The only reliable tip is to find a stable group. The best way to do this is through guilds or communities. You may have to spend a bit more time on social interaction and the search, but WoW is simply much more fun in the long run with friends – and even more so when you regularly run dungeons and don’t receive rejections for hours.
Which classes are currently considered particularly in demand changes almost weekly. This is also because Blizzard is currently busy releasing adjustments and hotfixes to achieve the intended balance. Especially Shadow Priests, but also 5 other classes, are getting a significant boost today.
