Plunderstorm is an experiment: A Battle Royale in World of Warcraft, where everyone starts with the same conditions. The mode polarizes like nothing in the MMORPG for a long time and will get a trio mode with the next patch.
What kind of mode is this?
- Plunderstorm is a Battle Royale, the big feature from the secret patch 10.2.6.
- You jump over the Arathi Highlands, collect skills and loot, and try to win. For the loot – or actually: reputation with the new faction – there are cosmetic rewards, mounts, and pets.
- The mode is controversial. Some absolutely hate it and believe it ruins WoW, saying the time could have been better invested in other things. Others say: Plunderstorm is exactly what WoW needs right now and are happy that Blizzard is trying something new.
This is changing in Plunderstorm: In the recent streamer showdown “Creator Royale,” the developers announced that you will soon be able to play Plunderstorm in trios. Currently, only solo or duo matches are possible.
The player count is expected to remain limited to 60, meaning you’ll be fighting against 19 other teams. The update is expected to come “next week,” presumably on April 2nd or 3rd (via wowhead).
Trios are a mode that many fans have desired since the release of Plunderstorm. However, there are concerns about whether this is really such a good idea.
“Hope they keep it, it’s good for the game”
Plunderstorm is absolute chaos and intentionally not “balanced.” Blizzard said this directly at release. Nevertheless, there are currently some issues that dampen the fun of the game:
- some spells are simply too strong, despite nerfs they dominate the matches
- lags cause many spell hitboxes to seem inconsistent
- in duos there are a few skill combinations that can simply wipe opponents without resistance
- there is a lack of ability to support effectively and save your partner
Furthermore, it has become a trend for some players to merely loot and then kill themselves to grind reputation as quickly as possible. They have no interest in the mode and only want the rewards, which dampens the fun for the “honest” players.
The upcoming trios now lead to further discussions. There are concerns here, for example on Reddit, about whether it will become even easier to wipe other players with coordinated groups.
Some fans agree that this is true, but they believe it is fine. In a perfect setup, it should work to wipe individual opponents. Once the entire enemy team fights back, it looks quite different.
Generally, the news about the trios is well received; only the idea of Plunderstorm itself is still critically scrutinized. The lines here are quite hardened: Some believe Plunderstorm is a waste of development time that Blizzard should have invested in the real
game.
Others argue that Plunderstorm is a perfect change of pace. Something new that is only short-term in the game, an experiment – even though many fans wish to see Plunderstorm as a permanent mode. Or recurring with new themes. At least Blizzard has already announced new PvE content in what seems to be a similar form for Patch 10.2.7.
Blizzard fans love to hate Blizzard too much, and Plunderstorm is the perfect excuse for that. The developers have tried something new here – something many have wished for. Still, there is trouble: “Stop being so negative” – Big WoW streamer complains about players criticizing Plunderstorm
