Blizzard is building towardsWorld of Warcraft’s next major expansion,Shadowlands. Just this week Blizzard launched the firstShadowlandstest onWorld of Warcraft’s PBE testing servers, offering a massive amount of new information to break down. To help fans parse some of what’s new inShadowlands, Blizzard’s released a lengthy article detailing all of the changes being made toWorld of Warcraft’s classes. The information remains in testing, though, so may change or be removed prior toShadowlands' launch.
To start, Blizzard goes over its philosophy forShadowlands' class design, describing the state of classes as of Battle for Azeroth. In this expansion, “specializations have unique and flashy abilities,” but Blizzard recognizes that players think some specializations have moved too far away from their class identity.Shadowlandswill focus on this idea, making specializations feel more like “powering up a specific part of a class’s kit” while reintroducing some specialization-specific abilities back into a class' core abilities.
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Specific examples of Blizzard’s new class design philosophy include everyDeath Knightsoon being able to once again Raise Dead or turn undead with Lichborne, or Priests being able to all use Shadow Word: Pain and Mind Blast even if they follow the Light.
Even the Demon Hunter, which was only introduced inLegion, isn’t escaping from Blizzard’s new goals forShadowlands. Blizzard is creating some “common ground” for Demon Hunters' two specializations by giving them each a single Fury resource. Immolation Aura will also be available to Havoc specializations rather than just Vengeance. All Demon Hunters should be able to engulf themselves in demonic flames, after all.
For players hoping for more of a class reset inShadowlands, that’s unfortunately not the case. While the changes Blizzard is making are undoubtedly significant,World of Warcraftwill still largely play the same. On a class by class, specialization by specialization basis, things will be shaken up, butShadowlandswon’t changeWoWtoWoW Classicor anything like that.
Class changes are just one aspect of the many plansBlizzardhas forWorld of Warcraft’s next expansion. WithWorld of Warcraftgrowing somewhat old in the tooth, Blizzard has to be building toward something. The full list of class changes can be viewedhere.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC.Shadowlandsis planned for release in 2020.
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