To celebrate World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary, Blizzard released a massive content update that brings back the iconic Tier 2 armor sets from Vanilla WoW with some added flair. Blizzard gave the sets some modern updates and made them available to classes that weren’t around when the game launched such as Death Knights and Demon Hunters.
On top of that, the Blackrock Depths dungeon has been transformed into a raid with updated loot. To go with that, Timewalking has been brought to the Classic Dungeons, so this is your chance to queue up for Dire Maul or the original Deadmines if you’re feeling nostalgic. The anniversary event runs from October 22 to January 6, so there’s plenty of time to unlock everything.
Join the celebration as World of Warcraft celebrates its 20th Anniversary with new activities and a myriad of ways to earn currency.
Here’s what you can look forward to during the 20th Anniversary Celebration:
Dracythr can now be Warriors, Rogues, Mages, Warlocks, Priests, and Hunters. The opening up of the race comes with some downsides, however.
A big change with this update is the rework of the Protection Paladin class. It’s no secret the class has been underperforming since the launch of The War Within, and these changes make it a much more functional class. Here’s a look at everything else that came with the update.
The following talents have been removed:
Arcane Intellect now costs 1% base mana (was 4%).
Alter Time’s visuals have been updated.
Shifting Power’s icon has been updated.
Ice Floes now allows you to cast Portal and Teleport spells while moving.
Hero Talents
Frostfire
Excess Fire has been updated – No longer generates Living Bomb. Instead generates a Frostfire Burst, dealing moderate Frostfire damage in an 8 yard radius. Damage reduced beyond 8 targets.
Frostfire Burst damage increased by 25%.
Frostfire Burst’s visuals have been updated.
Frostfire Infusion damage increased by 50%.
Isothermic Core Meteor damage increased by 15%.
Isothermic Core Comet Storm damage increased by 25%.
Spellslinger
New Talent: Signature Spell – Arcane: When Magi’s Spark explodes, you conjure 6 Arcane Splinters. Frost: Consuming Winter’s Chill with Glacial Spike conjures 2 additional Frost Splinters.
Splintering Orbs can now generate a maximum of 6 Splinters (was 4 Splinters).
Volatile Magic now correctly benefits from damage bonuses.
Gravity Lapse cooldown increased to 40 seconds (was 30 seconds).
Sunfury
Gravity Lapse target cap increased to 8 targets (was 5) and Gravity Lapse now stuns instead of rooting.
Gravity Lapse now roots instead of stunning in PvP only.
Gravity Lapse’s visual effects have been updated.
Meteorites are now summoned instantly.
Spellfire Spheres are now anchored relative to your chest’s position.
Arcane
New Talent: Aethervision – Consuming Nether Precision with Arcane Blast increases the damage of your next Arcane Barrage by 10% and causes it to generate 2 Arcane Charges. Stacks up to 2 times.
Leydrinker has been updated – No longer affects Arcane Barrage and casting Touch of the
Magi now grants Leydrinker. Leydrinker’s chance to trigger increased to 25% (was 20%).
Charged Orb has been updated – Now also increases the damage of Arcane Orb by 15%.
Consortium’s Bauble has been updated – Now increases Arcane Blast’s damage by 8% and reduces its mana cost by 5%. Consortium Bauble’s position in the tree has changed.
Fixed an issue that caused Arcane Debilitation to contribute twice its damage increase.
Fixed an issue that allowed players to double dip the last stack of Nether Precision with a spell-queued Arcane Barrage.
Arcane Missiles no longer consumes Ice Floes if you have Slipstream talented.
Some talents have changed positions.
Resonant Orbs has been removed.
Spellslinger
Arcane Splinter damage increased by 26%.
Spellfrost Teachings chance to trigger reduced to 2%.
Splinterstorm now has a 5% chance to generate Clearcasting.
Unerring Proficiency damage bonus increased to 20% (was 16%).
Spellfrost Teachings now properly increases your Arcane Orb damage by 10% for 10 seconds.
Fixed an issue where Splinterstorm damage was not equal to Splinter damage.
Sunfury
Glorious Incandescence has been updated – Now causes Arcane Barrage to deal 30% increased damage in addition to its previous effects.
Memory of Al’ar’s Arcane Soul extension amount increased to 1 second (was 0.5 seconds).
Ignite the Future now also increases the maximum stacks of Mana Cascade to 15.
Burden of Power no longer affects Arcane Barrage.
Fixed an issue that was causing Mana Cascade to grant 0.5% Haste per stack to Arcane instead of 1%.
Arcane Soul’s overlay has been updated.
Fire
Majesty of the Phoenix has been updated – Casting Phoenix Flames causes your next Flamestrike to have its critical strike chance increased by 20% and critical strike damage increased by 20%. Stacks up to 3 times.
All ability damage reduced by 3%.
Lit Fuse now has a 6% chance to trigger (was 4%).
Explosive Ingenuity now increases Lit Fuse’s chance to trigger by 4% (was 3%).
Explosive Ingenuity now increases Living Bomb’s damage by 50% (was 25%).
Explosivo’s Living Bomb damage increase while in Combustion reduced to 30% (was 40%).
Sparking Cinders now triggers 3 times per minute (was 2).
Sparking Cinders damage bonus increased to 15% for Pyroblast and Flamestrike (was 10% for Pyroblast and 20% for Flamestrike).
Heat Shimmer can once again trigger while casting Scorch.
Heat Shimmer is no longer consumed when it triggers during a Scorch cast.
Fixed an issue that prevented Pyromaniac from being able to trigger Hyperthermia.
Fixed an issue that caused Controlled Destruction to increase Ignite damage by an additional 0.5% per stack.
Hyperthermia’s overlay has been updated.
Lit Fuse no longer highlights Fire Blast.
Lit Fuse is now displayed on the Personal Resource Display.
Fuel the Fire is now shown in the spellbook.
Sunfury
Glorious Incandescence has been updated – Now causes Fire Blast to hit up to 2 nearby targets in addition to its previous effects.
Burden of Power now increases Pyroblast damage by 20% (was 15%).
Burden of Power now increases Flamestrike damage by 30% (was 60%).
Memory of Al’ar’s Hyperthermia extension amount increased to 1 second (was 0.5 seconds).
Glorious Incandescence now highlights Fire Blast.
Frost
Spellslinger
Frost Splinter damage increased by 44%.
Spellfrost Teachings chance to trigger reduced to 2.5%.
Spellfrost Teachings Orb damage bonus on proc increased to 30% (was 20%).
Unerring Proficiency damage bonus increased to 5% (was 3%).
Splinterstorm no longer applies Winter’s Chill.
Splinterstorm now has a 5% chance to grant Brain Freeze.
RATED BATTLEGROUND BLITZ
Alongside prioritizing balanced average team ratings, the matchmaker will now try to prioritize balancing classes and specializations across teams if there are multiple of the same class / specialization in the game.
Some adjustments have been made to prioritize higher quality matches with minimal impact on queue times, for both solo and duo queue.
ITEMS
The following items from the Blackrock Depths Anniversary event have been adjusted for PvP combat:
Molten Furnace absorb reduced by 67% in PvP combat.
Naglering damage reduced by 70% in PvP combat.
Spire of the Stoneshaper absorb reduced by 90% in PvP combat.
Flame Wreath damage reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
Force of Magma damage reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
Circle of Flame health and mana reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
Force of Will damage reduction reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
Long General’s Sword stat bonus reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
DRUID
Restoration
Nature’s Swiftness healing bonus is now 40% less effective in PvP combat.
Cenarion Ward healing is decreased by 20% in PvP combat.
Renewing Surge is 75% effective in PvP combat.
Forest’s Flow is 50% effective in PvP combat.
Reactive Resin is no longer a PvP talent and has moved to the Restoration talent tree.
MAGE
Spellslinger
Gravity Lapse is now a Root while in PvP combat.
Gravity Lapse now prioritizes targeting players over pets.
MONK
Mistweaver
Zen Spheres has been redesigned – Zen Spheres now has a 6 second cooldown (was none), a global cooldown of 1 second (was 1.5 seconds), each sphere has a new initial heal or damage event, and Sphere of Despair now reduces all damage done by 3% (was only to Monk by 10%).
Dome of Mist is no longer a PvP talent and is now learned by Mistweavers at level 45.
Thunderous Focus Tea (PvP Talent) has been removed.
PALADIN
New PvP Talent: Spellbreaker – Eye for an Eye can now also trigger at 100% effectiveness from Magic damage. Eye for an Eye’s damage is increased by 150% in PvP combat.
Wrench Evil (PvP Talent) has been removed.
Holy
New PvP Talent: Divine Plea – After casting Aura Mastery, you restore mana over 20 seconds. Healing and damage are decreased by 30%.
Protection
Retribution
New PvP Talent: Ultimate Retribution – Mark an enemy player for retribution after they kill an ally within your active Aura. If the marked enemy is slain within 12 seconds, cast Redemption on the fallen ally.
PRIEST
Mindgames icon has been updated.
SHAMAN
Elemental
Elemental Overloads damage bonus from Ascendance is reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
The damage of Lava Bursts fired when entering Ascendance is reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
The Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning damage bonus from Arc Discharge is reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
Erupting Lava’s bonus to Flame Shock damage is 50% effective in PvP combat.
Volcanic Surge (PvP Talent) has been removed.
Enhancement
The Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning damage bonus from Arc Discharge is reduced by 50% in PvP combat.
