When your MMORPG is almost 20 years old, you have to try new things to keep it fresh and exciting. Blizzard’s World of Warcraft team has announced Plunderstorm, an all-new event that is heading to both World of Warcraft Modern and Classic realms. This limited-time, pirate-themed mode will last several weeks and draws heavy inspiration from battle royale games. Matches involve 60 players, typically last 10 to 15 minutes, and end when a single player remains standing. Throughout the mode, players must level up and acquire new abilities and spells by killing creatures and enemies, looting chests, and avoiding the storm.
Plunderstorm is fittingly set in the Arathi Highlands, and players aren’t required to purchase any expansions to participate. However, players will need a World of Warcraft subscription or game time. Plunderstorm can be selected directly from the World of Warcraft game menu, and player characters are unique to this event so everyone will have to create a new one. Options include solo or duo play with a partner.
During matches, spells and abilities picked up are automatically added to your Action Bar, with two slots dedicated to offensive skills and two for utilities, such as leaps, speed boosts, and crowd control. Players can upgrade these spells and abilities during the match by finding higher-quality versions in chests or by stacking the same ability to reach rank 3 (epic). If a player dies, they can continue spectating the match as a spectre.
Playing the new Plunderstorm mode can yield substantial rewards, including cosmetics, pets, titles, and mounts. Some highlights include the Plunderlord parrot mount, Bubbles the crab pet, swashbuckling cosmetics, and more. The best news? You can earn rewards even if you don’t win.
During BlizzCon 2023, Chris Metzen revealed World of Warcraft’s future with the Worldsoul Saga.
