Yesterday, the Classic Hardcore realm “Doomhowl” (NA) was hit by a malicious DDoS attack, which caused severe server instability and unfortunately led to the death of multiple Hardcore characters.
Given the nature of Hardcore mode — where death is permanent — the incident sparked strong concern across the community.
Blizzard’s Response
Blizzard’s Community Manager Kaivax confirmed today that the team has completed a full restoration of the affected characters:
“We’ve restored the dead player-characters who were lost during the DDoS timeframe and remained on the Doomhowl realm. That work is now complete and players who fit the above criteria should be able to log back into their character on the Hardcore realm.”
This means that all characters who died due to the DDoS and remained on Doomhowl during the incident have now been recovered and are playable again.
Why This Matters
Hardcore mode is built on the idea of absolute consequence — one life, no mistakes. A death caused by external server issues breaks that contract, and Blizzard’s decision to intervene here is widely seen as the correct move to preserve the integrity of the game mode.
This incident is also a reminder of how fragile Hardcore experiences can be when infrastructure is attacked — and how important fast, transparent communication is in moments like these.
The Burning Crusade Classic is officially coming to Anniversary realms, and Blizzard has now published the final timeline for the transition — including maintenance dates, pre-patch release, and important character transfer deadlines.
Here’s everything you need to know.
TBC Classic Anniversary Pre-Patch: When Does It Start?
Blizzard has confirmed a 24-hour maintenance for all Anniversary realms:
Start: Monday, January 12 at 3:00 PM PST (Americas & Oceania)
Duration: 24 hours
Result: When realms come back online, the Burning Crusade Classic pre-patch will be live on Anniversary realms.
This marks the official beginning of the TBC transition for Anniversary players.
Important: Character Transfer Deadlines
Blizzard also clarified how character transfers will work around this transition — and the deadlines are strict.
Before Maintenance Begins
Until the servers go offline on January 12 at 3:00 PM PST:
Free transfers from Anniversary → Classic Era are available
Hardcore Anniversary → Normal Anniversary transfers are available (so your character continues into TBC but is no longer Hardcore)
After Maintenance Starts
Once the maintenance begins:
All free transfers to Classic Era close
Any character remaining on Anniversary realms will automatically continue into TBC Classic
Characters on Hardcore Anniversary that were not transferred will remain locked to their current ruleset
Blizzard strongly recommends transferring early, as last-minute transfers may experience delays or issues.
What This Means for Players
If you want your character to stay in Classic Era and not advance into TBC, you must transfer before maintenance.
If you want your Hardcore character to continue into TBC, you must first transfer it to a Normal Anniversary realm before maintenance begins.
After that window closes, your choices are locked.
With the Burning Crusade Anniversary pre-patch coming in January, Blizzard is making PvP feel closer to “real competitive play” than anything we had in Vanilla — but without the old rank-grind pain. The big headline is simple: Arena is the main endgame, and the entire system has been rebuilt to remove friction, improve matchmaking, and make gearing more accessible while keeping the very top rewards prestigious.
What’s New in TBC Anniversary PvP (The Big Picture)
TBC Anniversary shifts PvP from time-based grinding to skill-based progression, built around seasons and personal ratings.
In Vanilla, PvP progression largely rewarded time investment — hours of queueing, weekly brackets, and a system where dedication often mattered more than performance. In TBC Anniversary, the philosophy is different: PvP is designed to be repeatable, competitive, and less punishing. You’re expected to play regularly, improve, and earn rewards that reflect performance instead of pure grind.
Arena becomes the core competitive mode (2v2, 3v3, 5v5)
Arena Teams are removed — ratings are personal
All characters start at 1500 rating (so you can climb up or drop down)
Once per week, you can reset to 1500 for gold if you’re below 1500
Battlegrounds are unrated and reward Honor (plus reputation), not ladder progression
PvP gear is cheaper, with fewer rating requirements overall
Resilience matters — PvP gear becomes a real requirement for Arena
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Why this matters
TBC Anniversary is trying to keep the “team spirit” of Arena alive, while removing the roster-lock friction that made original Arena Teams annoying to manage week after week.
Arena Overhaul: No Teams, Personal Ratings, and a 1500 Start
Blizzard’s biggest changes are aimed at making Arena more flexible, more fair, and harder to abuse.
In original TBC, Arena Teams were part of the identity of the system — you created a team, built a roster, and your rating lived on that team. It had a fun “esports” vibe… but it also created a ton of friction. Want to play with someone else? You had to juggle team invites. Want to try a different comp? You often had to rebuild from scratch. And worse: a high-rated player could leave a strong team and join a fresh low-rating team, creating ugly matchmaking situations.
For Anniversary, Blizzard is ditching Arena Teams entirely while trying to preserve the best part of that “team feeling”: starting at 1500, playing your weekly matches, and steadily progressing without administrative headaches.
Arena Teams Are Gone (and That’s a Good Thing)
No more rosters. No more “you can only be on one team per bracket.” No more weekly stress about who can make games. Instead, each character has a personal rating per bracket, and you can play with different partners without needing to form a formal team.
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In practice
This should make it easier to queue with friends, test comps, and keep playing even when your “main partner” is offline — without losing the sense of progression tied to your rating.
1500 Starting Rating for Everyone
Every character starts at 1500 instead of 0. That sounds like a simple number change, but it dramatically impacts how Arena feels week-to-week. Starting at 1500 means there’s “room to fall,” which improves matchmaking stability and keeps the ladder from being a pure upward-only treadmill.
Each bracket has its own rating: 2v2, 3v3, 5v5
Your rating is character-based, not team-based
Matchmaking should be fairer because you can’t “wipe your history” by switching teams
Weekly Rating Reset (Gold) — Only If You’re Below 1500
Once per week, per character, you can pay gold to reset your rating back to 1500 — but only if you are currently below 1500. Ratings above 1500 cannot be reset. The gold cost varies depending on your bracket (2v2 / 3v3 / 5v5), and each bracket has its own weekly reset.
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Important
This isn’t a “free redo” button for high ratings. It’s a way to recover from a bad week below 1500 without encouraging the abusive behavior that old team resets could create.
The goal is pretty clear: if you had a rough set of games, you’re not locked into a miserable climb from deep below the baseline. But if you’re already performing above baseline, Blizzard wants you to own that rating and keep competing at that level.
Gearing Changes: Lower Costs, Fewer Walls, More People Playing
Anniversary Arena isn’t just changing matchmaking — Blizzard is also reducing the gear barrier so more players can participate.
TBC is the expansion where PvP gear becomes truly “mandatory” for competitive play, largely because of Resilience. Without it, you often feel like you’re made of paper — and the difference between surviving a burst window and being deleted can come down to just a few pieces.
That’s why Blizzard is making entry-level gearing smoother. Overall costs are going down slightly, and the rating-gated pieces are limited to a small number of prestige slots.
Rating Requirements (Only for a Few Key Pieces)
In Anniversary, most PvP items are not locked behind rating. The big exceptions are:
Weapons: 1700 rating required
Shoulders: 2000 rating required
That weapon requirement matters a lot more now that you start at 1500. Dropping the requirement to 1700 (from the higher thresholds players remember) effectively brings “real” weapon access closer to the average competitor while still forcing you to earn it through performance.
Reputation PvP Sets Arrive in Season 1 (Earlier Than Before)
Reputation-based PvP gear will be sold starting with the first Arena Season instead of later phases. This is a big change because rep gear is often the bridge between “fresh 70” and “I can actually survive in Arena.”
Set Bonuses Now Combine Across Honor + Reputation Gear
This one is easy to underestimate, but it’s huge for early gearing flexibility: the item set bonuses for reputation PvP gear are now combined with their Honor equivalents (Grand Marshal / High Warlord). That means you can mix pieces and still unlock meaningful bonuses.
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Example
Wearing 2 pieces of a reputation set + 2 pieces of an Honor set can unlock the full 2- and 4-piece bonuses as intended — not just “two separate 2-piece bonuses.”
Battlegrounds & Honor: Still Important, Just Not Ranked
BGs remain the best way to farm Honor, practice mechanics, and round out your PvP set.
TBC Anniversary does not introduce Rated Battlegrounds. So if you’re coming from later expansions, it’s important to reset expectations: BGs don’t give ladder status. They’re there to fuel your PvP economy (Honor + rep) and help you build the foundation needed to compete in Arena.
In practice, BGs become the “engine room” of early PvP: you grind the basics, buy off-pieces, and build Resilience until you can reliably survive openers and pressure in Arena.
Eye of the Storm (New Battleground)
Eye of the Storm is the standout addition: it blends node control with a flag objective, forcing constant rotations and real map awareness. It’s less “tug-of-war” than classic BGs and more about making the right move at the right time — which lines up nicely with TBC’s PvP identity.
World PvP & Halaa: The Outland Hotspots
World PvP is unranked — but it’s still where a lot of memorable TBC moments happen.
World PvP in Outland tends to happen naturally around high-traffic objectives: quest hubs, farming routes, and daily areas once they open. It’s chaotic, unstructured, and often unfair — which is exactly why many players love it.
The most iconic objective is Halaa in Nagrand — a capture point that triggers real faction fights and offers its own rewards loop. If you’re on a PvP server, don’t be surprised if “quick dailies” turn into 30 minutes of escalating revenge battles.
Rewards: Titles, Nether Drakes, and Elite PvP Sets
TBC PvP rewards are designed to show skill and seasonal achievement, not just time spent in queues.
Honor gear gets you started, but the prestige items are Arena-owned. If you’re aiming for the iconic TBC PvP identity — titles, drakes, and elite looks — you’ll need consistent performance across the season.
Gladiator Titles & Nether Drake Mounts
Gladiator remains the headline reward. The Nether Drake mount is the classic TBC flex, with different color variants tied to specific Arena seasons (for example: Merciless, Vengeful, Brutal). The important part: these rewards are meant to be rare, and they’re tied to your seasonal performance.
Elite PvP Sets (Prestige Cosmetics)
Elite sets are essentially “I was there, and I earned it” cosmetics. They have the same stats as standard PvP sets but come with unique appearances and are locked behind rating thresholds. Once a season ends, those elite looks are gone.
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Prestige design
Blizzard is clearly trying to keep “top-end PvP” aspirational (shoulders, titles, elite visuals) while making basic gearing less miserable for everyone else.
PvP Vendors: Where to Buy Your Gear
Vendors aren’t limited to capital cities — Outland spreads PvP shopping across multiple hubs.
In Anniversary, PvP vendors are distributed across the world: you’ll find key vendors in Shattrath City, and additional ones in classic PvP zones and multiple Outland locations (including places like Nagrand, Netherstorm, Blade’s Edge, and later hubs depending on content availability). It’s a small detail, but it makes PvP feel “in the world” instead of locked behind a single city loop.
Shattrath City (main hub)
Tanaris
Alterac Valley, Arathi Basin, Warsong Gulch, Eye of the Storm
Outland zones (multiple locations depending on the vendor)
Isle of Quel’Danas (later)
Blackrock Depths (specific vendor access)
Our Take: Why These Arena Changes Are a Big Deal
Less friction, fairer matchmaking, easier entry-level gearing — without deleting prestige.
If Blizzard’s goal is to get more players actually playing Arena, these changes make sense. Removing Arena Teams kills a lot of the admin pain. Starting at 1500 gives the ladder a stable baseline. The weekly reset (only below 1500) offers a safety net without enabling high-rating abuse. And the gearing tweaks acknowledge a reality of TBC: Resilience is not optional, so entry-level access matters.
At the same time, Blizzard is still protecting prestige. Rating gates remain for the pieces that signal achievement (shoulders, weapons), and the best cosmetics stay tied to seasonal performance. That balance — accessible entry, aspirational top-end — is exactly what PvP needs on fresh Anniversary servers.
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WCUI tip
If you’re planning to PvP seriously at 70, your early goals are simple: get enough Resilience to survive openers, then build consistency in one bracket (most players start with 2v2) before branching into 3v3.
What do you think of the Anniversary Arena overhaul? Are you excited about personal ratings and the weekly reset option, or do you miss the classic “team identity” of original TBC? Drop your thoughts in the comments — we’ll be tracking updates as more blue posts confirm details.
Related WCUI Guides
If you want, you can link this post to your future WCUI content like:
Arena Basics: 2v2 / 3v3 Comps & Beginner Tips
Best PvP Addons for TBC Anniversary (Arena frames, DR trackers, nameplates)
The Burning Crusade Classic Anniversary is the next major chapter of WoW Classic, following the 20th Anniversary Edition launched on November 21, 2024. Those fresh Classic realms are now progressing toward The Burning Crusade, with the TBC Pre-Patch scheduled for January 13, 2026 and the full expansion launch expected shortly after.
If you want a strong start — fast leveling, early raid access, gold stability, and a clean UI — the real work happens before the Dark Portal opens. This guide covers everything you should prepare right now.
We’ve just launched a new tool for the WCUI community: a Blizzard Blue Posts Tracker, available at bluetracker.wowclassicui.com.
If you like staying up to date with official posts from Blizzard’s Community Managers and support team (hotfix notes, PTR announcements, raid testing windows, major clarifications…), this page is built for you.
You can also bookmark the RSS feed if you want the updates pushed to you (look for the RSS link in the footer).
We’d love your feedback!
This is a first release, and we’ll keep improving it. If you want a specific filter, a better way to browse posts, or new features (search, pagination tweaks, Classic-focused categories, etc.), drop your ideas in the comments.
Blizzard has announced a short PTR testing window for the first raids of The Burning Crusade Classic, giving players the opportunity to jump back into some of the most iconic PvE content in WoW history.
From December 19 to December 22, players will be able to test Karazhan, Gruul’s Lair, and Magtheridon’s Lair on the Anniversary PTR, helping Blizzard validate encounters, tuning, and potential issues ahead of release.
As usual, Blizzard is actively encouraging player feedback during this testing phase.
PTR Raid Testing Details (Official Announcement)
Burning Crusade Classic Raid Testing Dec. 19–22
We’ll open the initial Burning Crusade Classic raids for PTR testing on
Friday, December 19 at 12:00 p.m. (Noon) PST.
Please join us in checking out Karazhan, Gruul, and Magtheridon, and
thereafter, leave any feedback you may have in this thread.
The raids will close on the PTR on Monday, December 22 at
12:00 p.m. (Noon) PST.
What’s Available for Testing
Karazhan – 10-player raid, featuring iconic bosses like Attumen, Moroes, and Prince Malchezaar
Gruul’s Lair – 25-player raid with High King Maulgar and Gruul the Dragonkiller
Magtheridon’s Lair – 25-player raid focused on coordination and cube mechanics
Testing these raids early allows Blizzard to spot mechanical issues, bugs, and balance concerns before they hit live Classic servers.
If you participate in PTR testing:
Run full raid clears if possible
Report bugs, odd mechanics, or tuning concerns
Share performance and difficulty feedback on the official forums
A new round of hotfixes has been deployed for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Classic on December 16, 2025. This update focuses on raid accessibility and tuning, introduces a scalable, optional raid debuff for early MoP tiers, and delivers several class and item fixes, with notable improvements for Priests, plus targeted adjustments for Warlocks and Warriors.
Below, you’ll find the official hotfix notes, reproduced as-is.
Hotfix Notes (December 16, 2025)
December 16, 2025
Mists of Pandaria Classic
- Mogu’shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, and Terrace of Endless Spring now have
zone wide debuffs applied to all enemy creatures that players can toggle
off if they wish to increase the difficulty to its original level.
This debuff starts at 5% and will increase every 2 weeks up to a total of 30%.
- Flurky can now be upgraded to rare quality with a Flawless Battle-Stone.
- Theldurin’s Fist is now correctly mirrored when equipped or transmogrified
in the off-hand slot.
- Fixed an issue that was causing the Abominable Greench’s Stolen Treats
to not grant quest credit.
Priest
- Glyph of Focused Mending for Priests should now work correctly and is improved.
If it can’t find one of the original targets to bounce to, it will no longer
fade like it did previously, but instead find a new target.
- While in an Arena or Battleground, Prayer of Mending no longer incorrectly
refreshes Renew while in Chakra: Serenity.
- Renews refreshed while Chakra: Serenity is active now correctly refresh
to the maximum Duration + 1 tick (was refreshing to the maximum Duration).
- Renews refreshed while Chakra: Serenity is active and Glyph of Renew is active,
now correctly do not count the -3 seconds from the Glyph when refreshing
the duration of the Renew.
Developers’ notes:
- This is 15 seconds in Arenas and Battlegrounds, and 18 seconds outside of
arenas and battlegrounds. This is how the Glyph functioned in patch 5.4.8,
so we’re restoring that behavior.
Warlock
- Warlocks will no longer automatically revive their pets at the start of a
Challenge Mode Dungeon, if they have an active Grimoire of Sacrifice.
Warrior
- Warriors will now correctly get Rage when struck by Rampage on the Megaera encounter.
What This Means for Players
Raid progression gets smoother with a progressive, opt-out debuff—great for guilds catching up while preserving original difficulty for those who want it.
Priest gameplay consistency is restored, especially in PvP, aligning behavior with patch 5.4.8.
Edge-case fixes for pets, rage generation, transmogs, and quests clean up long-standing annoyances.
Stay tuned on WCUI for more MoP Classic updates, raid tuning changes, and class hotfix coverage.
The storm has returned to Pandaria — and with Patch 5.5.3, adventurers are stepping into one of the most ambitious content drops of the Mists of Pandaria Classic era. New zones, new world bosses, a massive new raid, Challenge Mode Platinum medals, and the continuation of Wrathion’s legendary questline all await both factions.
Whether you’re setting sail for the Isle of Thunder, hunting colossal dinosaurs on the Isle of Giants, or pushing for leaderboard-worthy Challenge Mode runs, this update reshapes nearly every corner of end-game gameplay.
🌀 A Thunderstorm Over Pandaria
Patch 5.5.3 brings two new explorable zones — the Isle of Thunder and the Isle of Giants — each packed with new dailies, events, creatures, secrets, mounts, and world bosses. The conflict between the Kirin Tor Offensive and the Sunreaver Onslaught escalates as both factions race to shut down Lei Shen’s growing power.
Meanwhile, Wrathion continues his search for answers deep within the Throne of Thunder… and he’s ready to recruit heroes brave enough to face the Mogu and their Zandalari allies once again.
⚡ Throne of Thunder: A 12-Boss Epic
One of the most iconic raids in modern WoW returns in full force. With 12 encounters — and a hidden 13th for heroic conquerors — the Throne of Thunder is the central pillar of this patch’s PvE experience.
Reputation with the Shado-Pan Assault is now tied exclusively to raid progression, opening the door to powerful Valor rewards and raid-ready gear upgrades.
🦖 Isle of Giants & New World Bosses
Far to the north of Kun-Lai Summit, the Isle of Giants emerges from the mists, teeming with primal devilsaurs, direhorns, and skyscreamers. The Zandalari have armed their greatest champion — Oondasta — while Nalak, the Storm Lord waits as the gate guardian of Lei Shen’s citadel.
Prepare your raid group, your drums, and your repair bills — these world bosses are designed to test even the most coordinated groups.
🔥 Legendary Questline Progression
The Black Prince’s campaign continues as Wrathion digs deeper into the secrets of Mogu power. Heroes will venture into the depths of the Thunder King’s palace and unlock access to a new legendary metagem, the Crown of Heaven.
Players who missed earlier stages of the quest or need to reacquire rewards such as Sha-touched gems can now purchase them from a new Blacktalon Quartermaster.
🌾 Taking Over the Farm
If you fell in love with working the land in Pandaria, Patch 5.5.3 finally lets you take over Sunsong Ranch. Once you’ve reached Exalted with the Tillers and unlocked all 16 plots, you can acquire the farm from Farmer Yoon via a quest.
Your farmhouse becomes a proper rest area, complete with the ability to bind and instantly log out, and you’ll start receiving faction work orders that reward reputation when completed.
⚔️ Class Tuning & PvP Adjustments
Patch 5.5.3 introduces a wide pass of tuning across nearly every class, especially around the balance point created by Throne of Thunder gear. Many MoP-era buffs are partially rolled back or smoothed out, bringing damage, mitigation, and healing closer to their intended targets.
In PvP, systems such as Battle Fatigue, item level caps, and Base Resilience are adjusted to more closely resemble Season 13, helping restore the feel and pacing of original Mists arenas and battlegrounds.
🏆 Challenge Modes: Introducing Platinum
Challenge Modes now go beyond Gold with the introduction of the Platinum medal. This new tier rewards Valor, extra cosmetics, and a new currency — Platinum Coins — which can be exchanged for transmogs, toys, mounts, and more.
Each dungeon also gains a unique Platinum-only toy, usable inside Challenge Modes, and the fastest players in each season can earn exclusive titles and mounts for their remarkable times.
Join the assault to conquer Emperor Lei Shen’s island stronghold, unlock new questlines and daily quest hubs, and participate in special events. Earn the right to visit the fabled Treasure Room, and lay claim an arsenal of powerful Mogu artifacts for their faction.
Each faction’s finest are spearheading the assault: the Kirin Tor Offensive led by Jaina Proudmoore and the Sunreaver Onslaught led by Lor’themar Theron.
Earning reputation with these new factions offers heroes the opportunity to receive new quests and reputation rewards, including powerful items and an intimidating new mount.
After both the Alliance and the Horde have eked out a foothold on the isle, players can choose to perform quests that are PvE or PvP focused.
PvP quests will direct players against opposing faction NPCs, but slaying opposing players will grant credit as well.
Conquer the Isle to unlock the powerful Lightning Forge, which will allow Blacksmiths to forge mighty raid-worthy items, as well as classic weapons from the past.
Join the war effort and find transportation to Isle of Thunder by visiting the Shado-Pan Garrison in Townlong Steppes on the western shores of Pandaria.
The Isle of Thunder will be unlocked progressively week by week. Initially only some of the Isle’s features will be unlocked. Future unlocked content will include the Stormsea Landing and the outdoor raid boss, Nalak, the Storm Lord.
A Key to the Palace of Lei Shen can be brought to the Shado-Pan on the Isle of Thunder and used to infiltrate the fabled treasure vaults of the first emperor.
Heroes are tasked with grabbing as much loot as they can within five minutes.
Larger chests will have the most loot, including special keys that can be used at the end of the run for a chance at epic gear and other major rewards.
Keys are awarded from rare mobs, hidden chests around the island, and from award satchels obtained by completing daily quests.
New Raid: Throne of Thunder
Lei Shen, the Thunder King, has returned to take vengeance on Pandaria. The heroes of the Alliance and the Horde must stop the newly resurrected tyrant and his Zandalari allies in the massive new raid: Throne of Thunder.
Throne of Thunder is a sprawling citadel with 12 new raid encounters. Players that defeat Emperor Lei Shen in Heroic mode can earn the opportunity to face an additional 13th foe.
Join the Shado-Pan Assault in their singular drive to see The Thunder King defeated once and for all, and gain access to impressive Valor reward items. Reputation with this faction can only be earned in the Throne of Thunder raid dungeon.
Ao Pye at Niuzao Temple in Townlong Steppes offers Shado-Pan Assault faction gear Valor points. Teng of the Flying Daggers, the other Shado-Pan assault quartermaster, can be found underneath the Conqueror’s Terrace on the Isle of Thunder.
New Zone: Isle of Giants
A new island has appeared in the mists. Isle of Giants has an assortment of primal devilsaurs, direhorns, and skyscreamers increased by the Zandalari Trolls. Players who dare venture through the fatiguing waters north of Kun-Lai Summit will be rewarded with the opportunity to battle dinosaurs, collect bones, and obtain new pets and mounts. Hunters also have a chance to find an Ancient Tome of Dinomancy, allowing them to tame their own Direhorn.
New World Bosses: Oondasta andNalak, the Storm Lord
After the Isle of the Thunder King has been conquered, the gate guardian of the Thunder King’s citadel will appear. Test your mettle against Nalak, the Storm Lord.
Found in a place that has been lost in time, the great devilsaur lord Oondasta has been outfitted for battle with weaponry and armor by the Zandalari. He awaits players brave enough (or foolhardy enough) to seek him out on the mysterious Isle of Giants found in the seas north of Kun-Lai Summit.
Legendary Questline Continues
Wrathion is determined to know the origin and source of Mogu power, and Azeroth’s mightiest heroes will aid the Black Prince in finding out what it is. The search for information will take players into the depths of the Thunder King’s Palace to face trials of perseverance and skill. Along the way, unlock the secrets to a new legendary metagem, the Crown of Heaven.
Players seeking to re-acquire previous Legendary quest rewards (Such as gems for Sha-touched weapons) can now speak with the Blacktalon Quartermaster, the surly-looking Pandaren standing in the first floor of the Tavern in the Mists.
Taking over the Farm
Players who have grown attached to working the land at Sunsong Ranch can now acquire the farm from Farmer Yoon via a quest.
The farmhouse becomes a rest point like an Inn, where the player can bind and instantly log out.
Work orders will pour into the farm from factions across Pandaria, and completing a work order will earn a reputation boost with the issuing faction.
The option to take over the farm is available to characters that are exalted with the Tillers and have unlocked all 16 farm plots.
New Changes
Thunderforging
Non-Thunderforged items will be upgradeable twice for 3 items level each time, totaling an increase of 6 item levels.
These upgrades will cost 250 Valor Points each (500 total).
These upgrades are only available for the first 4 weeks of Throne of Thunder.
When the 5th reset occurs, on the week of January 6, 2026, these will swap over to the current 5.5.2 cost for epic item upgrades of 1000 Justice Points each (2000 total).
Classes
Death Knight
Raise Ally no longer costs Runic Power (was 30).
Blood
Now gains Residual Blood after using Death Strike during the Ra-den encounter. Residual Blood lasts for 3 seconds and counts as an Active Mitigation effect for the purposes of the Fatal Strike mechanic.
5.5.0 %damage reduction added to Blood Presence decreased to 0% (was 2%).
Death Strike now additionally heals the Death Knight for 5% of their attack power.
This allows Blood Death Knight’s Vengeance to help scale their mitigation like other tanks. This is being introduced at a small% because it is affected by both Scent of Blood stacks, and Mastery: Blood Shield.
Raise Dead for Blood Death Knights now correctly benefits from Vengeance attack power.
This was erroneously only partially removed in 5.5.0.
Mastery: Blood Shield is now correctly based on the amount healed by Death Strike including healing modifiers.
This behavior is isolated to PvE and only affects positive healing modifiers. This is to prevent changing the behavior of Mastery: Blood Shield while under a negative healing modifier.
Unholy
Summon Gargoyle will no longer stutter its casts and will chain its casts back to back.
Summon Gargoyle can now cast up to 26 Gargoyle Strikes before it is dismissed.
Under the original MoP rules, players only got 25 to 26 Gargoyle Strikes. A bug emerged where being at a certain level of haste would actually decrease the amount of Gargoyle Strikes that went out. In order to fix this, we removed the cast gating on the ability that was present in original MoP, but introduced a hard cap on how many strikes can be cast to keep the upper limit the same.
Druid
Balance
5.5.0 %damage increase while in Moonkin Form increased to 20% (was 10%).
This is an increase compared to PTR and a decrease compared to pre-Throne of Thunder values.
5.5.0 damage increase to Force of Nature decreased to 5.1% (was 3.64% on PTR, 9.1% pre-Throne of Thunder).
Feral
5.5.0 %damage increase to Savage Roar decreased to 3% (was 0% on the PTR, and 5% pre-Throne of Thunder).
Guardian
5.5.0 damage increase while in Bear Form decreased to 8% (was 15%).
Restoration
Meditation’s in combat Mana Regeneration from Spirit increased to 55% (was 50%).
Hunter
Survival
5.5.0 reduction to Explosive Shot damage decreased to 0% (was 5%).
Mage
Arcane
5.0 damage increase to Arcane Blast decreased to 5% (was 15%).
5.0 damage increase to Arcane Barrage decreased to 5% (was 19%).
5.0 damage increase to Arcane Missiles decreased to 5% (was 15%).
Fire
5.0 damage increase to Pyroblast decreased to 15% (was 30%).
5.0 increase to Critical Mass’s value decreased back to the 5.4.8 value of 1.3x (was 1.5x).
Frost
5.1 damage increase to Frostbolt decreased to 5% (was 15%).
5.1 damage increase to Frostfire Bolt decreased to 5% (was 15%).
5.1 damage increase to Ice Lance decreased to 5% (was 15%).
Monk
Windwalker
The base %damage value on Tigereye Brew per stack increased to 5% (was 3.5%).
Paladin
Hand of Sacrifice no longer causes a Global Cooldown (new).
Protection
Grand Crusader has been changed to its Patch 5.2.0 version.
Grand Crusader now has a 12% chance to activate when the Paladin dodges or parries a melee attack, or lands a Crusader Strike or Hammer of the Righteous (was 30% chance on dodge or parrying a melee attack).
5.5.0 increase to Seal of Insight attack speed, decreased to 5% (was 10%).
Retribution
5.5.0 damage increase to Templar’s Verdict increased to 27% (was 20%).
5.5.0 damage increase to Crusader Strike, Exorcism, Judgment, Divine Storm, Hammer of the Righteous, and Hammer of Wrath increased to 20% (was 10%).
Priest
Holy
5.0 reduction to Divine Hymn’s healing increased to 50% (was 35% reduction).
5.0 reduction to the cooldown of Chakra’s increased to 25 seconds off (was 20 seconds off).
5.0 reduction to Divine Hymn’s healing increased to 50% (was 35% reduction).
5.0 reduction to the cooldown of Chakra’s increased to 25 seconds off (was 20 seconds off).
Healing done by Divine Star decreased by 15% (new).
Prayer of Healing’s base cast time is decreased by 0.5 sec for Holy Priests (new).
Prayer of Healing’s healing increased by 15% (new).
Prayer of Mending no longer counts as an Area of Effect heal for Chakra: Sanctuary (new).
Renew duration increased by 3 seconds for a total of 15 seconds (was 12 seconds) (new).
This also increases the amount of direct healing from Rapid Renew.
Fixed a bug where Chakras were not providing their full 35% bonus to both Renew and Prayer of Mending. (BUG FIX)
Prayer of Mending now counts as a single-target heal for Chakra: Serenity (new).
Prayer of Mending’s aura landing on a target will trigger the refreshed duration on Renew. It will not refresh the renew when it heals or bounces.
Lightwell Renew and Lightspring Renew now benefit from Chakra: Serenity (new).
Shadow
5.5.0 damage increase to Shadow Word: Pain decreased to 7% (was 18%).
5.5.0 %damage increase while in Shadowform decreased to 7% (was 10%).
Shaman
Elemental
5.5.0 increase to Lightning Bolt decreased to 5% (was 20%).
5.5.1 increase to Chain Lightning decreased to 0% (was 10%).
5.5.1 increase to Fulmination decreased to 0% (was 10%).
Warlock
Affliction
5.0 damage increase to Corruption decreased to 0% (was 20%).
5.0 damage increase to Agony decreased to 0% (was 5%).
5.0 damage increase to Drain Soul’s DoT triggers decreased to 20% (was 40%).
5.0 damage increase to Malefic Grasp’s DoT triggers decreased to 10% (was 20%).
5.0 damage increase to Drain Soul decreased to 20% (was 25% on PTR, 50% pre-Throne of Thunder).
5.0 damage increase to Malefic Grasp decreased to 15% (was 25% on PTR, 50% pre-Throne of Thunder).
Demonology
5.0 damage increase to Bane of Doom decreased to 25% (was 50%).
5.0 damage increase to Hellfire decreased to 10% (was 25%).
5.0 damage increase to Immolation Aura decreased to 10% (was 25%).
5.1 damage increase to Soul Fire decreased to 10% (was 20%).
Warrior
The 4-piece Throne of Thunder damage Tier Set is now activated by Recklessness (was Skull Banner).
Fury
5.5.0 increase to Enrage and Berserker Rage duration decreased to 0 seconds (was 2 seconds).
Protection
5.5.0 increase to Shield Barrier’s attack power ratio decreased to 0% increase (was 11% increase).
This places Shield Barrier back to its 5.4.8 ratio of 1.8x instead of 2.0x.
All class changes above are ineffective in PvP.
Player versus Player
Battle Fatigue, Maximum Item Level, and Base Resilience in the open world and in 3v3 Arenas have all been changed to their original Season 13 values.
2v2 adjusted to -1% Base Resilience and 5v5 adjusted to +1% Base Resilience for the brackets.
Conquest gain from 5v5 increased by 60%.
Rating requirements for Tyrannical enchant removed and a base version of the enchant implemented.
Conquest requirements and Conquest costs for Tyrannical Primal Diamond removed and replaced with an Honor cost.
Legendary Questline
End bosses in Celestial Dungeons now have a chance to drop both a Sigil of Wisdom and a Sigil of Power.
Previously, bosses were assigned a specific sigil they could drop.
Secrets of the Empire now have a chance to drop from Celestial Dungeon End Bosses.
Titan Runestone have a chance to drop from Celestial Dungeon end bosses.
During the Throne of Thunder phase of Celestial Dungeons, Sigils of Power and Sigils of Wisdom cost 30 August Stone Shards (was 60 August Stone Fragments).
Secrets of the Empire can be purchased and costs 10 August Stone Shards.
Titan Runestone can be purchased and costs 30 August Stone Shards.
Heart of the Thunder King can be purchased and costs 70 August Stone Shards.
For the Battleground quest, players are now required to play in a Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines Battleground (was win in a Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines battlegrounds).
Celestial Mode Dungeons
Avoid the Thunder King’s traps and petition the Celestials for new, more powerful blessings to survive the challenges ahead.
Might of the Thunder King: Enemies in the Celestial Dungeons will have the following buffs.
Damage increased by 35%
Health increased by 125%
Lightning Traps: Players will need to avoid cycling lightning traps throughout the dungeons.
Thunderstorms: All dungeons will experience new weather as a powerful thunder storm takes over.
Summon the Storm: Every 60 seconds, a boss is influenced by Lei Shen, the Thunder King, and will use one of the 3 new lightning based abilities.
Each of the Celestials will gain an additional buff as part of their blessing. While in combat the power of the Celestial slowly charges, and will allow players to summon a servant of their chosen Celestial to cast an ability to assist them.
Power of Chi-Ji: An avatar will bestow a weakened version of Blazing Song to all allies.
Power of Yu’lon: An avatar of Yu’lon will breathe Jadefire on nearby enemies and amplify all Magic damage done by players for a short duration.
Power of Niuzao: An avatar of Niuzao will cause an earthquake, repeatedly stunning nearby enemies and increasing all Physical damage they take for a short duration.
Power of Xuen: An avatar of Xuen will create a lightning vortex at its location pulling all nearby enemies to its location and granting all allies a weakened version of Spectral Ferocity.
Celestial Dungeons will begin the week of December 16, 2025, with the weekly reset in each region.
Challenge Mode Dungeons
There is now a new challenge for Challenge Modes, the Platinum medal. This medal exists above Gold, and its structure is similar to Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Platinum rewards Valor and some additional rewards for each instance completed within the time limit. There are achievements associated with the Platinum medals.
Each dungeon now has a unique toy themed around that dungeon that is awarded with the Platinum achievement. These toys are only usable in Challenge Modes, and each may be used in any Challenge Mode.
Temple of the Jade Serpent: Platinum Boots of Expeditious Retreat
Stormstout Brewery: Platinum “Little Ale”
Gate of the Setting Sun: Platinum Rod of Ambershaping
Shado-Pan Monastery: Platinum Potion of Invisibility
Siege of Niuzao Temple: Platinum Amber
Mogu’shan Palace: Platinum Battle Horn
Scholomance: Platinum Vial of Polyformic Acid
Scarlet Halls: Platinum Battle Banner
Scarlet Monastery: Platinum Sacrificial Dagger
Platinum Coins
Beginning in 5.5.3, the Challenge Conqueror achievements will award Platinum Coins, a new currency. This currency allows you to purchase some new Transmog items, Toys, Mounts, and Tabards.
These items are available to purchase in Shrine of the Two Moons, and Shrine of Seven Stars.
Any timed Platinum runs will award two additional Platinum coins.
Leaderboard
Players who obtained a faster Platinum time (referred to as “Remarkable” times in achievement descriptions) for each seasonal dungeon are awarded a Title and Mount. When 5.5.3 is live in each region, the rewards for players who meet this criteria should immediately have access to their new Title and Mount.
After years of seasonal realms, progression reruns, and temporary experiments, WoW Classic players are increasingly asking Blizzard for a real “forever home” for their characters and communities. A recent player letter to Game Director Ion Hazzikostas sparked fresh discussion when Blizzard acknowledged that the team is aware of this request and is actively thinking about the long-term future of Classic.
Instead of endlessly hopping from one seasonal realm or expansion cycle to another, many Classic fans want a stable place to settle down, build guilds, and invest time without worrying that their realm will eventually be retired or forced into the next era.
What Does a “Forever Home” Mean for Classic?
When players talk about a “forever home” for WoW Classic, they usually mean a few key things:
Stable, long-term realms – Servers designed to stay online for the long haul, without scheduled shutdowns or forced progression.
Persistent characters – No need to transfer or reroll every time a new season or version appears; your main stays where it belongs.
Room for Classic-specific content – A place where Blizzard can experiment with Classic-focused features (new raids, systems, or balance changes) without wiping the slate clean.
In past interviews, members of the Classic team have already hinted at the idea of Era-style servers or dedicated realms that could become a permanent home for certain rulesets or experimental mechanics, rather than purely seasonal content that disappears once a phase is over.
Blizzard’s Response So Far
The topic recently resurfaced when a Classic player wrote directly to Ion Hazzikostas to ask whether any long-term projects were planned for Classic beyond the usual progression cycles. The reply didn’t come with a full roadmap, but it did acknowledge that:
The team knows players are looking for a long-term future for Classic.
There is internal discussion about what that might look like.
Blizzard wants Classic to feel less like a temporary event and more like a stable home for those who prefer that style of WoW.
That may not be the hard confirmation everyone is waiting for, but it is a clear sign that the “forever home” concept is on Blizzard’s radar — and that community feedback is having an impact.
Why This Matters for the Classic Community
For many players, WoW Classic isn’t just a side mode — it’s their main MMO. Guilds have rebuilt rosters, communities have formed around specific eras, and players have sunk hundreds (or thousands) of hours into characters they don’t want to abandon.
A proper long-term home for Classic would:
Strengthen guilds and social ties by removing the constant fear that a realm will be retired.
Stabilize the in-game economy by keeping players and resources on the same long-running realms.
Make Classic more welcoming for returning players who just want to pick a server and stay there without needing to follow every new seasonal reset.
On top of that, a clear long-term vision for Classic would help distinguish it from retail: one version of Azeroth focused on ongoing evolution and modern systems, the other centered on a more grounded, old-school MMO experience with its own path forward.
What’s Next?
Right now, Blizzard hasn’t officially unveiled a detailed plan or roadmap that answers every question about Classic’s future. But between community posts, interviews, and this recent exchange with Ion, one thing is clear: the team knows players want a permanent home and is actively exploring what that could become.
Until we get a full announcement, Classic players will keep theorycrafting possible outcomes: expanded Era realms, hybrid seasonal/permanent models, or even brand-new Classic-only features meant to live on stable servers instead of temporary ones.
Whatever form it takes, a “forever home” for WoW Classic would be a huge milestone for the game’s legacy community — and something many of us at WoWClassicUI will be watching very closely.
Sources & Further Reading
For players who want to dig deeper into the discussion and Blizzard’s recent statements, here are a few useful links:
Blizzard has deployed a new round of hotfixes for Mists of Pandaria Classic on November 26, 2025, bringing important corrections and tuning changes as players gear up for the arrival of Phase 3. These updates fix several vendor issues and ensure players can finally purchase items that were previously unavailable.
The major highlight of this hotfix cycle is the fix to PvP vendor inventories:
Armsmaster Holinka and Roo Desvin once again correctly sell the Wyrmhide Gladiator set.
Players who were previously blocked from completing their sets should now find the full inventory as intended.
This resolves a long-standing frustration for PvP-focused players, especially those preparing for the gear curve shift expected in Phase 3.
Phase 3 Is Coming — Time to Prepare
With Phase 3 set to introduce major content — including new zones, world bosses, updated challenge modes, and the Throne of Thunder raid — the current hotfix push is clearly part of Blizzard’s pre-patch stabilization work.
New zones incoming: Isle of Thunder & Isle of Giants
World bosses: Nalak, Oondasta, and more
Gear progression: Thunderforged item upgrades
New raid:Throne of Thunder (ToT)
Seasonal challenge modes with rewards and timed runs
Now is the perfect time to optimize your characters: refill consumables, refine builds, and coordinate with your guild for the first week of Phase 3.
What You Should Do Right Now
Check vendor inventories — missing pieces may now be available.
Prep your characters — especially if you plan to jump into early ToT progression or world-boss farm groups.
Coordinate with your guild — plan rosters, professions, consumables, and weekly goals.
Follow upcoming notes closely — Phase 3 is expected to bring balance changes and tuning that affect multiple classes and roles.
Key Dates
Latest hotfixes: November 26, 2025 See Blizzard’s full notes
Phase 3 launch: Expected very soon (as covered by Mamytwink)
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