WoW Classic devs on the changes they've liked most in Season of Discovery so far: 'It just sounds like utter chaos, but I've just been having a blast'

GamesMMOWorld of Warcraft ClassicWoW Classic devs on the changes they’ve liked most in Season of Discovery so far: ‘It just sounds like utter chaos, but I’ve just been having a blast’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

WoW Classic: Season of Discovery

This weekmarked the startof phase 3 of World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery, the wild experiment taking place within Warcraft’s original vanilla flavor.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery is a bit of an oddball. It includes all-new features that were never in the original 2004 version of the game, anddoesn’t allow public testingbefore new phases go live. In some ways, it’smore experimental than the “modern” versionof WoW, but carries the original low-res Classic graphics.

We asked two Blizzard developers on the project to give us their impressions of what the coolest new features of Season of Discovery have been so far.

Lead software engineer Nora Valletta likes the innovative ways that Season of Discovery has added things that used to only be available to the Horde or to the Alliance to both—Windfury, for example, was Horde-only in Classic and Blessing of Kings was Alliance-only. Runes for druids and hunters have made them available to both factions in Season of Discovery.

“I think on a macro level, I think the measures we put in place to preserve faction balance were a great success,” she said. “That’s something we’ve never done before.”

Having everybody just laughing and giggling because it’s just chaos, and it’s a big free for all, has been great fun.Nora Valletta

Having everybody just laughing and giggling because it’s just chaos, and it’s a big free for all, has been great fun.

Some of the runes and new abilities that have been added for various classes are also big hits, she said: “One that has been most successful is the Crusader Strike rune for Paladins. They were very, very excited about that—and as it turns out, they’ve continued to be very excited about it.”

Associate production director Clayton Stone said that he’s personally a huge fan of Warcraft Classic Hardcore, the permadeath flavor of WoW, which isn’t part of Season of Discovery. But when it comes to SoD, the Dark Rider questline is his favorite addition.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

The Dark Riders are seven high-level elite enemies scattered around the game world that drop Dalaran Tomes for the quest. It’s a long and difficult series of quests that requires players to work as a group, rewarding a powerful new rune-based ability for each class.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

WoW Classic Season of Discovery Phase 2

“It requires players to group up and really scour the world to find these unique tomes and bring them back to a central location,” Stone said. “There are some challenges to overcome as a group. That’s been really fun to play, and fun to watch players discover.”

“I’ve really, really been enjoying the Stranglethorn PvP event, the Blood Moon,” Valletta said. “That’s what I do when I get off work.”

Stranglethorn Vale turns into a PvP free-for-all at set times for the Blood Moon event, with high stakes rewards for players who do well. Valletta said that was her final suggestion for the best changes introduced in Season of Discovery.

“I initially wasn’t sure if it was for me,” she said, because you could only group with five players and it felt a little wild. “It just sounds like utter chaos, but I’ve just been having a blast and getting into Discord. Playing with your friends, participating in the event, having everybody just laughing and giggling because it’s just chaos, and it’s a big free for all, has been great fun.”

TOPICSActivision Blizzard

TOPICS

More about mmoDragonflight got WoW back on its feet, now we get to see if Blizzard can make the Worldsoul Saga runOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skillLatestThe best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kitSee more latest►

More about mmo

Dragonflight got WoW back on its feet, now we get to see if Blizzard can make the Worldsoul Saga runOld meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skill

World of Warcraft The War Within screenshots

Dragonflight got WoW back on its feet, now we get to see if Blizzard can make the Worldsoul Saga run

A party of runescape adventurers

Old meets new as classic MMO players worship a famous Vtuber via gifts of bones so she can max out the Prayer skill

LatestThe best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kitSee more latest►

Latest

The best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kit

Mister Fantastic mid ultimate

The best part of Marvel Rivals Season 1 is Mister Fantastic’s obnoxiously fun chest-bump attack and his ridiculously OP kit

See more latest►

Most Popular

‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

6 games that could be bigger hits than you’re expecting in 2025

What are your 2025 gaming resolutions?

The FBI put a $5 million bounty on the ‘Cryptoqueen’ last year but still hasn’t found her, so take your pick: Russia, South Africa, or murdered on a yacht in 2018

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals