World of Warcraft offers a few different PvP variants: fast-paced arena battles, battles in war mode in the world or battlefields. Some players turn all of this down in favor of an RPG that takes up the experience of a live combat exhibition. Some of Azeroth’s heroes set up underground battle rings in the Stormwind Channels or in the halls of an ancient monastery, and that’s because they’re chasing an experience that the current game can’t offer them.
In the hidden corners of Stormwind City, characters gather for secret wrestling matches. They’re a fan community called Azeroth Championship Wrestling, and it’s the fantasy version of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling – tiny indie wrestling events manned by a passionate wrestler crew for a few loyal locals. The ACW hosts practice games and small test exhibits where role-players gather and watch an old-fashioned rumble. The group maintains “Kayfabe” I mainly focus on doing a show.
There are also the Azerothian Boxing Associationwhere tournament games are held at the Tian Monastery in Pandaria. At the moment the human William Hawke is cleaning up the racetrack and claiming a huge victory against the undefeated night elf Ranathiel Shadowsong. Fighters appear with names like “The Silver-Tongued Devil” or “The Doctor”. One player even went ahead and booked a wedding with her match back to back so she could tie the knot and then beat the snot of some opponents.
RPG PvP combat does not feature in-game currencies, armored mounts, or poor looking equipment. Instead, they just offer a narrative catch. Being a pit fighter, wrestler, or athlete is a cool story. People are still watching Remember the titans and Rocky, At long last. If you’re a role-player looking for a juicy, low-margin, low-stakes way to hang out in Azeroth, this is a great opportunity.
Why do groups gather at these social gatherings to shape their characters? Well, the PvP system in the game feels isolated. Take arenas, for example. First, you queue up in a menu in the game. You will meet the “Ready” prompt when this happens and then will be teleported to an arena located somewhere in the world of Warcraft. You have a short and dynamic fight, but it’s hard to explain to someone else without using a lot of jargon.
“Yes, the druid closed me with a cyclone until our magician triggered the interruption and we could tear down the squishy,” is a completely correct statement, but there is no narrative gravita. After the match is over, you’ll teleport back to your original location and be a little closer to purchasing a new piece of equipment. Meanwhile, at the Azerothian Boxing Association, players can chat before a fist fight. This is very relatable, or at least entertaining.
World of WarcraftThe original iteration had a PvP system that felt a lot more personal. Everyone in a match was from your server, and over time, players could learn to spot rivals and friends straight away. The vanilla PvP system had its own pitfalls, but it offered a sense of community and consistency that current queues lack. Roleplayers simply found a way to capture the best parts of this pristine experience and share them in character as sheer junk between a werewolf and an elf.
