Blizzard has hinted that something pirate-y is coming World of Warcraft has been smuggling small Jolly Roger flags into street maps for weeks. We don’t have room for a full Pirates expansion, especially with Worldsoul Saga set to take up the next three expansion pack spots. Instead, we’re getting something very experimental – a new six-week battle royale called Plunderstorm.
Plunderstorm starts with patch 10.2.6 and it’s going to be chaotic. Not only has this mode remained hidden from test servers and data miners, it is also essentially unprecedented in terms of the usual World of Warcraft
When you log in, you’ll be greeted by a Plunderstorm logo hanging next to the Warcraft logo. Once selected, the player is sent off on a parrot. Plunderstorm takes place in Arathi Basin, a familiar setting for anyone who has enjoyed a few battlefields of yesteryear. The game mode is inspired by Warcraft 3
Leveling up brings new abilities, a mix-and-match combination of past legendary spells, covenant abilities, and tons of talents from each class. Everyone can double jump, no one takes fall damage, and everyone has a crazy array of abilities. For example, a certain skill allows you to pretend to be a shrub to plan the ultimate ambush.
Since Plunderstorm is a battle royale game, there will always be a final champion. If you win a match you will receive a tabard and an eye patch. All other rewards are earned throughout the game, so hopefully the new mode shouldn’t require excessive concentration and dedication. The rewards are, as you might have guessed, pirate-themed – a pirate outfit for Pepe, a parrot, a crab, transmog items and Trader’s Tender currency.
Plunderstorm launches today and will run for the next six weeks. Based on player feedback, the experimental game mode may return in the future.
