World of Warcraft Shows Off New Plunderstorm Abilities and Features

Plunderstorm Returns to World of Warcraft with Enhanced Features and Rewards

Plunderstorm, World of Warcraft's pirate-themed battle royale, has returned, bringing with it a host of new features and quality-of-life improvements. While the end date remains unannounced, players can expect at least a month of swashbuckling action in the Arathi Highlands.

This iteration boasts significant enhancements. Non-elite enemies now respawn, offering a continuous stream of loot. Fast travel horses expedite traversal across the map, aiding in the search for chests, elite enemies, and rival players. A new map feature displays zone threat levels based on combat frequency, allowing for strategic deployment selection. A practice lobby is also available for honing skills and socializing.

New Plunderstorm Features:

• Revamped battlefield with new points of interest.
• Respawning non-elite enemies.
• Fast travel horses.
• Zone threat indicators on the map.
• Selectable deployment zones.
• Practice Lobby.
• Plunderstore with new and returning rewards.
• Access to the game mode from World of Warcraft: The War Within characters.

New Abilities:

• Offensive:
  • Aura of Zealotry: Passively boosts ally movement speed. Casting consecrates the ground, periodically damaging enemies and granting enhanced movement speed and melee attack buffs.
  • Celestial Barrage: Summons a barrage of moonbeams, damaging enemies with an empowerable range increase.
• Utility:
  • Call Galefeather: Summons Galefeather to knock back enemies with wind.
  • Void Tear: Creates a Void mark. Recasting instantly teleports the player to the mark, damaging and slowing enemies. Recasting is instantaneous during spellcasting.

Ability Balance Changes: Several existing spells have received cooldown adjustments (Earthbreaker reduced, Slicing Winds increased, Star Bomb reduced, Storm Archon reduced, Toxic Smackerel increased). A new UI streamlines ability selection.

The Plunderstore, accessible from the Practice Lobby, login screen, and the retail WoW PvP interface, offers a range of rewards. The Practice Lobby itself allows for ability testing, keybinding adjustments, transmog customization, and player interaction.

Notably absent is the three-person Trios mode from the previous iteration. Blizzard has yet to comment on its omission.