Plunderstorm has made an exhilarating return to World of Warcraft, introducing a host of new features and rewards for players to dive into. This pirate-themed battle royale mode, where 60 players vie for supremacy and treasure in the Arathi Highlands, is back in action as of January 14, following a short delay. While an official end date hasn't been announced, the community can expect to enjoy this engaging mode for at least a month, keeping them entertained until the arrival of Patch 11.1.

This iteration of Plunderstorm brings several enhancements to the gameplay experience. The battlefield now features new points of interest and mobs, with non-elite enemies respawning shortly after being defeated, ensuring a constant supply of plunder. Players can also utilize horses that spawn across the map for quick traversal, making it easier to reach chests, elites, and opponents. The in-game map now includes zone threat indicators, showing where fights are most frequent, and allows players to choose their starting deployment zones, adding a strategic element to the game.

New World of Warcraft: Plunderstorm Features

Players can now collect and upgrade new spells in Plunderstorm. On the offensive side, Aura of Zealotry boosts the movement speed of the caster and their allies, and allows them to cast Consecrate for area damage and additional speed boosts, while Celestial Barrage offers a powerful, chargeable line attack. For utility, Call Galefeather summons an eagle to knock back enemies, and Void Tear enables teleportation to a marked location, damaging and slowing foes in the process. Additionally, cooldown adjustments to existing spells and a new UI for ability management keep the gameplay fresh and dynamic.

A new Plunderstorm Practice Lobby has been introduced, where players can experiment with abilities, adjust keybindings, and engage with the community. This lobby also serves as a hub for queuing into games or accessing the Plunderstore, the new destination for Plunderstorm rewards, accessible from the Practice Lobby, the login screen, and even directly from retail World of Warcraft via the PvP interface.

Notably absent from this run of Plunderstorm is the Trios mode, which allowed three players to team up. The reasons for its exclusion remain unclear, but fans are hopeful that Blizzard will reintroduce this popular mode before Plunderstorm sets sail once more.