Blizzard has revealed a limited-time game mode coming to World of Warcraft called Plunderstorm. It’s a pirate-themed battle royale for up to sixty players, and each match will last around ten to fifteen minutes. There’s one core objective in Plunderstorm: Survive. Players are thrown into the arena and charged with looting resources, levelling up, and killing players and creatures – and of course, staying clear of the ever-growing storm.

It’s about as typical as it gets in terms of the genre, but we didn’t have a World of Warcraft battle royale on the cards for 2024. Blizzard revealed that Plunderstorm will take place in the Arathi Highlands, giving the sixty players that compete in each match a sizeable combat ground to play around in.

You Read That Right

That’s right – World of Warcraft is getting a battle royale mode. It’s a limited-time offering, but still – it’s not something we expected.

On the Blizzard website, a news release summed up the event in a blurb:

‘Plunderstorm is perfect for pick-up and play! No expansion purchase is required, but a World of Warcraft Subscription or Game Time is needed to participate in a high-stakes, play-by-the-seat-your-pants match. This means that Classic players can also participate in a plethora of plundering fun by simply installing the modern (Live) World of Warcraft client.’

In Plunderstorm, players will loot spells, abilities, and upgrades as they explore the map and fight both human and AI-controlled enemies. Various playstyles are being encouraged and offered in Plunderstorm, and gamers will be able to take on a variety of approaches when it comes to combat scenarios. There are plenty of awards being lined up in Plunderstorm as well – players can secure cosmetics, titles, mounts, and pets as they climb the battle royale-themed ranks.

Here’s the trailer for Plunderstorm:

Plunderstorm is available now, having been added to the World of Warcraft ecosystem with the 10.2.6 content update. It has already proven to be a hit with the community, and as it’s a lighthearted, limited-time mode, there are no complaints about Blizzard ‘selling out’. Historically, some franchises have hopped on the battle royale bandwagon just because it’s an easy win – the likes of Forza and Fallout come to mind. But there’s no concern about that here – this is just Blizzard having fun.

So, get ready to suit up and drop in with your friends – the Arathi Highlands are waiting to be plundered.

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