World of Warcraft is one of the most pervasive, most widely-known video games of all time. During its height in popularity, WoW was being referenced on the silver screen nearly everywhere – From South Park to the nightly news, the Warcraft franchise and its most iconic characters, spells, and locations have all become well known even to people who've never touched the MMO.
Warcraft Rumble: Dungeons, Explained
Dungeons in Warcraft Rumble are repeatable, but much more difficult, encounters with three bosses in a row, but players get a little help.
The new Blizzard mobile game Warcraft Rumble takes place during an undetermined time in Azeroth's history, and it's unclear if the game officially exists in the Warcraft universe, like Hearthstone, or if it's just a fun self-contained experience. Whether it's a "real" game in Azeroth or not, there are tons of references to World of Warcraft in Warcraft Rumble that players can come across.
5 Warcraft Rumble Talents Mirror WoW Talents
Leader & Mini Talents Share Names & Effects With WoW Counterparts
World of Warcraft has been around for about two decades, and being such a juggernaut in the MMO genre, its most iconic talents and abilities have become household names. It's no wonder, then, that Blizzard named a variety of talents after the most well-known talents and abilities in WoW – and copied their effects. As a few examples;
- Cairne Bloodhoof can get a talent named Plainsrunning, a unique racial once given to Tauren that was removed with the official release of the game
- The Fire Elemental's talent Molten Core is a reference to the Molten Core raid, where vanilla WoW players face off against Ragnaros the Firelord
- Jaina Proudmoore can learn the Blink talent, which mimics its WoW effect of letting the caster teleport a short distance away instantly
These WoW references in Warcraft Rumble are mostly found on Leaders, but a few mini talents and abilities call back to WoW, too.
4 Major Dungeon Bosses & Iconic Enemies Appear All Over
Returning Icons Like Whitemane, Goldtooth, and the Deadmines' Dreadnaught Itself
As one might expect with a mobile spin-off of a major franchise like Warcraft, Warcraft Rumble minis are almost entirely inspired by, or directly copied from, World of Warcraft's impressive roster of characters. Additionally, though, players get the chance to fight against icons that weren't actually enemies in the MMO – like the Dreadnaught, the ship docked in the Deadmines.
Warcraft Rumble: How to Beat Raene Wolfrunner
Raene Wolfrunner is a challenging early-game boss in Warcraft Rumble; here’s how to kill her with basic troops and Minis.
Every zone in the game is capped by a more challenging level than the other four available, and most of these are headed by familiar foes. At the end of Duskwood, players face off against Abercrombie, the necromancer behind the abomination Stitches. At the end of the Un'goro Crater zone, players face off against the Devilsaur Queen.
Some of the game's most well-known characters show up as regular level opponents, like Maiev Shadowsong in Ashenvale. Be sure to check your opponent before jumping into a level – you might be facing off against a Warcraft legend without even realizing it.
3 Kobolds Mine And Say Their Classic Line
Flashbacks To The Fargodeep Mine – "You No Take Candle!"
Kobolds are one of the most beloved and maligned creatures among WoW fans. They're not particularly remarkable creatures, and though they show some signs of higher intelligence, their hyper-fixation on protecting the candles they wear on their heads might be preventing any kind of cultural advancement.
Still, they can be useful for one thing: mining.
Kobolds are creatures that come from beneath the earth, and thus are often found in the mines and rocky areas of Azeroth. In Warcraft Rumble, these goblinesque denizens of the deep serve as players' primary means of getting Gold from nodes. And of course, when played, Kobolds will sometimes let out a shrill "YOU NO TAKE CANDLE!!!" voice line.
2 Some Mini Abilities Mimic Their WoW Movesets
Tirion Fordring Casts Holy Light, Hogger Gets Enraged, Sneed Loves Gold & Sieges
Just like how Warcraft Rumble talents will mimic real WoW talents and abilities, so too do mini special abilities. A number of minis and leaders in Warcraft Rumble have a unique ability that differentiates them from members of the same faction or that share trait types. Tirion Fordring, for example, is a Tank just like the Abomination or Corehounds. However, he can also Heal allies thanks to his unique Leader ability.
Warcraft Rumble: Things to Buy First
Warcraft Rumble’s shop might initially seem confusing, but here’s how to target its most valuable offers early in the game.
Tirion's leader ability is simply called Holy Light, the same name as a major Priest healing spell in World of Warcraft. Leaders aren't the only ones whose special abilities harken back to the MMO, though. Whelp Eggs will only hatch when attacked, a callback to Onyxia's Lair, Abominations will pull enemy minis closer with a giant meat hook – Stitches would be proud.
1 The Big Red Button References Gnomeregan or A Battle for Azeroth Trinket
A Drop From The MOTHERLODE!!! Dungeon & A Useful Tool For The G.R.I.D.
The Big Red Button is an item that Warcraft Rumble players will use to reset all slots on the G.R.I.D. at once. Normally, when players buy an item off of the G.R.I.D. (or when the midnight rotation happens), only a few slots will refresh. But with a Big Red Button, players who don't like anything on offer don't have to waste their hard-earned gold just to get new options.
Big Red Buttons pop up as environmental objects throughout World of Warcraft, particularly in mechanical, Gnome-themed areas like Gnomeregan. There are big red buttons in the Mechjineer Thermaplugg fight, for example, that disable minion spawns. But it's also possible that the Big Red Button is a reference to the Battle for Azeroth trinket Razdunk's Big Red Button.
Razdunk's Big Red Button is an item that drops from The MOTHERLODE!!! megadungeon, from Mogul Razdunk. However, its effect is not to erase things but instead to launch a barrage of missiles at a location.
It's unclear which of these buttons is actually being referenced, but either way, a Big Red Button seems like exactly the type of thing a Gnome would add to a contraption like the G.R.I.D.
