Highlights

  • Patch 10.2.6 brings a new battle royale mode called Plunderstorm to World of Warcraft with pirate-themed rewards.
  • Plunderstorm requires a new character with limited abilities, and players can collect loot to upgrade spells and win cosmetic rewards.
  • The limited-time event disables addons for a fair challenge and lets players earn renown points for exclusive items.

After weeks of anticipation, World of Warcraft pulled back the curtain on Patch 10.2.6, titled Plunderstorm, which was highlighted by a new battle royale game mode that players can try out. The new game mode was kept under wraps by the World of Warcraft development team and is considered a limited-time event in which players can earn cosmetic pirate-themed rewards including outfits and more.

The first indication of Patch 10.2.6's existence came when World of Warcraft revealed its 2024 roadmaps for both the Classic and retail versions of the game. Unlike other patches launched throughout World of Warcraft's 20-year history, Patch 10.2.6 did not have any public test realm (PTR) client to download, so players were largely kept in the dark over what the update contained. While World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale remained tight-lipped about the lack of updates concerning Plunderstorm, she reiterated that the reasons for keeping Patch 10.2.6 hidden would be justified once the update goes live.

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Blizzard posted a small tease that confirmed the presence of pirates in Patch 10.2.6, but the full picture was made clear on March 19. Though World of Warcraft remained in maintenance at the time of writing, Blizzard posted a blog update that covered what players could expect in Plunderstorm. Taking inspiration from titles such as Fortnite, Plunderstorm is a 60-player battle royale in the Arathi Basin. The Plunderstorm game mode is accessed from the character select screen in Dragonflight. World of Warcraft players must make a new character in Plunderstorm, but each class will play differently in this mode. With the Hearthstone anniversary event winding down, this new game mode will be a limited-time event that players can try. The duration of this event remains unknown.

What Is World of Warcraft: Plunderstorm?

  • 60-player Battle Royale set in the Arathi Basin.
  • Addons are disabled in Plunderstorm to ensure a fair fight.
  • Players will make new characters for Plunderstorm, with limited abilities and spells to start a match.
  • Players can plunder loot and new spells to take out the competition and earn rewards for participating and winning.
  • Limited-time event with no end date announced.

In Plunderstorm, defeating monsters and other players will allow combatants to collect treasure and upgrade abilities they find scattered throughout the map. As is the case in Fortnite, a storm will shrink the battlefield and any players caught in it will be eliminated. However, for participating and winning battle royales, WoW players will earn renown points that will give cosmetic rewards such as a pirate outfit. That said, World of Warcraft: Classic players will not be left out, as they can earn a special parrot mount by playing Plunderstorm. However, Plunderstorm requires downloading the retail version of World of Warcraft and an active subscription. Blizzard stated that all addons would be disabled in Plunderstorm to ensure a fair challenge for all players.

All in all, Plunderstorm is the first game mode of its kind to be put into World of Warcraft throughout its long history. But only time will tell how players will react to Plunderstorm, and how much feedback the developers will get.