For the last few months, World of Warcraft players have wondered what exactly the highly anticipated WoW 10.2.6 update would add to the game. As it turns out, it's a limited-time game mode: the Plunderstorm. The Plunderstorm sees players battle it out to the last man – or Night Elf, or Tauren, or Vulpera, etc – standing in a Battle Royale-style format.

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Though it functions as a completely separate instance of the game, in which you start with a fresh set of abilities and a unique character, it has repercussions for both Classic WoW and Retail (modern) WoW. To take part, you don't even need to have Dragonflight. You just need the base WoW subscription. Read on to learn about how this WoW Battle Royale game mode works, and what rewards you can plunder from the Arathi Highlands.

Plunderstorm Event, Explained

A Pirate-Themed Battle Royale Within World Of Warcraft

When you launch WoW, you should see a new button at the top left of the screen. Click this to be brought to the Plunderstorm lobby, create your Buccaneer, and start a game. You can choose any race, and Faction doesn't matter as the combat is a free-for-all. Plunderstorm is a separate game mode from regular World of Warcraft and does not use your normal characters, their gear, or any cosmetics aside from what you toggle within Plunderstorm.

There are two game modes: Solos and Duos. As the names suggest, queueing for Solos means going into the Plunderstorm on your own, while Duos will either match you with another player or automatically queue up your two-person party. Solos will only play other Solos, and Duos will only play other Duos.

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Once the game starts, you are brought to Brew Bay, an area on the far eastern coast of the Arathi Highlands. After about 30 seconds of waiting for other teams to fill in, you will launch out of a cannon onto a giant Parrot above the Arathi Highlands map, which was revamped as a Warfront in Battle for Azeroth. Simply guide the Parrot to a landing location and start gathering spells & plunder.

Get Plunder In PvE & PvP Quests To Earn Reputation & Rewards

In the Plunderstorm, gathering Plunder is your primary goal. Most mobs and players you defeat (especially elites), chests you open, and areas you explore will have Plunder to collect. Simply walk over these piles to add them to your collection.

Additionally, the Captain's Orders quest refreshes every time you enter a match, and rewards a huge chunk of Plunder for completion. These are usually PvE quests, like Open Two Chests or Find Two Items, and typically can be completed quickly upon landing. You also get a bunch of Plunder for placing high in the round.

Plunder is converted one-to-one into Reputation for the Keg Leg's Crew Renown track. There are forty ranks in Keg Leg's Crew Renown, each with either a reward for Classic WoW or WoW: Dragonflight. Clearing each tier requires 2,500 Plunder, and players can expect to earn anywhere from about 200 to 1000 Plunder each match, depending on their performance.

Battle It Out With New, Random Spells To Be The Last One Standing

Aside from grinding out rewards with Keg Leg's Crew, players' main goal is to survive other players and the storm long enough to be the last one standing. To do this, you are given an Attack skill, a Healing Potion that refreshes every 30 seconds, and up to five slots for spells. These can be acquired from enemy players, NPCs, chests, and elites.

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Every player has two Offensive spells and two Defensive or Utility spells, in addition to one slot for various single-use items. The vast majority of these spells are unique to Plunderstorm, like the AoE damage-movement ability Fire Whirl or Windstorm – the latter of which can be charged for different effects, like Evoker spells in the main game.

Players can mix and match spells they find at will, and if you already have one that drops, picking it up will upgrade it. There are four tiers of Spell, each with reduced cooldowns, increased damage, or more useful effects. Don't plan to go into the Plunderstorm with a build in mind - instead plan to improvise, and have fun with the combinations you are handed rather than worry about finding a specific spell for a specific strategy.

All Plunderstorm Rewards in Classic & Retail

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World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

Platform(s)

PC

Released

November 28, 2022

Developer(s)

Blizzard , Activision

Genre(s)

MMORPG