Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed it will not completely modernize the classes in the upcoming World of Warcraft: Forever, choosing instead to align closely with the traditional Classic experience. While the studio wants to preserve the established pacing, tone, and vanilla design, developers acknowledge that some original classes suffered from overly simplistic gameplay and wild power swings. To address this without speeding up combat or overcomplicating the experience, certain characters will gain a handful of new mechanics aimed at providing more engaging depth.
The development team is framing the project around a Classic Plus ethos governed by four distinct design pillars: nurturing social experiences, keeping the game approachable and familiar, treating the world as the main character, and prioritizing the journey over the destination. Encounter design will mirror these values by leaning heavily into the dungeon and raid atmosphere that defined early World of Warcraft, encouraging players to venture into the world and prepare adequately for challenges.
Regarding talent customization and specializations, the game will feature Dual Specialization unlockable at level 40. However, Blizzard intends to keep respec costs high to ensure that player choices feel meaningful, noting that cheaper beta pricing will scale quickly upon launch. Beta testers can expect an ambitious update schedule with batched class changes, paving the way for frequent weekly balance adjustments during the first six months before settling into a more stable design framework.
Blizzard Details Class Design Approach for World of Warcraft: Forever
Comments