Summary

  • Fans uncovered unused spells and mechanics in Plunderstorm, hinting at a different battle royale experience.
  • Plunderstorm almost had a more traditional WoW theme with class-inspired items and abilities.
  • Players are intrigued by the unused features and hope they may be integrated into future WoW content.

World of Warcraft fans have discovered unused spells, mechanics, and other features that were relics of previous iterations of Plunderstorm. These features were left on the cutting room floor, but they suggest World of Warcraft nearly gave players a very different type of battle royale than the piratical clash they received.

Plunderstorm is World of Warcraft’s new battle royale game mode where players compete alone or in teams of up to three others to loot Plunder and earn special cosmetic rewards for both modern and Classic WoW. After fans drop onto the battlefield, they must scour it for spells and items to arm them against the competition to be the last ones standing.

wow dragonflight primal storms world event
Something is Wrong with the Primal Storms in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight

The Primal Storms, one of the first new world events in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, has been befuddling players with strange patterns.

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However, players have found some unused spells, items, and mechanics that indicate Plunderstorm was almost quite different. According to files discovered by Wowhead, Plunderstorm almost had a more traditional WoW theme, with items inspired by iconic classes or the infamous Goblins and Gnomes of World of Warcraft. These fans found almost a dozen unused spells – including some class-specific ones – several consumable items, and gameplay elements that never made the cut. WoW lead software engineer Orlando Salvatore, who did a lot of work on Plunderstorm, waxed about these old abilities on their personal Twitter, proving they are legitimate.

Removed Features from World of Warcraft Plunderstorm

  • A more generic Warcraft theme.
  • Class-specific utility spells like Anti-Magic Zone, Darkness, and Alter Time.
  • Offensive spells like Arcane Storm, Blessed Hammer, and Hellfire.
  • Consumable items like Goblin Landmines and Kaja’Cola Carrier Units.
  • Passive abilities that increase damage or healing, or synergize with blocking attacks.
  • Special weapons, such as a Hunting Bow, Illidari Warglaive, or Horn of the Frostwyrm.
  • Alternative gameplay mechanics, including ejecting from a shared airship, air dropped treasures, and vending machines.

It seems like some mechanics were removed from Plunderstorm as well. Various passive abilities or talents were discovered, suggesting players could have customized their characters’ offensive and defensive capabilities, and weapons may have allowed characters to change their basic attacks. It also appears as if fans initially deployed from a single air ship, rather than on individual parrot mounts, and there is evidence that air drops and vending machines may have been planned at one time – features Fortnite fans may recognize.

Though players have enjoyed Plunderstorm, seeing these artifacts from previous iterations intrigued them. Now that they have begun to master the battle royale, these fans wonder how much these unused mechanics would have changed the game. The experimental game mode set a new precedent for World of Warcraft, and many players would love to see some of these elements make their way into WoW somewhere in the future, either in Plunderstorm or an iteration of it.

Luckily, World of Warcraft is already working on new experiments after Plunderstorm. Fans should keep an eye out when these new forms of gameplay release to see if they can spot any of these unused mechanics from Plunderstorm retrofitted for a new experience.

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World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Tag Page Cover Art
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
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MMORPG
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Systems
PC-1
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Released
November 28, 2022
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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World of Warcraft: Dragonflight was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the ninth expansion pack for the iconic massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft.

Dragonflight features an overhauled user interface, raises the level cap to 70, and introduces a new race and class. 

Developer(s)
Blizzard, Activision
Publisher(s)
Blizzard, Activision
Franchise
Warcraft
Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
MMORPG