Battle for Azeroth has run its course, and on October 13, the prepatch for Shadowlands will hit live retail servers. A prepatch is an update that comes before the actual expansion launch, typically 4-6 weeks, and includes all of the system-level changes coming with the expansion.
This means retiring some of the previous expansion’s features, while leaving actual new content for when the expansion goes live. It’s also the perfect time for new players to start playing without having to worry about any of the previous expansion’s endgame systems.
It’s currently unknown how long this prepatch cycle will last, as Shadowlands has recently been delayed until sometime later this year. The time in-between allows players a chance to get accustomed to how their characters play well beforehand, instead of scrambling as everything goes live at once.
Many different classes have had their abilities changed, expanded, and added upon, creating new playstyles and different rotations. It’s now a great time to experiment with your class and see what works best, or maybe try a new class altogether. Shadow Priests had a lot of work done to their talents, creating an alternative sanity-driven mechanic rather the frantic button-mashing rotation they were used to, though that gameplay style is still available for those want it. Enhancement Shamans also received major attention to their class abilities, allow them to use their longer cast spells instantly as part of their rotation with Maelstrom weapon charges.
Crafting professions have received a new optional reagent called Relics of the Past, allowing weapons and armor from past expansions to scale up to level 50. Inserting these relics at varying levels into crafted items can make them once again relevant and useful. It might not be uncommon to see someone carrying a scaled-up Hand Ragnaros, even 14 years later.
Allied races, a variation of existing races and a feature of Battle for Azeroth, were previously unlocked via a combination reputation and quests. The prepatch is removing the reputation requirement, so every allied race is available to players after a small questline, creating much more variety when choosing what races can play certain classes.
Speaking of new race variety, the prepatch is also introducing new racial customizations to every standard race, which allied races will inherit as well. Players can now choose between a vast array of different looks for their characters, further creating variety even among players of the same race.
World of Warcraft now officially supports gamepad integration. This was something previously only capable through add-ons, but now players can plug in Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers, as well as other third-party controllers, to work intuitively with ingame menus, combat, and movement.
Azerite, a mainstay of Battle for Azeroth, is officially retired. This was a hotly contested feature many players found faults with throughout the duration of the expansion with, including Azerite traits, and the Heart of Azeroth neckpiece. Azerite was developed further with each patch to eventually include essences. Azerite armor will continue to function as it does now in the islands of Zuldazar and Kul’Tiras, but only if the Heart of Azeroth neckpiece is equipped along with it.
Another divisive feature of Battle for Azeroth, patch 8.3 specifically, Corruption, is being retired. This system allowed gear to have different special effects, similar to enchants, that increased stats or damage, though each effect came with an ever-increasing negative effect as well. Corruption made stats scale to the highest World of Warcraft has ever seen, but it’s randomness often felt unrewarding and unearned. Come prepatch, all gear with corruption will have grayed out text of the previous corruption on it, making those special effects unusuble, though the rest of gear stats will function normally.
The prepatch introduces a Scourge invasion, the third time the scourge has made their way to the mainland of Azeroth (the first time during the lead up the Naxxramus raid in original World of Warcraft, and the second during the prepatch event before Wrath of the Lich King expansion). Sometime later in the prepatch cycle, this scourge invasion will have rare monsters and bosses all over the world that can drop powerful items, perfect for those just getting back into World of Warcraft and preparing for their adventure into Shadowlands.
Last but not least, leveling has been completely revamped once again. Rather than starting at level 1 and questing through each expansion in release order, players now have the option to pick and choose which expansion they level up in. Once a player hits level 10, they can visit the bronze dragon Chrome and decide which expansion they will spend the rest of their time questing through all the way up to level 50, before moving onto Shadowlands.
Feel free to read the official Shadowlands prepatch notes in full and see what changes you’re most excited about.
The Trench Run 