Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
World of Warcraft Removing Traditional Raid Sets In Battle for Azeroth
At BlizzCon 2017, we interviewed World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas about the upcoming Battle for Azeroth expansion. Of significant note is that the iconic raid set bonuses that have been with WoW for ages will be phased out to give players more flexibility - not getting "locked" into certain pieces for months.
"With sets and cosmetic appearances we're always trying new things. We're currently not planning on carrying forward traditional raid class sets," says Hazzikostas. "So we're going to have artwise, the gear will be more heavily themed from the place it comes. There's more customization we want to express through the new Azerite system. I think class sets have changed a lot over a years of World of Warcraft. Back in the day, these 8 piece sets you would put together over the course of 6 to 8 months raiding a zone, where now the smaller sets and so many more sources of gear, it's very common to get 2 or 4 pieces at the start of a tier and it actually kind of locks down those character slots, it limits your choices. It feels like more of a drawback than a strength at this point."
Options from these sets, like enhancing certain abilities, will be rolled into how the Azerite system works so that players can customize around their strengths.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
