Leading up to the release of The War Within, Blizzard surprised manyWorld of Warcraftplayers when it started to introduce a couple of unique game modes. While PvE players fell in love with the Mists of Pandaria Remix event, the true standout seemed to come in the form of the battle royale Plunderstorm game mode. This was unlike anythingWorld of Warcrafthas seen since its inception, and with the start of 2025, it has made its grand return.
It will be exciting to see howWorld of Warcraft’s Plunderstormgrows from here. Since it returned once, there are likely plenty more battle royale adventures in store forWorld of Warcraftplayers as the years go by. But, even though this iteration is great to see, Blizzard really needs to tap into its potential further by taking the mode to whole new locales. Azeroth is sitting on a treasure trove of unique zones that could make perfect backdrops for Plunderstorm, so hopefully the studio explores it further.
WoW’s Plunderstorm Event Would Thrive With More Maps
More Maps Would Help Keep Plunderstorm Fresh
The concept ofWoW’s Plunderstormis fairly simple. 60 players are tossed into Arathi Highlands and must battle each other while also fending off all sorts of unique enemies. The more they destroy, the more loot they will gather, which can then be spent on various pirate-themed cosmetics. Once a game ends, they just go back to do it all over again. This makes for a fun-filled and satisfying gameplay loop, but some players may find it a bit lacking in the variety department, as there is only one map to explore.
Eventually, players may get burnt out by exploring the same exact map every single time. The matches tend to be quick, so they do not often linger within the zone for too long. But much likeevery battle royale before it, it will eventually need to shake up its map a bit to keep players coming back for more. If Blizzard does not keep things fresh or bring players to new locales, then they may end up tuning out of the game mode.
Azeroth is a Varied Place Filled With Unique Battlefields
Luckily, Azeroth is a massive place filled with varied zones that could make for the perfect battlefields to fight through.The major continents of Kalimdorand the Eastern Kingdoms have so many iconic locations, each expansion has added to Azeroth considerably with new areas to explore, there are entirely different planets like Draenor and Argus, and whole other planes of existence in the form of the Shadowlands. No matter what type of battlefield Blizzard wants to build,World of Warcrafthas somewhere that could fill that theme.
Blizzard could simply take one ofWorld of Warcraft’s many PvP battlefieldsand rework it to fit Plunderstorm. However, if it wanted to go the extra mile, it could also take a completely different zone and build a brand-new battlefield around it. Players would likely love to fight each other in zones such as Elwynn forest, Suramar, the Jade Forest, or Grizzly Hills. While it would take some work, it would be the perfect way to get players to come back for more.
As of now, it does not seem like Blizzard has any plans to further expand Plunderstorm with new maps. That being said, the studio does seem interested in improving the mode as it did introduce new rewards as well as a new system to earn said rewards. So, if it wants to improve it even further, then new maps may be the best way to do so.
