PixlBit

Blizzard recently announced the latest expansion for World of Warcraft. We break down what's new so you don't have to.

There was a whole mess of announcements made at this past weekend’s BlizzCon.  There was the revelation of a sweet collector’s edition of Diablo III and the news that it’s possible to get a digital copy of the game for free, but the biggest deal was the official revelation of World of Warcraft’s 4^th expansion: Mists of Pandaria.

The expansion will include access to the continent of Pandaria, a new race in the form of the native Pandaren, the addition of Monk as a class, a new mode called Challenge Modes, a Pet Battle System and a rise of the level cap to 90.  It’s a lot to take in so we at PixlBit decided to make it easy on you by rounding it all up in one comprehensive article. 

The Pandaren

The new race of anamorphic pandas is a mysterious race that has long been kept secluded within the mists of its homeland.  The Pandaren have the Monk, Mage, Rogue, Warrior, Hunter, Priest and Shaman classes available to them.  What makes the Pandaren unique besides their plushy exterior is that players that decide to play as one will have the choice of whether to join the Alliance or the Horde – further complicating and intensifying the clash between the two forces.

The Monk

Monks are masters of hand-to-hand combat and will only draw their weapons for a devastating finishing move.  They are limited in armor to cloth and leather as well as their weapon choice to fist weapons, one-handed axes, one-handed maces, one-handed swords, polearms and staves; however they more than make up for these limitations with their variety of combat moves and healing abilities.  This class is available for all races.

Challenge Modes

Challenge Modes offer a new way to reward players that promote teamwork.  Before you enter a dungeon you can select Challenge Mode.  This will normalize all of your equipment – to fit the instance and promote equality amongst the players – and you will attempt to get through the dungeon as fast as you can.  Upon completion your group will be awarded with one of three possible medals based on your time: bronze, silver or gold.

Pet Battle System

Borrowing liberally from games like Pokemon and Dragon Quest, the Pet Battle System will allow you to pit your pet against another players’ in a turn-based duel.  Each pet has a set of unique abilities that can be used in battle, the object being to take down the other cute and cuddly monster first.  You’ll also have the ability to collect new pets by encountering them out in the wild and defeating them with a pet in your kennel.

More details are sure to come, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted.