WoW's Racial Ability Change Will Totally Reinvigorate Its RPG Elements

The first choice a player makes in almost every fantasy RPG is a character's race, and World of Warcraft is no exception. It serves as a pillar of the genre, with unique and distinct cultures and histories serving as a focal point for immersion and world-building. Before WoW's creation of a standardized starting zone, the beginning zone of a new WoW character was one of the most immersive experiences around. Choosing a Tauren and being sent to the rolling plains of Mulgore, with the towering Thunderbluff in the distance, set the tone for the rest of the game.

Beyond the classic starting zones, WoW has always had unique abilities for each race. One of the most interesting displays of this was priests in Classic WoW, where a player's choice of race would grant the character an additional unique ability that related to the race's history of religion. However, with any asymmetrical choice, the question of effectiveness will always arise. WoW's recent changes to underperforming racial abilities in patch 11.0.7 are a much-appreciated step in taking a look at both balance and immersion, breathing life into a system that has been somewhat neglected.

WoW's Changes To Racial Abilities Explained

Patch 11.0.7 Has Significantly Buffed Underperforming Racial Abilities

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It's no secret that certain racials are more desirable for high-end content. Dwarves and Night Elves have racial abilities that allow their users to simply ignore PvE mechanics, while the Orc racial, a 20% reduced stun duration, is a massive boon for PvP content. With top-performing abilities being essential for certain content modes, Blizzard is attempting to reevaluate the power of underperforming racials to better level the playing field.

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With patch 11.0.7, which is broken down in an update on the official Blizzard website, eight races in WoW: High Mountain Tauren, Worgen, Light-Forged Dranei, Void Elves, Vulperra, Highborne, Mag'Har Orcs, and Zandalari Trolls, have received significant buffs to their racial abilities. Though it will still be hard to compete with the best, time-tested racial abilities, these changes show Blizzard taking initiative in uplifting the system as a whole by shaking up the standard meta picks and adding more impact to a player's race choice at all levels of play.

Racial Ability Changes Will Boost WoW's RPG Elements

Racials Should Feel Like A Valuable And Unique Asset

Along with the Siren Isles content update, these changes have come with zero nerfs to other racial abilities. This is indicative of a balancing philosophy where underperforming abilities are uplifted, a choice that ultimately benefits a core RPG element. While it's impossible to raise every racial to the power of the best, at the very least, racials should be impactful. Players should not feel forced to choose a race that disinterests them thematically or visually. At the same time, a racial ability needs to be strong enough to enhance the theme of the chosen race.

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The choice of a race should feel like a meaningful decision, and as a large component of that choice, racial abilities should be exciting and fun to use. When a dwarf player survives a dungeon mechanic by using stoneskin, it's a win for both gameplay and immersion that serves as a reminder of the first choice a player makes. Every racial should be balanced in such a way to facilitate that impact, and World of Warcraft's recent changes are a step towards creating more of those essential moments for a more diverse range of races.

Source: Blizzard Entertainment