In addition to the PTR build, we also have a large set of hotfixes for the live game!
The class tuning pass has arrived, with big Feral changes and buffs for plenty of underperforming specs, as well as a few healer buffs on top. The PvP side of the tuning is much bigger, covering almost all classes. There’s two more changes in addition to the announced tuning, with a new Dragonflight Timewalking dungeon requirement to finish, and a Naigtal tweak.
Classes
- Druid
- Balance
- All damage increased by 4%.
- Feral
- Developers’ notes: Feral is performing well in M+, but their overall damage in raid is low. These changes shore up their single-target power and total raid damage.
- All damage increased by 3%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
- Melee auto-attack damage increased by 15%.
- Rip damage increased by 5%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
- Rampant Ferocity damage reduced by 15%. Does not apply to PvP combat.
- Restoration
- Developers’ notes: Restoration’s damage compared to other healers is lower than we’d like. We’re rebalancing some of Restoration Druid’s damage out of Thrash and into the rest of the kit.
- All damage increased by 15%.
- Bear Form Thrash damage reduced by 25%.
- Balance
- Evoker
- Devastation
- All ability damage increased by 3%.
- Devastation
- Mage
- Arcane
- All ability damage increased by 3%.
- Arcane
- Priest
- Holy
- Holy Word: Serenity healing increased by 20%.
- Holy Word: Sanctify healing increased by 20%.
- Holy
- Shaman
- Elemental
- Corrected an issue where Purging Flames could cause Lava Burst to generate less Maelstrom than intended.
- Restoration
- All healing increased by 4%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
- Elemental
Player versus Player
- Demon Hunter
- Devourer
- Developers’ notes: Devourer Demon Hunters have been performing above expectations, especially in defensive metrics, so self-healing is being reduced.
- Shattered Souls now heals for 0.5% of maximum Health per Soul Fragment consumed (was 1%) in PvP combat.
- Devourer
- Death Knight
- Unholy
- Developers’ notes: Unholy’s burst damage is overwhelming too frequently, so contributing abilities are receiving a reduction with some of that overall damage moving into the steadier output from Dread Plague.
- Putrify damage reduced by 15% in PvP combat.
- Soul Reaper damage reduced by 15% in PvP combat.
- Dread Plague damage increased by 15% in PvP combat.
- Unholy
- Druid
- Guardian
- Developers’ notes: Guardians’ burst potential with their apex talent has been higher than we would like for a tank specialization in PvP.
- Wild Guardian now echoes at 50% effectiveness (was 200%) in PvP combat.
- Guardian
- Evoker
- Fixed an issue where the Fire Breath Infuser during Evoker’s introductory quests would not reset the cooldown of Fire Breath.
- Augmentation
- All damage increased by 8% in PvP combat.
- Preservation
- Developers’ notes: Preservation Evoker is slightly overperforming in PvP, so we’re making one additional targeted nerf to them in this pass. Temporal Burst makes it hard for enemies to react to important casts like Sleep Walk, so we’re reducing its effectiveness.
- Temporal Burst increases haste, movement speed, and cooldown recovery rate by 15% in PvP combat (was 30%).
- Hunter
- Marksmanship
- Double tap now causes Aimed Shot to fire at 16% effectiveness or your next Rapid Fire to fire 16% additional shots (was 40%).
- Developers’ notes: We’re reducing Double Shot’s burst potential to allow enemy players to have more time to react to the Marksmanship Hunter’s incoming damage.
- Survival
- All damage increased by 3% in PvP Combat.
- Marksmanship
- Mage
- Frost
- Developers’ notes: We are redistributing some of Frost Mage’s damage out of Ray of Frost and into the rest of its kit with the intention of decreasing its burst capabilities and improving its steady-state pressure.
- Ray of Frost damage decreased by 20% in PvP combat.
All damage increased 3% in PvP combat.
- Frost
- Paladin
- Protection
- Developers’ notes: Templars’ burst capabilities have made Protection Paladin more of an offensive threat than we would like them to be in PvP.
- Divine Exaction now casts Divine Toll again at 25% effectiveness (was 75%) in PvP combat.
- Hammer of Light damage decreased by 30% in PvP combat.
- Retribution
- Developers’ notes: Retribution has been performing better than expected, so we are applying a small damage reduction.
- All ability damage reduced by 3% in PvP combat.
- Protection
- Priest
- Discipline
- Developers’ notes: Voidweaver Priests are dealing too much damage in PvP. We’re reducing some of that damage and increasing their healing to compensate.
- Expiation deals damage equal to 200% of the of the amount consumed from Shadow Word: Pain in PvP combat (was 300%).
- Inescapable Torment damage reduced by 25% in PvP combat.
- Shadow Word: Pain damage reduced by 10% in PvP combat.
- Voidweaver: Atonement healing increased by 15%.
- Oracle: Preventive Measures increases damage of Penance, Smite, Holy Nova by 20% (was 15%).
- Ultimate Penitence healing increased by 25%.
- Shadow
- Developers’ notes: In addition to a needed boost of overall damage, Shadow Word: Death is also receiving a buff intended to make its damage worthwhile when striking enemies in its low-health threshold.
- All ability damage increased by 4% in PvP combat.
- Shadow Word: Death damage increased by 45% in PvP combat.
- Discipline
- Shaman
- Restoration
- Developers’ notes: Farseer Restoration Shaman has been behind in performance in PvP compared to Totemic, we’re increasing the throughput of heals and effects provided by Farseer talents and their Ancestors to help close the gap.
- Farseer: Maelstrom Supremacy increases healing of affected spells in PvP by 20% (was 15%).
- Farseer: Hydrobubble’s effectiveness is no longer reduced in PvP (was a 20% reduction).
- Farseer: Heals cast by Call of the Ancestors increased in PvP by 30% (was 20%).
- Restoration
- Warrior
- Arms, Protection
- Developers’ notes: We’re slightly reducing Colossus’ ability to tank damage to make them more of a viable kill target.
- Mountain of Muscle and Scars reduces damage taken by 3% in PvP combat (was 5%).
- Arms, Protection
- Warlock
- Affliction
- All damage increased by 3% in PvP combat.
- Consuming Nightfall with Seed of Corruption on a target already afflicted with Seed of Corruption will cause the preexisting Seed of Corruption to detonate.
- Demonology
- Developers’ notes: Demonology damage while freecasting has not been as effective as we would like, so we’re targeting a few adjustments to Shadow Bolt and Demonbolt with the intention of increasing their ability to punish enemies for allowing them to chain casts together.
- Shadow Bolt damage increased by 200% in PvP combat.
- Demonbolt damage increased by 30% in PvP combat.
- Destruction
- Incinerate damage increased by 50% in PvP combat.
- Affliction
Dungeons and Raids
- Darkheart Thicket
- Players must now defeat Dresaron to complete the dungeon on Timewalking difficulty.
Naigtal
- Players can no longer be attacked while on Transport Skiffs in Naigtal.



