WoW players left disappointed with ‘literal trash’ Azerothian Archives

World of Warcraft Dragonflight Patch 10.2.5 hasn’t even been out for a full day, and players are already calling it “broken,” “buggy,” and “literal trash content.”

WoW Dragonflight Patch 10.2.5 came out on Jan. 17, bringing in plenty of quality-of-life features. These include dragonriding everywhere in the world, Follower Dungeons, and even new story content about liberating the Worgen city of Gilneas. However, one feature everyone seems to dislike is Azerothian Archives.

Azerothian Archives center around uncovering long-lost treasures around Dragon Isles. It’s essentially a new Archeology mechanic but with a few twists. You now summon an elemental and use it to excavate treasures. But to use the elemental, you need to keep its power balanced. This is done by interacting with objects and totems around each excavation spot. For example, a fire element needs fire and water, so it has just the right amount of heat to excavate properly. 

While the idea sounds fun on paper, it’s executed poorly, according to WoW players. Many are complaining the system is needlessly complicated and that the old Archeology mechanic was more fun. 

Unfortunately, even those who potentially like the new mechanic can’t seem to enjoy it because of all the bugs. The elemental balance can quickly drop and rise without warning, excavation progress resets, dirt mounds, and totems don’t spawn, and if other players are in your vicinity, it becomes almost impossible to finish an excavation. The quest The Body on the Banks was pretty much impossible until you turned on War Mode.

As it stands, the Azerothian Archives is arguably the most frustrating part of the new update. While Blizzard will likely address this issue via a hotfix, we have to wonder why it couldn’t just upgrade the existing Archeology system that most players already liked. 

As the proverb says: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. ” But sadly, Blizzard did just that.