4 lessons we learned during WoW Dragonflight season one

Season one of WoW Dragonflight is quickly approaching its end date. Next month, the game will completely shift its scope to welcome a new content patch, as well as a new season. With that new season will come an entirely new pool of Mythic+ dungeons and the game’s next raid, Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible. 

Throughout the first five months of Dragonflight’s lifespan, WoW players quickly learned Dragonflight makes for a much different adventure than expansions past. The introduction of new gameplay systems—including those surrounding PvE content, professions, and the new Dragonriding feature—has already turned Dragonflight into one of the most immersive WoW expansions ever. 

Whether they were humbling or eye-opening, here are four of the biggest lessons we learned during WoW Dragonflight season one. 

Gear is harder to come by

Kitting out your character in best-in-slot gear is always a season-long task, but in Dragonflight, it’s become clear that getting the best items for your character takes a bit more legwork (and luck) than usual. This season, “Very Rare” items were introduced to certain bosses’ loot pools, and although they’re hard to come by (relative to standard gear pieces), these items are also incredibly powerful for certain classes. Items like the Seal of Diurna’s Chosen and Whispering Incarnate Icon (among others) are best-in-slot options for multiple specs across multiple roles, making it a competitive race whenever one of these items drops for a raid team. 

Related: The most powerful items in WoW Dragonflight season one

Very Rare items are still on the table in Dragonflight season two, as are class-specific trinkets, among other unique items. While players quickly learned that powerful items (while cool) are going to be tough to get their hands on, it’s now up to Blizzard to make those items feel like less of a requirement and more of a reward, especially at the game’s highest levels. 

The world is more open than ever

Dragonflight has turned WoW into the open-world experience it’s been yearning to get back to for years. The introduction of Dragonriding has opened up the game’s landscape, making every corner of the Dragon Isles worth exploring. In between your raid nights and Mythic+ sessions, you’ll want to spend every moment delving into Dragonflight’s open world content. 

Unlike other expansions, where some of the best pastimes were running circles around Dalaran or Oribos, the Dragon Isles are consistently beckoning you for an adventure. Whether you’re grinding reputation, clearing out world quests, or indulging in the practically endless side stories the game has to offer, the world of Dragonflight is wide open—and we’re expecting that sense of adventure to stay intact when a new season begins next month. 

Mythic+ affixes are under a microscope (and Blizzard is watching closely)

Mythic+ affixes have never been under this much scrutiny from the WoW player base as heavily as they’ve been at the start of Dragonflight. Constant discussion surrounding them throughout season one has pushed Blizzard into making changes to Mythic+ ahead of season two. Big changes are coming to Mythic+ affixes in season two, including the introduction of three new affixes, the retirement of others, as well as the complete doing-away-with of seasonal affixes such as Thundering. 

Related: Here’s everything coming to WoW Dragonflight in Patch 10.1: Embers of Neltharion

Blizzard is listening to player feedback in this expansion far more than it did during Shadowlands, and it’s already showing. Beyond M+ affixes, Blizzard is taking fans into account in regard to the content release schedule as the player base has been sufficiently sated with a constant stream of playable content throughout the expansion’s first five months. During previous expansions, gaps between releases took months. But so far in Dragonflight, players have had good reasons to log back into the game during the midway patches—Patch 10.0.5 and Patch 10.0.7—and will soon have even more reason to play the game at an increased clip once the massive Patch 10.1 releases next month. 

Alts are important if you want them to be

While some players have always sworn up and down to the belief that one character is enough for them, Dragonflight has disproven that notion by making alts relevant and beneficial. While you don’t have to be an “altoholic” to get the most out of Dragonflight, the catch-up systems in place for this expansion have made it easier than ever to bring new characters into the fold (if you want them). 

High-end raiders can make the most out of their alt army by swapping out characters, specs, and “buckets” in their team comps, while casual players can finally try out new classes they’ve always wanted to dive into without feeling like they’re always behind the curve. 

WoW Dragonflight Patch 10.1 is set to launch on May 2, with the game’s second season coming one week later on May 9. The season is expected to last through the fall of 2023. And with how rapidly the expansion is evolving, it’s expected that both the player base and Blizzard will have learned even more lessons by the time season three rolls around.