Private auras in World of Warcraft, explained

Combat in the retail version of World of Warcraft, especially in Mythic+ dungeons and raids, is quite demanding. Not only do you have to keep track of your cooldowns and manage your class resources, but you have to deal with increasingly complex mechanics. Addons can help, but private auras restrict how much. 

Private auras were first introduced during Dragonflight, and this practice will continue in The War Within. They drastically change how you approach raid and dungeon encounters, so here’s everything you need to know about private auras in WoW. 

What are private auras in World of Warcraft?

Private auras are a special system in WoW that makes it harder for addons like WeakAuras, DeadlyBoss Mods, and BigWigs to access information about specific raid mechanics. This means you have to rely on your own instincts and timely reactions to deal with mechanics. 

The biggest problem with private auras is that often, you don’t have enough time to react to certain mechanics. This includes mechanics like moving to the correct spot, finding a partner, or keeping track of cooldowns. When you’re busy with your rotation, keeping up with the mechanics can be quite overwhelming—especially when you’re doing a Mythic+ dungeon or a Mythic raid. 

Without private auras, combat in WoW is, to an extent, automated, and all you need to do is to listen to the nice DeadlyBossMods lady telling you what to do. Private auras restrict addons only partially, and you still get notifications for certain mechanics.

In Dragonflight, private auras only apply to raids, but in The War Within, they will apply to Mythic+ dungeons too. 

If you ask me, I’d say that if Blizzard wants to keep private auras as a core part of WoW, the devs should trim down the number of mechanics in encounters. Typically, bosses have anywhere from five to 10 mechanics, and keeping track of all of them and their cooldowns in exhausting. It’s true—introducing private auras does leave more room for skill expression, but it also means Blizzard is suddenly removing tools players have been using for years now.