WoW battle royale game mode, Plunderstorm, explained

World of Warcraft has introduced a completely new game mode to the longstanding MMO with Plunderstorm, a battle royale game mode that takes place entirely in the WoW gameplay model.

With no classes or previous progression of any characters required to participate in this BR game mode, Plunderstorm is a completely fresh take on WoW that allows players to customize their characters’ kits every time they drop into a match. There are elements of both PvE and PvP present in Plunderstorm, giving you countless ways to interact with the evolved version of WoW’s combat system. 

Plunderstorm, as the name would imply, has tons of loot available for players to collect as it’s a pirate-themed game mode that has an epic amount of booty waiting to be claimed. Even beyond in-game valuables, there’s a battle pass-like system in Plunderstorm where you can net rewards that translate over to your actual WoW accounts on both Classic and Dragonflight servers. 

Plunderstorm is set for an immediate release, with the game mode scheduled to go live later today. Here’s everything you need to know about WoW’s new battle royale mode. 

How to play WoW Plunderstorm

Plunderstorm is a totally separate game mode from traditional World of Warcraft, meaning none of the progress you made in the actual game will carry over into the BR. You’ll be given a fresh lineup of abilities and a new slate every time you fire up Plunderstorm, similar to other battle royales. Each time you drop into a game, you’ll be able to pick up abilities off the ground and upgrade your spells by taking down other players in combat. Like any traditional battle royale game mode, the last player (or team) standing out of the starting 60 is crowned the champion.

Games of Plunderstorm typically take about 10 to 15 minutes, according to Blizzard. The investment needed for Plunderstorm is exceptionally low as the only requirement is an active World of Warcraft account with the Dragonflight client installed as this game mode uses the modern WoW engine, not the Classic one. 

The only cross-progression that’s apparent between WoW Plunderstorm and the official game are the rewards you’ll earn when playing the battle royale. Almost every item you get on the renown track in Plunderstorm can be applied to your characters in both modern and Classic WoW. 

What kind of rewards can you earn in Plunderstorm? 

Many rewards available via the 40-level renown track in Plunderstorm carry over to actual WoW. You don’t need to win your Plunderstorm games to earn progress on the renown track, although the better you perform in each game, the more renown levels you’ll earn. 

Rewards available to claim in Plunderstorm include mounts, transmog sets, and pets that can be used across the different eras of WoW. 

When is Plunderstorm available to play?

WoW Plunderstorm is going live later today, March 19. The surprise drop will be available to play once the weekly server maintenance ends, meaning all you’ll have to do when the game goes back up is launch modern WoW (Dragonflight) and select the Plunderstorm icon once you get into the character select screen. From there, you’ll be able to invite your party members or dive in solo.