WoW players agree this class is in a ‘permanent identity crisis’ and never gets any love

Blizzard Entertainment balances World of Warcraft Dragonflight on a regular basis with patches and hotfixes, but one class is seemingly always missing from the patch notes, never getting the love it deserves.

On Sept. 17, players started a discussion on WoW’s subreddit about which class gets the least attention from Blizzard and feels neglected, and according to many, this is Monk. 

“I still feel like Monk has kind of a permanent identity crisis and Blizzard can’t ‘be assed’ to really develop their core design,” one player explained.

Generally speaking, the healer spec, Mistweaver, is currently in a weird spot, playing as both a ranged and melee healer. Windwalkers can’t excel in either cleave or single-target, and Brewmaster Monks are “somewhat messy with the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink-rotation.”

It feels as if Blizzard has its own pets and classes like Mages, Priests, and Rogues are continuously getting all the attention while Monk specs can’t get their five minutes in the spotlight. 

Monks released in the Mists of Pandaria expansion, and have never had a clear-cut identity, always feeling clunky and bloated, and having off rotations, gameplay, and talents. The class has never felt fully cohesive, never excelling at anything, and the design seems rushed or patched together. 

What happens to classes when Blizzard neglects them like this is that players abandon them, and the devs forget it entirely because no one is actually playing that class. Another spec that has had a similar history to Monks is Feral Druid because many players deem it just as another Rogue spec not worth playing. So, how can these classes and specs keep up with the likes of Mages and Rogues who get regular updates and are simply irreplaceable because of their utility?

While most classes can expect a rework sooner or later, Monks have never truly gotten the attention they deserved akin to what Retribution Paladins, Shadow Priests, and Mages got. So, I can’t really tell what the future holds for Monks, but I hope it’s a bright one.