Senior Game Director Ion Hazzikostas recently talked to PC Gamer about the upcoming Liberation of Undermine raid in Patch 11.1. Hazzikostas emphasized Blizzard’s intent to reduce dependency on addons like WeakAuras, which have become staples in the raiding community…
Over WoW’s history, player sophistication and the prevalence of raiding addons have grown hand in hand. Addons like WeakAuras provide players with precise instructions and alters, often trivializing mechanics that designers intended to be challenging. However, this reliance creates a feedback loop:
- Addons simplify boss fights by interpreting game mechanics.
- Blizzard responds by designing more complex fights to maintain difficulty
- Players are forced to adopt addons that handle the increased complexity.
This dynamic, which Hazzikostas described as an “arms race,” has led to a situation where encounters often feel overwhelming for players not using addons.
Breaking the Cycle
Blizzard’s solution is to gradually limit addon functionality in raids and improve in-game tools to provide cleared cues and better accessibility. Ion noted that addons sometimes undermine the core gameplay experience, leaving players disconnected from the encounter’s intended design.
“A player might say this was a boring encounter because I was doing my DPS rotation for 3 minutes except for the one time my mod told me to do something. That may make us add a new mechanic, which in turn can make the encounter feel complex or overwhelming for someone who isn’t using those addons.
By clawing back some of the automation and decision-making provided by these addons, Blizzard hopes to create a more engaging experience that doesn’t require third-party tools to enjoy fully.
Liberation of Undermine: A Testing Ground
The upcoming Patch 11.1 raid may serve as a proving ground for this philosophy. The raid promises innovative mechanics tied to its underground setting, including environmental interactions like slippy floors and fights integrated into the lore-rich Grand Casino of Undermine.
You can read the full interview at PC Gamer.