Plunderstorm

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For the patch, see patch 10.2.6.
Plunderstorm
Plunderstorm logo.png
Duration January 14 - February 25, 2025
Currency [Plunder]
Highlights Various Pirate-themed loot
Key art.
Avast, ye mateys! There's a Plunderstorm on the horizon. Grab all the plunder and avoid the deadly storm as you fight to be the last pirate standing.
Swap yer Plunder at the Plunderstore for booty from Keg Leg's private stash including some newly "acquired" treasures.[1]

Plunderstorm is a limited-time, standalone, pirate-themed event. It is a separate game mode for retail World of Warcraft, a 60-player Battle Royale-style event requiring only game time to play, and no expansion purchase is needed. Customize your character's appearance, then set out across the familiar grounds of the Arathi Highlands, slaying enemies and opening chests for plunder, abilities, and experience. The last pirate (or squad) standing wins!

The first Plunderstorm event lasted for six weeks, from 19 March 2024[2] to 1 May 2024.[3] The final two weeks of it included a "Plundersurge", awarding double Renown with Keg Leg's Crew for all Plunder gathered.[3]

The event is live once again and will last from 14 January to 25 February 2025. This second round replaces the Keg Leg's Crew Renown track with an in-game Plunderstore, where Plunder can be traded for rewards both new and old, including pets, mounts, toys, and more.[4]

Gameplay

Plunderstorm takes place on special Plunderstorm-only realms in the retail client, chosen at character select or queued from while in-game using the PvP tab of Group Finder. Players do not use their existing characters but make a new, classless character and can customize its appearance like normal and at will on the character select screen. They also will use their Battle.net account name as their character name. This means character names do not follow normal naming restrictions, and can have numbers and non-standard capitalization.

The character select screen and PvP tab also describe the game mode as follows:

  1. Win by being the last one standing.
  2. Kill creatures and enemies to level up and acquire spells.
  3. Upgrade spells by looting more copies of them.
  4. Use your heal ability when low on health.
  5. Spend your Plunder in the Plunderstore to unlock rewards.

Plunderstorm offers three game modes: Solos, Duos, and Trios, alongside an untimed Practice mode. If queuing for Duos or Trios, players can tag along with Battle.net friends or be placed with random players. Each match is 10-15 minutes long and has 60 players per match, with the winner being the last player or party standing.

  • Plunderstorm queue interfaces
  • Character select
    Character select
  • Group finder
    Group finder

Intro

Picking a landing location

Combat does not play out like traditional World of Warcraft, but instead (nearly) all abilities are telegraphed. Additionally, there is no auto-attack, and the only ability that is guaranteed to hit from range is [Rime Arrow]. All other abilities are skill shots— players and enemy creatures can step out of the telegraphed area of effect to dodge. Players can double jump and take no fall damage.

Defeated mobs and players are not looted, instead they drop piles of [Plunder] plus their held abilities and consumable items on the ground. Plunder is picked up automatically by running over it. Spells and items are picked up by clicking on them or using the interact key (F by default).

Upon death, it is possible to watch the match from the perspective of teammates (if they are still alive) or other players, including their loadout. Teammates can revive their partner by standing in the glowing circle surrounding their teammate's corpse and completing a long spellcast. Gathered Plunder is not lost on death. However, a copy of some of the player's Plunder can be picked up by other players.

After joining a game, players are sent to Brew Bay as a pre-match lobby area, on the eastern shore of Arathi Highlands where the Arathi coast dwarven farm would be on retail realms. While there, they can practice with abilities or speak with Da'kash Grimledger to customize their appearance for the upcoming game. They can also choose their landing location in the final 30 seconds before the match begins.

  • Plunderstorm interface
  • Action bar with default keybinds
    Action bar with default keybinds

In-match

A pile of Plunder.

Once the game starts, the character will get shot out of a cannon, and on the other side of a fade-to-black, will be on a bird gliding down to the ground.

Steer your crew in for a crash landing!

Players can steer the bird (using Skyriding-esque gliding and diving), aim at a location in range, then begin killing mobs and enemy players, and looting Plunder. The act of crash-landing on the ground will kill any enemy creatures caught by the impact.

Characters also start at level one at the beginning of the match, and gain XP from killing, opening chests, and looting Plunder. As the player gains more Plunder, the container on their back gets bigger.

Gaining a level yields:

Your health has increased. The damage of your abilities has increased.

After some time, the storm will arrive and close off parts of the map.

All hands on deck! A scourge of the storm has arrived!

Subsequent storms will close the playspace further and further until only a small circular area remains where Violent Lightnings also strike.

Arathi Sprinters are present all over the area and serve as a 15-second mount to more quickly get around the map without having to resort to abilities or the held item.

After death, the corpse of the deceased pirate drops where it was slain, along with all of their abilities and a copy of their Plunder. Dying is denoted by chat messages, depending if killed by an enemy combatant (player or creature) or by the Storm:

  • <Name> has eliminated <name>!
  • <Name> has been consumed by the Storm.

Abilities

Ability.

Level up and acquire new abilities and spells by killing creatures and enemies, looting chests, and avoiding the encroaching storm. There are a total of 12 offensive and 12 utility spells for players to find and experiment with. Upon picking up, spells and abilities are automatically added to the 7-button Action Bar, with two slots dedicated to offensive skills and two for utilities such as leaps, speed boosts, and crowd-control. Some abilities are more action-based and require good positioning and player targeting. Discover and experiment with different combinations to find synergies and your preferred play style.

Spells and abilities can be upgraded by discovering higher-quality versions from treasure chests or finding the same ability elsewhere and stacking it to Rank 4 (epic). There are also plenty of plundering opportunities—various treasure chests with different rarities that harbor all types of abilities are stashed around the map. Always stay on the lookout for better loot and upgrades.

The player's first kill is guaranteed to drop a spell, and elite enemies are also guaranteed to drop a spell. Non-elite enemies after the first have a chance to drop spells or items.

Offensive spells

Utility spells

Items

Alongside offensive and utility abilities, players can use several supplementary consumable items. Only one may be held at a time.

Enemies

Mobs include members of organizations commonly found in the Arathi Highlands, including the kingdom of Stromgarde, Horde, Syndicate, Boulderfist ogres, Witherbark forest trolls, and Drywhisker kobolds, as well as wildlife beasts. Non-elite enemies will respawn over time.

Elite mobs are denoted on the minimap with a star. When Pieces of Hate spawn, they appear on the zone map as skulls.

Quests

N [1WQ] Learn the Ropes or Walk the Plank serves as an introduction to the basics of the gameplay.

N [1WQ] Daily Doubloons is a daily quest awarding 800 Plunder, requiring players to complete their first captain order per day.

Every match has a world quest that awards 250 Plunder. It will appear in the quest area beneath the minimap post-landing after the match starts.

Stages

The playthrough is accompanied by scenario-like stages.

Summoning Scallywags
The tournament will begin once enough players have been summoned.
  • X/60 Solos
  • X/30 Duos
Loot and Plunder!
The amount of players that are alive.
X Players Remaining

Geography

Zone map

Plunderstorm uses the Battle for Stromgarde (Battle for Azeroth) version of the Arathi Highlands with some small additions and minor tweaks to block off exits to other zones and the addition of Brew Bay on the southeastern shore as well as new subzone names to existing areas in the main area.

Rewards

Plunderstore interface

Players earn [Plunder] during matches, which can then be traded in the in-game Plunderstore for cosmetics, pets, and mounts. A victory is not required to claim the spoils of a well-fought fight. Rewards are account-wide.

Winning a round awards 500 additional Plunder on top of what was collected during the round, the  [Plunder Wonder] feat of strength, and a pirate-themed attire for the Plunderstorm character for the next round.

The Plunderstore is available throughout the Plunderstorm game mode as well as in the PvP tab of Group Finder. Players who reached Renown 40 with Keg Leg's Crew in the first iteration and who wish to acquire all new items will need to loot 35,000 Plunder. The total Plunder outlay is 70,000.

The two [Trader's Tender] purchases are one-time per account, and if players already earned them in the first round of Plunderstorm they cannot be purchased again.

On 31 January 2025 (and eventually after several rounds of hotfixes), the crate of  [Storm-Singed Plunder] was mailed to players or sold by Da'kash Grimledger after earning 5,000 Plunder, one time per account. It contains two  [Keg-Leg's Bronze Spoils] (for 2x  [Swabbie's Lockbox]) and one  [Keg-Leg's Silver Spoils] for  [Pirate's Booty] containing one piece of Heroic Nerub-ar Palace loot.

Plunderstorev
Category Item Cost Added in
Pets  [Happy] 250 10.2.6
 [Bubbles] 500 10.2.6
 [Glamrok] 1,000 10.2.6
 [Sparklesnap] 2,000 11.0.7
 [Parley] 2,000 11.0.7
Mounts  [Silver Tidestallion] 1,500 10.2.6
 [Royal Seafeather] 5,000 10.2.6
 [Polly Roger] 5,000 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Midnight Crocolisk] 5,000 11.0.7
 [Hooktalon] 5,000 11.0.7
Toys  [A Tiny Plumed Tricorne] 500 10.2.6
 [Swarthy Warning Sign] 500 10.2.6
Other [Plundered Bag of Tender][note 1] 1,000 10.2.6
[Plundered Chest of Tender][note 1] 2,000 10.2.6
Weapons  [Deadly Dagger] 250 10.2.6
 [Blacksteel Saber] 250 10.2.6
 [Bloody Iron Cleaver] 250 10.2.6
 [Calcified Claymore] 250 10.2.6
 [Swabbie's Shovel] 1,000 11.0.7
 [Swabbie's Oar] 1,000 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Neck-Severer] 1,000 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Fine Rapier] 1,000 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Silver Cutlass] 1,000 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Gilded Sigil] 1,000 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Neck-Severer] 1,500 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Rapier] 1,500 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Cutlass] 1,500 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Sigil] 1,500 11.0.7
Guns  [Copper Cannon] 250 10.2.6
 [Marvelous Multi-Shot] 500 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Hand Cannon] 1,000 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Hand Cannon] 1,500 11.0.7
Swabbie  [Spun Cotton Shirt] 250 10.2.6
 [Quilted Breeches] 250 10.2.6
 [Swabbie's Gloves] 250 10.2.6
 [Surefooted Boots] 250 10.2.6
Snazzy  [Fine Crimson Doublet] 250 10.2.6
 [Handwoven Trousers] 250 10.2.6
 [Swindler's Cutouts] 250 10.2.6
 [Silent Leathers] 250 10.2.6
Strapping  [Plunderlord's Tricorne of Admiralty] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Tassled Spaulders] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Waistcoat] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Fancy Trousers] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Pilferers] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Golden Cinch] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Cuffs] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Muckscrapers] 250 10.2.6
Stormridden  [Plunderlord's Stormridden Tricorne] 1,00 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Spaulders] 1,000 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Waistcoat] 1,000 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Trousers] 500 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Pilferers] 250 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Cinch] 250 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Cuffs] 250 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Muckscrapers] 250 11.0.7
Head  [Warm Woolen Cap] 250 10.2.6
 [Storm Captain's Hat] 250 10.2.6
 [First Mate's Dashing Cap] 1,000 11.0.7
 [First Mate's Dashing Headgear] 1,000 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Old Eye Patch] 2,000 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Old Hat] 2,000 11.0.7
 [Plunderlord's Monocle] 500 10.2.6
Tabard  [Plunderlord's Tabard] 5,000 10.2.6
Back  [Weatherproven Drape] 250 10.2.6
 [Skulker's Cloak] 250 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Drapery] 500 10.2.6
 [Plunderlord's Stormridden Drapery] 1,000 11.0.7
 
  1. ^ a b Once per account. Not purchasable if obtained in the previous Plunderstorm.

Achievements

The collection achievements are the replacement means of getting the titles from the Keg Leg's Crew renown track. Plunder collected from the first round of Plunderstorm counts for the new achievements, which were retroactively awarded with the launch of patch 11.0.7. All achievements are classified as feats of strength given the limited-time nature of the event:

Plunderstorm achievements
Achievement Criteria Title
 [Plunder Wonder] Win a match
 [Lub and Plunder] 2,500 [Plunder] Landlubber
 [Swabbie Swag] 10,000 Swabbie
 [Decked Out] 25,000 Deck Hand
 [Buckled Up] 50,000 Swashbuckler
 [Plunder Siege] 100,000 Buccaneer
 [Lord of the Bling] 150,000 First Mate
 [It's a Plunderful Life] 250,000 the Treasured
 [Plunderkind] 1,000,000

Tracking macro

On retail realms, the tracking macro below will link the  [Plunderkind] achievement and display the current total of [Plunder] looted. It should be copy/pasted as one line: 

/run local c,_,_,_,a,b=BreakUpLargeNumbers,GetAchievementCriteriaInfo(20509,1) print(GetAchievementLink(20509),c(a),"of",c(b),C_CurrencyInfo.GetCurrencyLink(3139))

Notes and trivia

  • AddOns and Edit Mode are not available.
  • Owning the current expansion is not required, only game time is required to play this game mode.[5]
  • In the place of the class name in the tooltip, player characters are Adventurers.
  • Racial languages are not available in the menu.
  • After winning a match, you will have a special tabard and avatar during the next match to signify your recent victory, as well as the Inv cape special treasure c 01.png First Rate Mate buff during the lobby.
  • The minimap uses the world map.
  • Plunderstorm was inspired by various battle royales, MOBAs, fighters, and RTS games including Warcraft III.[6]
  • Plunderstorm was originally conceived as an internal PvP experiment, before playtests at Blizzard revealed it was fun even when its prototype version was still "really crude and not very good-looking." So it was re-pitched and reconceived as a limited-time, end-of-expansion event that would unify both retail and Classic players for a fun time that wouldn't have significant consequences for either.[7]
  • During development, the original map was Drustvar, but the verticality of the map proved difficult to navigate.[8]

Gallery

User interface
  • Plunderstorm entry in the retail character select screen
    Plunderstorm entry in the retail character select screen
  • Original character select screen
    Original character select screen
  • Plunderstore, starting area, and Da'kash Grimledger waypoint
    Plunderstore, starting area, and Da'kash Grimledger waypoint
  • Action bar and Spectate mode
    Action bar and Spectate mode
  • Player count, Storm timer, Plunder collected
    Player count, Storm timer, Plunder collected
  • Level up
    Level up
  • Rewards track
    Rewards track
  • Victory screen in The War Within
    Victory screen in The War Within
  • Placed screen in The War Within
    Placed screen in The War Within
  • Victory screen in Dragonflight
    Victory screen in Dragonflight
  • Dead message in Dragonflight
    Dead message in Dragonflight
  • Character select during Dragonflight
    Character select during Dragonflight
  • Group finder before trios option was available
    Group finder before trios option was available

Videos

Load video
Video Link

Patch changes

  • TheWarWithin-Petopia-Logo.png Hotfix (2025-01-31):  [Storm-Singed Plunder] added.
  • TheWarWithin-Petopia-Logo.png Hotfix (2025-01-22): Trios mode re-added.
  • TheWarWithin-Petopia-Logo.png Patch 11.0.7 (2024-12-17): Second round started on 14 January 2025. Notable changes:
  • Dragonflight-Icon-Inline.png Hotfix (2024-03-29): Added a Kill Counter to the in-game user interface. Kills are now counted next to Plunder Collected.
  • Dragonflight-Icon-Inline.png Hotfix (2024-03-27):
    • The Storm's fury swells! Lightning strikes during the final stage of the Storm are faster and more dangerous than before.
    • There is now a delay of 20 seconds after being revived where players no longer drop collected Plunder.
    • Additional enemies now spawn at Witherbark Village, the wild area northeast of Go'Shek Farm, and the wild area between Witherbark Village and Boulderfist Hall.
    • Fixed an issue where swapping back to default sword and gun appearances were not saving correctly.
    • Fixed an issue so that now, picking up an additional rank 2 spell while the same rank 2 spell is equipped properly grants the rank 4 version of the spell.
    • The Captain's Orders quest "X Marks the Spot" now requires 1 item to be picked up (was 2 items).
  • Dragonflight-Icon-Inline.png Hotfix (2024-03-26):
    • Plunder contained in dropped piles of Plunder increased by 50% in Solos matches.
    • Reviving a teammate now takes 10 seconds (was 15 seconds).
    • Adjusted the in-match leveling curve to increase the rate at which you level up to 7. Decreased the rate at which you level to 8, 9, and 10.
  • Dragonflight-Icon-Inline.png Hotfix (2024-03-21):
    • Player matchmaking ratings (MMR) have been adjusted so that players should find themselves in better matches with continued play.
    • Fixed a bug that caused plunder dropped by players on death to unintentionally despawn when the killed player left the match.
    • Players are now immune to knockbacks when standing near Da'kash Grimledger in the preparation area.
    • Adjusted experience gained when playing Duos and fixed a bug that was increasing experience gain at level 3.
  • Dragonflight-Icon-Inline.png Hotfix (2024-03-20):
    • Plunder dropped by other players significantly increased.*
    • Plunder from non-player enemies increased by 50%.
    • Plunder from golden chests doubled.
    • Top placement in a match now rewards 500 Plunder (was 100).
*Please note: when you die, you do not lose any of your own plunder. With this change, you’re now worth more plunder to others, depending on how much you’ve collected during the match.

References

 
  1. ^ Calendar description
  2. ^ Heather Newman 2024-03-21. Blizzard secretly made a battle royale game inside World of Warcraft to 'break the rules' it's had for 20 years. PC Gamer. Retrieved on 2024-03-19.
  3. ^ a b Take a Dive into Plunderstorm's Plundersurge!. Blizzard Entertainment (2024-04-15).
  4. ^ The War Within PTR: 11.0.7 Content Update. Blizzard Entertainment (2024-10-30).
  5. ^ WoWCast Episode: Get Ready for the Plunderstorm
  6. ^ Cameron Koch 2024-03-19. WoW Plunderstorm, Blizzard's Take on Battle Royale, Makes Traditional MMO Gameplay Walk The Plank. Gamespot. Retrieved on 2024-03-19.
  7. ^ John Hight interview with IGN
  8. ^ Orlando Salvatore on Twitter (2024-03-22).​ “During the development of Plunderstorm, we playtested A LOT, usually at least 3 times a week. Everyone gave a lot of feedback daily. We tried a lot of things. One example: The original map we were using was Drustvar but the verticality was bit… tough to navigate 😅”

External links

World of Warcraft Community Site World of Warcraft Community Site ARR, Mateys! The Plunderstorm Makes Landfall Once More!
World of Warcraft Community Site World of Warcraft Community Site Shiver Me Timbers! Make Ready for the Incoming Plunderstorm!
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