Summary
- World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas said that Patch 11.1.5 was not up to standards.
- Bugs with the Nightfall scenario and the patch's staggered content release schedule frustrated players.
- Hazzikostas said that Blizzard must improve how it releases content without sacrificing quality.
- Horrific Visions Revisited and Dastardly Duos will arrive in the coming weeks.
World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikoztas stated that the launch of Patch 11.1.5, Nightfall, did not go according to plan and admitted that Blizzard needs to improve how it addresses bugs and other issues. Hazzikostatas also said that Blizzard will listen to World of Warcraft player feedback and adjust how it releases content during its patch cycles.
Patch 11.1.5 went live on April 22, nearly two months after the Undermined content update was launched. The 11.1.5 update was headlined by the titular Nightfall scenario, which saw World of Warcraft players team up with a new Arathi faction called Flame's Radiance in their ongoing campaign against the Sureki, a Nerubian splinter group loyal to the fallen Queen Ansurek. At launch, the Nightfall scenario was plagued by bugs that caused it to not function properly. Over several days, Blizzard made adjustments to how fast players can gain reputation with the Flame's Radiance and added new cosmetics to vendors.
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Despite Blizzard's ongoing efforts to improve the state of the Nightfall update, World of Warcraft's lead developer admitted more needs to be done. In a PC Gamer interview, game director Ion Hazzikostas said that Patch 11.1.5 did not meet the company's standards, and said that player frustrations over the bugs and lacking content from Nightfall's launch were justified. Hazzikostas said, "It's not the experience our players are expecting or deserve when they log in on patch day and they're excited to check out the new thing."
World of Warcraft Game Director Says Patch 11.1.5 Did Not Meet Blizzard's Standards
Hazzikostas also stated that the way Patch 11.1.5 staggered its content over several weeks, when compounded with the Nightfall scenario bugs, was a point of contention. Hazzikostas added that World of Warcraft player feedback has been loud and clear about the matter, and said, "There's too much that is being delayed and not enough that's available up front."
Two of Patch 11.1.5's headline features will be released in the coming weeks. Starting May 20, a Battle for Azeroth feature will make its return, as the Horrific Visions Revisited event will offer new ways for players to obtain Heroic gear and Void-themed cosmetic rewards. Two weeks later, the Dastardly Duos boss rush event will begin its first run, from June 3 to July 15.
"We're going to listen, we're going to learn, and we'll try to do better next time, both in delivering the content and setting expectations around how it's going to be paced."
Given that World of Warcraft operates on an eight-week patch cadence, Hazzikostas said the team will not stray from that course despite 11.1.5's issues. With Patch 11.1.7 likely coming out in early summer, it remains to be seen how much World of Warcraft player feedback will be utilized in the months ahead.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- pc, ps
- Cross Save
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
