Summary
- A World of Warcraft PTR update made changes to the D.R.I.V.E. Feature following feedback.
- Several parts will require going through the Undermine and participating in activities to unlock them.
- A horn was added to the D.R.I.V.E. Car, along with a silencing debuff if players honk too much.
The latest World of Warcraft public test realm (PTR) build for Patch 11.1 implemented player feedback concerning the upcoming D.R.I.V.E. Feature, which included a new horn and several changes to the speed and acceleration of individual parts. Blizzard asked World of Warcraft players to continue providing feedback on the PTR.
Patch 11.1, Undermined, will bring World of Warcraft players to the Undermine, the fabled underground home of Azeroth's myriad Goblin cartels. Although the Undermine will be smaller than some parts of Khaz Algar, the sprawling and dense city will allow players to travel through it quickly via a new ground mount system that Blizzard will implement in Patch 11.1 called the D.R.I.V.E. Feature. As Dragonriding changed how flying mounts worked in Dragonflight, the D.R.I.V.E. Mount system will give players a Goblin-made car that can be customized with different parts, paint jobs, and ways to customize its top speed and acceleration.
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Though the D.R.I.V.E. System is still being tested on the World of Warcraft PTR, Blizzard is already considering player feedback before Undermine's full launch. As a result, several changes were made to D.R.I.V.E. In a PTR build released in late January. The non-default parts for the D.R.I.V.E car now require unlocking via Undermine exploration and different activities, and the speed and acceleration properties of some parts, such as the GNZ Airmaster 9000, were adjusted. Additionally, boosts were given a tuning pass due to loading time constraints within the game's engine. Blizzard stated that the change should provide players with tighter controls during boosts, which could help with completing some of the new racecourses throughout the Undermine. The weakest boost part, the Handcrank, will allow players to maintain higher speeds over long distances, and the Steamboil boost can double a player's max speed for a short time.
Additionally, a Horn button has been added to the D.R.I.V.E. Interface, but World of Warcraft also added a silencing debuff for players who honk too much. The PTR update also made some balance updates to classes and specializations, such as the Enhancement Shaman and Marksmanship Hunter. Blizzard encouraged continued feedback on Patch 11.1 as the Undermined update draws closer to launch in the coming weeks. Patch 11.1's release date remained unknown at the time of writing.
With all the changes made so far to the D.R.I.V.E system, World of Warcraft players should have an easier time navigating through the Undermine. It remains to be seen if the D.R.I.V.E. System will be added to the rest of Azeroth in future updates.
World of Warcraft: Undermined PTR Development Notes (January 23, 2025)
D.R.I.V.E.
We’ve made significant changes to the D.R.I.V.E. System.
- Increased the height the G-99 Breakneck can climb over obstacles, such as fences.
- The D.R.I.V.E. Garage now requires you to unlock non-default parts. You can find them hidden throughout the Undermine and its activities.
- The G77C Ultra (the engine with the lowest max speed) is now the default engine. The Pozzik is now an unlockable option.
- Reduced the maximum speed of the GNZ Airmaster 9000 (the engine with the highest max speed) by 12.5%. Its acceleration at high speeds has been increased to compensate.
- Boosts have been significantly retuned due to loading time constraints. We believe these changes will increase the level of control you find while boosting. Please keep feedback coming on how you feel about these new boost levels.
- The Handcrank (the weakest boost) is now most effective at letting you maintain a higher than average top speed over long distances.
- The Steamboil (the strongest boost) is very good at kicking you up towards your max speed, and can nearly double your max speed when you are already moving fast.
- The Wildfuel Mk. 0 (the default boost) sits somewhere in-between these two.
- Horns have been added.
We have more improvements in development and we’ll share more soon.
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
World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It's one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.
