Blizzard Entertainment has announced that Phase 3 of the World of Warcraft 20th Anniversary Edition will launch on March 20, 2024. This significant update brings the challenging Blackwing Lair raid, new reputation rewards, and level 50 class quests to Anniversary Edition realms. The accelerated content release schedule continues to surprise veteran players as Blizzard celebrates two decades of the iconic MMORPG.
Blackwing Lair Returns in Phase 3
The most anticipated addition in Phase 3 is undoubtedly Blackwing Lair, the iconic 40-player raid where adventurers will face off against Nefarian and his draconic minions. This challenging raid instance originally released in 2005 will once again test guild coordination and reward players with powerful tier 2 armor sets and legendary weapons.
Blackwing Lair represents a significant step up in difficulty from Molten Core and Onyxia's Lair, requiring precise execution of mechanics and strong raid leadership. Players on Anniversary Edition realms will need to complete the attunement quest chain to access the raid, which involves retrieving the Drakkisath's Brand item from Upper Blackrock Spire.
New Reputation Rewards and Class Content
Phase 3 isn't just about raiding. Blizzard is also introducing new reputation rewards across various factions in World of Warcraft. While specific details haven't been fully revealed, these typically include powerful equipment, recipes, and other valuable items for players who've earned standing with factions like Argent Dawn, Thorium Brotherhood, and various capital city factions.
Additionally, level 50 class quests will become available, offering class-specific challenges and rewards. These quests traditionally provide unique items and abilities that enhance class identity and power, giving players more progression paths outside of raiding.
What's Causing Community Concerns?
The announcement has sparked discussions within the World of Warcraft community, particularly regarding the accelerated release schedule compared to the original WoW Classic timeline. Many players feel that content is arriving too quickly, giving less time to fully experience each phase before new challenges arrive.
A significant point of contention revolves around Black Lotus availability. This rare herb, crucial for endgame flask crafting, has been difficult to obtain due to limited spawn points and competition from both legitimate players and bots. Some players are requesting spawn rate changes similar to those implemented in Season of Discovery to make these essential materials more accessible.
- Concerns about accelerated content release pace
- Black Lotus farming and availability issues
- Bot activity controlling high-level crafting materials
- Requests for changes to resource spawning mechanics
- Questions about missing patterns from reputation vendors
Anniversary Edition vs. Retail WoW
It's important to note that this update applies specifically to the World of Warcraft 20th Anniversary Edition realms, not to retail World of Warcraft. The Anniversary Edition is Blizzard's celebration of the game's 20-year milestone, offering players a chance to experience the original game with some quality-of-life improvements.
The Anniversary Edition has been following an accelerated timeline compared to the original WoW Classic launch in 2019, allowing players to progress through the iconic content at a faster pace while still experiencing the nostalgic journey through Azeroth's earlier days.
What's Next for Anniversary Edition?
While Blizzard hasn't officially announced the timeline for subsequent phases, if the current pace continues, players can likely expect Phase 4 (which typically includes Zul'Gurub and the Green Dragons) to arrive sometime in late spring or early summer 2024. This would be followed by the opening of the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj and eventually Naxxramas to complete the Classic content cycle.
For complete details on Phase 3 content, players can visit the official World of Warcraft website, which provides comprehensive information about all the upcoming features and changes.
Are you excited to tackle Blackwing Lair again or for the first time? Will you be focusing on reputation grinding or class quests? Let us know in the comments below, and prepare your raid teams for March 20 when Phase 3 goes live across all Anniversary Edition realms.