Summary
World of Warcraftis finally changing the animations for certainShadowlandsCovenant abilities that have since been baked into many class Talent Trees. This cosmetic change will come as a part ofWorld of WarcraftPatch 10.2.5, Seeds of Renewal.
During theShadowlandsexpansion,World of Warcraftintroduced four new abilities for every class–one for each of the Covenants players could join. With the introduction of thenew Talent Trees inDragonflight, many of these Covenant Abilities became powerful optional skills players could spec into. However, these skills retained their original animations that, though high-quality on their own, matched the aesthetics of their respective Covenants, rather than the class itself.
That is changing inWorld of Warcraft’s next patch. In thefirst build of the Patch 10.2.5 Seeds of Renewal Public Test Realm,World of Warcraftannounced it would be going through these formerShadowlandsCovenant Abilities and updating their visuals to better match each class’ aesthetic. Though not every one of these abilities has been changed yet, players have already discovered several skills, such as Paladin’s Divine Toll and Mage’s Shifting Power, have already been given stunning makeovers on the PTR servers.
World of Warcrafthasn’t shared a complete list of former Covenant Abilities that are receiving this visual upgrade yet, but fans can expect most, if not all, to be altered. Each build of the PTR will likely implement more of these changes as they are completed, with all of them planned to be finished beforeDragonflight’s next content update releases next year. Players will have to see which abilities receive this facelift over the next couple of months.
“Multiple Class talents that were previously Shadowlands Covenant Abilities (such as Convoke the Spirits, Divine Toll, and Sepsis) have had their spell visuals updated to match their Class visual kit. This is an ongoing effort and more will be added over the course of the Seeds of Renewal 10.2.5 PTR cycle.”
Players can still access Covenant Class and Signature abilities withinShadowlandszones, even if they aren’t found on the Talent Trees inDragonflight. While it is currently unclear if these spell effects will remain in the game unchanged, players who enjoyed these spells in their original versions may still have the chance to do sowhen visiting these oldWorld of Warcraftareas.
Fans are excitedWorld of Warcraftis finally changing the appearance of the Covenant Abilities fromShadowlands. Many of the spells are powerful, fun to use, and visually captivating, whichfit the theme ofShadowlandswell. That said, a modern Affliction Warlock throwing out blue Ardenweald magic with Soul Rot sticks out like a sore thumb alongside the purples and greens of their other spells. Most players are glad to see these engaging abilities being changed to better mesh with their aesthetics, and to putShadowlandsbehind them.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
WHERE TO PLAY
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the ninth expansion pack for the iconic massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft.Dragonflight features an overhauled user interface, raises the level cap to 70, and introduces a new race and class.
