WoW Patch 11.0.5: 20 Years of Nostalgia Begins
Patch 11.0.5 launched October 22, kicking off WoW's 20th anniversary celebration that runs through January. After The War Within's strong launch, Blizzard's doubling down on nostalgia with Classic content reimagined for modern players who refuse to actually play Classic.
Dracthyr Can Be Everything Now
Remember when Dracthyr could only be Evokers? Yeah, that artificial restriction's gone. Now your dragon person can be a Hunter, Mage, Priest, Rogue, Warlock, or Warrior. Watch as every Horde guild becomes 90% Dracthyr because who doesn't want to be a dragon?
Racial abilities got tweaked to work with the new classes. Soar still exists to make regular flying mounts pointless. Living Flame works for everyone now. The dream of dragon rogues sneaking around with massive wings is finally real.
Classic Timewalking: Vanilla for Zoomers
Nine original dungeons return through Timewalking: Stratholme, Scholomance, Dire Maul, and the gang. Scaled to current level with modern loot tables. All the nostalgia, none of the actual classic experience.
Bobadormu (yes, really) serves as the Classic Timewalking vendor. Because nothing says "respect for the source material" like Bob the time dragon selling you modernized Tier 0.5 gear.
Blackrock Depths: Now a Raid
BRD gets the Karazhan treatment - condensed from a 5-hour marathon into an 8-boss raid. Available in LFR, Normal, and Heroic for 10-15 players. Moira Bronzebeard takes you on a bronze dragonflight acid trip through her dad's history.
Gone are the days of getting lost for three hours trying to find the bar. Now it's a streamlined boss rush with achievement points. Progress?
Tier 2 Sets: Judgment Day Redux
All 13 Tier 2 sets got HD makeovers. Judgment Armor looks even more like a walking cathedral. Bloodfang got extra spikes. Classes that didn't exist in vanilla (DK, DH, Monk, Evoker) get their own "what if" Tier 2 designs.
Available through anniversary activities because Blizzard knows the only thing keeping half the playerbase subbed is transmog collection.
Class Reworks Nobody Asked For
Every class got "improvements" ranging from minor number tweaks to complete talent overhauls. Shamans get new Ascendance forms that look slightly different. Priests got their 47th Shadow rework this expansion. The eternal cycle continues.
The Anniversary Grind
Special world bosses on rotation. Time-limited achievements. FOMO rewards you'll never use but must collect. The usual anniversary checklist designed to keep you logged in through the holidays.
At least they're giving away a mount that's not just another recolor.
Actually Good?
Credit where due - Classic Timewalking and the BRD raid are genuinely fun nostalgia trips. Dracthyr variety adds customization options. The anniversary event has actual content instead of just a vendor selling old items.
But it's still a .5 patch dressed up as a celebration, designed to maintain subs between major content drops. Twenty years later, some things never change.
The anniversary event runs through January 6, 2025. Get your FOMO collectibles before they're gone forever (until the 25th anniversary).
