Will there be a Season 5?
by Matthew Rossi 
Jun 13th 2008 at 1:00PM
Presumably pretty much the entire World of Warcraft deign team is working on Wrath now. So it's extremely unlikely that we'll see Season 5 before it ships. It took from the end of November to the end of June to go from Season 3 to Season 4, so it's not as if there isn't plenty of life in the season to come. If it lasts as long as the previous season did, you could easily avoid new arena content for seven months. This seems to point directly to the idea that there won't be a new season until Wrath.
However, we know we're going to have Lake Wintergrasp and a new battleground (perhaps even one based on Defense of the Ancients) which means it's possible that Blizzard has taken a serious look at PvP and how the arena works. Perhaps at long last the anti-warrior bias of the arenas will be corrected! (That's a joke. Try and breathe there.) Perhaps they'll implement the long desired 'neutral gear' option, where you have a changing room with all the same gear for all sides so that skill and skill alone decides who wins. Perhaps they'll rethink how points are earned. They could change team sizes (4x4?) or even add Arena Battleground play, where two arena teams have to hunt each other through much larger maps, giving hunters a leg up.
What changes do you expect to arenas? Do you expect any at all?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, Battlegrounds, Arena
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Erika Jun 13th 2008 1:07PM
I would like a "changing room" option. That would help a little with balance.
F0REM4N Jun 13th 2008 1:08PM
Yes, it will start at level 80 right after WOTLK launches. (just a guess but I like to sound all knowing)
Sharpyy Jun 13th 2008 1:09PM
lol there should so b a 1v1 cage match to the DOOM! yeah hunters rock
Mindaika Jun 13th 2008 1:43PM
I'd like to see a 1v1 system too. Perhaps some kind of Dome, where two men enter and 1 man leaves. (Or woman, your choice).
Zhalseran Jun 13th 2008 1:12PM
There won't be a new arena season before wrath. I'm pretty sure Blizzard has said as much either directly or indirectly. Even if thats not the case, what PvE content is left to scale the PvP gear with? They aren't coming out with anything new before Wrath. The chances of there being any kind of content patch before wrath is very small.
I expect arenas to return in WotlK, so perhaps S5 if thats what they call it will be tuned to T7. As for what I want to see, I don't really care, to be honest. I really like having the alternative gearing options that pvp gear supplies some classes with, but if they do like they are doing with S4/guardian gear, whats the point? I'm a PvE guy, I'll likely never see a 1600 rating, so chances are whatever they do to the PvP game will not effect me.
DavidC Jun 13th 2008 1:15PM
A blue stated a while ago that a new seasons doesn't have to be accompanied by new gear.
So there could be a "Season 5" before WotLK releases, but probably only if WotLK gets pushed into next year.
Season Gear = Progression gear. Since there will be no new progression content in TBC, there will be no new Season gear.
Unless Blizzard announces new content, don't expect to see new gear ... although there is an outside chance of a new season without new gear.
mirilene Jun 13th 2008 1:22PM
I'd love to see a "locker room" style arena.
Its not like the people who went to the playoffs (or won the super bowl) get to buy extra padding for their gear next season or rocket boots or something.
It doesnt seem very competitive to me when the sides arent perfectly balanced.
Zeplar Jun 13th 2008 1:26PM
The superbowl would be much more interesting with rocket boots imo.
Zali Jun 13th 2008 2:15PM
And daggers. And rogues sapping the other teams QB just before the snap. And mages casting fireballs to knock Extra Points out of the sky from fourty yards away. Druids rooting the reciever... yea...
Now that is a sport I would watch.
Kadathwack Jun 13th 2008 1:42PM
The fact that we won't see another dungeon's worth of PvE gear is more than enough for me to prove there won't be a round of Season 5 Arena gear.
Not until Wrath anyway. I'm thinking the months until Wrath will be spent handing out flavor items. Tabards, mounts, non-combat pets, updated holidays, and so on.
STereo Jun 13th 2008 1:58PM
If there is a season 5, you can bet Kalgan and warriors will be doing very well and hunters will be lowest ranked class.
Jagoex Jun 13th 2008 1:43PM
"Perhaps they'll implement the long desired 'neutral gear' option, where you have a changing room with all the same gear for all sides so that skill and skill alone decides who wins."
Skill and skill alone, yes, aside from the huge gaping hole in the Arena floor called class imbalance. As long as pure counter-classes exist in WoW, the Arena will never be based on "skill and skill alone."
Tychon Jun 13th 2008 1:48PM
What is this misconception about hunters are bad for arena. I play a priest in 2s with a hunter he has 1 piece of arena gear, gets 3-4 shot by any decent warrior, destroyed by any decent rogue... ect ect. We hit 1800, not saying 1800 is the pinnecale of the arena rating, just saying for a quest reward greens/blues with S2 shoulders and a couple of epics he got getting ran through kara. He is very good at playing his hunter managing traps, keeping viper stings, up controling his CC, managing his pet. before this guy I ran 2s with 4/5 veng hunters, couldn't break 1700 cause they were so bad with managing traps/pet/cooldowns/silence. Having a warrior on them for 30+ seconds without knowing what to do. Basically forcing me to spam heal them while I hoped that he killed something, or standing in the middle of the map getting destroyed by 2 caster dps teams forcing me to not use my surrounds to my advantage and get CCed the entire fight. He like 75% of arena hunters, are just terrible and dont know how to play.
It really confuses me how hunters beg for buffs in arena but they dont need any. they have all the tools in there arsenal to drain, cc, dps, keep someone from drinking, and silence? only class that comes close to this is a warlock. the biggest thing that sets them apart is a hunter can control there dps a lot more. Hunters are fine in arena the ones that think they are not, need to learn to play. I have seen the list of lack of hunters in 2s, and 3s, and 5s... I don't think its a lack of abilities, and hunters are just not good in arena. Its Hunters don't know how to use these tools. The hunters that I have played against in the 1900-2100 im just in amazment at how they use all of these abilities to totally make me want to pull my hair out. Hunters are great in arena! bottom line, if you have ever considered running with a hunter in your arena team. try and get one of the really good hunters on your server to show you what they are capable of for a few games. especially with the end of the season they may not mind.
Rob Jun 13th 2008 2:29PM
Really amazes me when I hear things like this from non-Hunters. Play one and you'll understand. Hunters can do well in Arena, but a similiarly skilled (any other class) will do much better. Your partner is skilled. The average arena player isn't as much.
I'm torn between the locker room idea and getting great gear. Now I look at arena as a place to get great PVE gear to compliment my raiding gear. Its the only place where you can pick a piece of gear to fill in a weak gap in gear. So this aspect is extremely important for raiding.
On the other hand, i'd like to know exactly how skilled I am versus the win trading teams and all the other cheaters. If the playing field were more level, there would be less amonosity and of course no reason to win-trade or cheat in that fashion (i'm sure people will still find ways to cheat).
jbodar Jun 13th 2008 3:06PM
@Rob
That's why Blizzard should do both. "Locker room"-style Arenas, but winning still gets you points to buy the Season Gear for outside the Arena. It puts more emphasis on skill and still provides progression.
Kryptonls Jun 13th 2008 2:06PM
The new S4 will last until Wrath is launched in the new year.... makes sense, really.
Angelus Jun 13th 2008 2:24PM
Off topic,
I love that pic of the flight mount in Storm Wind. Was that done in a closed server or was it photoshopped?
Grind all the way Jun 13th 2008 2:25PM
"Perhaps they'll implement the long desired 'neutral gear' option, where you have a changing room with all the same gear for all sides so that skill and skill alone decides who wins."
Never - because then there would be nothing more to grind.
Angelus Jun 13th 2008 2:27PM
never mind, tourny server. lol.
Kire Jun 13th 2008 3:10PM
I think there needs to be only 1 arena map. 1 Big open circle with no poles, no LOS issues, or no sitting and drinking. Just two teams fighting to see who is the better team not the better exploiter. Just my 2 cents.