Posts with tag wow-5.4

If you're interested in knowing more about patch 5.4's Celestial Tournament, Wowhead has the full details on this PTR petstraviganza. And while PTR details are always subject to change, here's what we know so far:

• You can compete in the tournament once a week through the quest The Celestial Tournament.
• The tournament has two rounds: in the first you fight against 3 pet trainers with 3 legendary battle pets each and in the second you're up against 4 legendary elite battle pets.
• These opponents are random and will change week to week, but expect to see familiar faces like Blingtron 4000 and Wrathion.
• For winning, you get a Celestial Coin, which can be used to buy unique pets and other items.

Pet battle enthusiasts will also be pleased to know that patch 5.4 is packed with new battle pets: Wowhead has found over 20. Of the many new available pets, though, we're most on the lookout for our own Lil' Bling, who will clearly dazzle opponents into submission. Need even more juicy details about pet battles on the PTR? Check out Wowhead and WarcraftPets for the rest.

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Blizzard Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas has already told us that the Timeless Isle, coming in patch 5.4, is meant to be a different sort of experience for gamers:

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Note that the Timeless Isle is largely a self-directed experience, which diverges somewhat from our recent practice. You aren't going to find a hub of daily questgivers or NPCs who will assign you specific tasks to complete. There is a ton to do on the Timeless Isle, and countless secrets to discover, so go explore!

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But that begs the question of what exactly we should expect on the Timeless Isle -- and, fortunately, Wowhead has come to assuage our curiosity with a look at the rare spawns and events to be found in this strange new place. So far they've found more than 20 rares as well as a number of events. The island has a heavy pirate focus, with plenty of spectral sailors as well as the ability to summon the Dread Ship Vazuvius and help the ghostly Tomb "Tom" Bone Apart find his body. But pirates aren't all there is on the Timeless Isle and, if we trust Hazzikostas about there being tons to do, we may find even more before 5.4 launches.

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Looking forward to patch 5.4? You're definitely not alone, with this patch shaping up to be an interesting one for PvE and PvP. Coming on the heels of the team-free, cross-realm arena announcement, we have updated 5.4 patch notes for all to enjoy. These changes should be live on the PTR now, so get testing! (If you don't know where to start, Blizzard has instructions on how to copy your character and download the PTR client.) In addition to the big changes for arena players, there are a smattering of class tweaks and adjustments to Mists quartermasters. A complete list of patch note changes is after the break and you can find the full patch notes on Battle.net.

Patch 5.4 is already shaping up to be a big one, and today Blizzard announced some major arena changes in addition to the tie-breaking system. Aiming to improve the arena experience by making it easier for anyone to compete, arena players will no longer need an arena team (in fact, arena teams don't even appear in the UI on the PTR): in patch 5.4, queuing for an arena match will work similarly to queuing for rated battlegrounds. You'll be matched with other players queuing to fight with and against, based on your rating. Additionally, matches are no longer limited to your battlegroup: you'll be able to play with or against anyone in your region, and even be able to compete in cross-realm groups with friends on other realms. Matches themselves will stay (mostly) the same, though your conquest point cap and requirements to purchase items will be based on your personal rating.

These changes are live on the PTR now if you want to check them out for yourself. See the full text of Blizzard's announcement under the break.