Test Patch Notes Disclaimer: The test realm patch notes only apply to features that exist on the public test realms. We provide these patch notes to players who wish to know what features and changes exist in the test environment in order to more effectively test these features. To learn more about the Public Test Realm, visit our
Test Realm Page.
(Disclaimer: These patch notes are for the Public Test Realm and the content of the patch is subject to change.)
World of Warcraft Public Test Patch 1.12.0
Cross-Realm Battlegrounds - For the first time in the history of World of Warcraft, you will be able to face off against players from other realms in the Battlegrounds. PvP Battlegrounds link Alterac Valley, Warsong Gulch, and Arathi Basin so that players from several realms will be combined into one huge matchmaking pool. Replenish your mana, sharpen your blades, and get ready for some brand-new challengers!
World PvP - The stage is set for intense, objective-based land battles as Horde and Alliance vie for control over important strategic positions and resources around Azeroth. Head out for Silithus and Eastern Plaguelands to engage the enemy on the field!
General
- Threat Reduction Effects
- This system has been redesigned to eliminate inconsistency in how the effects work. Previously, some were additive (for example: 30% reduction + 20% reduction = 50% reduction) while others were multiplicative (30% reduction and 20% reduction made 44% reduction, from 0.7*0.8). They are now all multiplicative. This also prevents unpredictable behavior when the total reduction percentage was equal to or greater than 100%. Please note that in almost all cases, when stacking multiple threat reduction effects you will experience less threat reduction than previously.
- Haste and Slow effects
- Previously Haste and Slow effects worked inconsistently, with spells working differently from weapons, and hastes and slows not acting as inverses of each other. We have revised the system so that all haste and slow effects work the same way, and haste and slow percentages of the same magnitude perfectly cancel each other out (30% haste and 30% slow combine to no change). As a result, we had to change the tooltip numbers on all spell haste effects, and on all melee and range slow effects. The numbers in the tooltips are different, but the game functionality is unchanged (other than slight rounding errors). Those tooltips that changed will now display larger numbers than they used to display. Conceptually, haste values indicate how much more of that activity you can perform in a given time. 30% melee haste means 30% more swings in a given time. Slow values indicate how much longer an activity takes to complete. 30% slow means an action takes 30% longer to finish.
- The deserter debuff will now continue to expire even while you are offline.
Druids
- Barkskin: The tooltip has been changed to 25% due to the haste effect change.
- Ferocious Bite: The Book of Ferocious Bite (Rank 5) now drops somewhere in the world.
- Furor: This talent now works correctly with Cat Form again.
- Improved Shred: The discounted cost for Shred will now be displayed correctly even when you are not in Cat Form.
- Rip: Lesser potency Rips will no longer overwrite greater potency ones.
Hunters
- Spirit Bond: This ability will now be correctly reapplied when you resurrect in a battleground and your pet is polymorphed or otherwise unable to act normally.
Mages
- Arcane Missiles: It is no longer possible to cast this spell on an evading mob. In addition, the animation will now stop when the target is dead.
- Arcane Power: It is no longer possible to gain the benefit of this spell and Power Infusion at the same time by careful timing.
- Frost Armor Chilled effect: The tooltip has been changed to 25% due to the haste effect change.
- Ice Armor Chilled effect: The tooltip has been changed to 25% due to the haste effect change.
- Polymorph: This spell will now be removed when a player leaves a battleground. This prevents some bugs involving polymorph from occurring.
- Evocation will no longer be usable while silenced.
Paladins
- Divine Shield: The tooltip has been changed to 100% due to the haste effect change.
Priests
- Mind Control: The tooltip has been changed to 25% due to the haste effect change.
- Psychic Scream: This spell now uses the same resistance checks as the Warlock spell Fear.
Rogues
- Due to significant talent changes, Rogues will have all talent points refunded and can be re-spent. Training costs for all talent spell replacements have been significantly reduced.
- Eviscerate: Manual of Eviscerate (Rank 9) now drops somewhere in the world.
- Garrote: The damage from this ability has been increased approximately 50%.
- Relentless Strikes: This ability will no longer trigger when your finishing move does not hit your target.
- Sap: Enemy rogues will now always lose stealth when you Sap them.
Shaman
- Grounding Totem: This totem will no longer absorb multiple effects from Entrapment in a 10 second period.
- Windfury Totem: The weapon enchantment from this totem will now only trigger off normal melee swings. This means abilities such as Sinister Strike, Mortal Strike, and Hamstring will no longer trigger the Windfury Totem.
- Reincarnation should now display the cooldown timer when used.
- Chain Heal - After the initial target is healed, the healing effect will jump to the most damaged target (by absolute health) within range. In addition, if a raid member is the initial target it will look for valid raid targets to jump to rather than non-raid targets as a priority, making it consistent with group targeted Chain Heals.