I was excited about the Battle for Azeroth (BfA) expansion for World of Warcraft (WoW). I was hoping it would address the issues I had encountered in Legion.
However, after playing the beta and experiencing the launch, I found the expansion to be less than enjoyable. Video games should make you feel that the time you’re investing is worthwhile. Yet, the time spent completing objectives in the game isn’t worth the reward for completing them.
Looking back now, years after BfA’s release, this expansion showed that Blizzard lost sight of what made players log in day after day. BfA failed, because the studio doubled down on systems that made progression feel more like a punishment.
Boring Questing
The repetitive nature of the quests, where I’m asked to kill the same mobs over and over again, is boring.
I know the developers have tried to add variety by having players control objects to kill mobs, I prefer a more streamlined approach. Give players all the quests in an area at once, allowing them to move on to the next area.
Also, the rewards for completing these quests are lackluster. They create a sense of a “drop drought“, compared to the days when my bags would be filled with loot from questing and killing mobs.
Once you’ve leveled a character through these zones, revisiting BfA content feels like a slog. The world becomes a chore list and that’s a fundamental flaw for an MMO.
Reputation Grinds
The disappointment doesn’t end with just the leveling grind. Once the initial leveling is completed, the game then shifts to a series of reputation grinds, with plenty of world quests and the command table.
While I don’t mind sending NPCs out on quests via the command table, that isn’t really content, is it? It feels like I’m playing a mobile game. Do something very quickly and log back in to repeat it.
I’m not a fan of having to rely on world quests to advance in the game. In my opinion, world quests should be supplementary events rather than a constant requirement to complete reputation grinds.
Previous expansions understood this balance. Mists of Pandaria offered daily quest hubs that felt purposeful. Legion’s emissaries provided variety without exhaustion. BfA took the worst parts of both systems and made them inescapable. What should be side content is now the only way to progress.
Losing Artifact Weapons
In a past WoW expansion, players were given artifact weapons for each specialization of their class. These artifact weapons give players a level of flexibility in their play styles. Wielding these epic weapons added an extra layer of immersion for players. Earning traits felt rewarding over time, creating a sense of empowerment that kept players returning.
However, in Battle for Azeroth, the artifact weapons were removed and replaced with Azerite armor. Unfortunately, this new armor is not an adequate replacement. It lacks the flexibility that the artifact weapons provided. They also lack the bonuses that players received when they unlocked a full set of raid armor.
Azerite armor introduced performance anxiety for players. Swapping gear could disable powers, making some hesitant to experiment with new drops. As a result, the time and effort invested in obtaining Azerite armor isn’t worth the reward.
Let’s Talk About the Lore
World of Warcraft has never been known for its quests. For me, they were bearable as I dove in to learn more about the game’s rich lore. WoW used to excel in its storytelling. With BfA, the story has become tedious and uninspired.
Battle for Azeroth juggles too many plotlines at once. The faction war, Azshara, and N’Zoth, with no strong throughline tying them together. What should have been an epic narrative is fragmented. It’s like three expansions crammed into one, where none of the arcs have enough buildup or payoff.
Events like the burning of Teldrassil pushed the Horde into the role as one of the expansion’s villains. I fear that any character who’s aligned with the Horde will do reprehensible things that go against their morals. Sylvanas’s arc felt like a repeat of Garrosh’s descent into madness without nuance, leaving Horde players exhausted.
My issue is that the writers haven’t considered the ramifications of this decision. A hasty “oops, sorry we did that” retcon isn’t going to fly here. A lot of players prefer to play as Horde. Some of them won’t want to play on a faction that’s portrayed as truly evil.
Meanwhile, villains like Azshara and N’Zoth, who had years of buildup, were resolved in single patches with limited development. The Old Gods should have felt world-ending. Instead, they were resolved quickly, making the climax feel rushed and hollow.
Making Time Matter
Blizzard doesn’t seem to understand what keeps players engaged in their games. Players need to feel that their time has value and that the world they inhabit respects their investment. With so many other games that I’m eager to play,it would be pointless to force myself to play something that isn’t working for me. Battle for Azeroth taught me that lesson. Until Blizzard finds a way to make my time spent in their games feel meaningful again, Azeroth’s greatest battle may be retaining its players.
📌 Changelog
- December 10, 2025: Changed the formatting and re-wrote some sections to improve the flow.
- September 4, 2018: Date article was originally published.
