Cross over post from general forums after Nekrage raised the issue. Continuing the petition here.
I will make the case using the verbiage that Hardcore was presented to us in the original launch article for Hardcore:
To Buff or Debuff
The 16 debuff limit and 32 buff limits have been removed on Hardcore realms.
Debuff and buff limits were originally a technical limitation in the earliest versions of World of Warcraft and was not a conscious design choice at that time. This aspect of the original release was maintained for the release of WoW Classic in 2019 for authenticity, but this has always been a contentious part of WoW and places significant constraints on build and class diversity. As a result, we will be removing this limitation in Hardcore realms and effectively uncapping buffs and debuffs.
This argument, made by Blizzard themselves, stands pretty well on its own, and the reasons enclosed are solid reasons to remove the limit.
Additionally, I think this change was highly popular in Hardcore, without removing any authentic feeling present in the base game.
[De]buff limits only serve a negative purpose within the game. They can cause drama if a player accidentally uses a banned debuff on a boss, or doesn’t know not to use a debuff on a boss, making that person feel unduly bullied by 39 other players. A player may also feel as though the class or build they want to play is not welcome in a majority of guilds, and so they choose to play a different class or build that doesn’t align with their personal fantasy for the game.
We all know in our heart of hearts that this limit is not useful to anyone. Its removal is for the greater good.
Thank you.