Arena Revival: A PvP Vision Post

PVP Arenas
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:crossed_swords: Arena Revival: A PvP Vision Post

By Graham — PvP Enthusiast, Gladiator Dreamer, 500-Mount Collector

:brain: Introduction — A Spell of Optimism

PvP isn’t dead. It’s dormant.
I hear the cries: “Queue times are brutal,” “PvP gets nothing,” “What’s the point?”
But let’s zoom out. This post isn’t finger-pointing — it’s spellcasting.

Whether you’ve been grinding since battlegroup days or just clicked “Skirmish” for fun:
:pushpin: There’s still fuel to make this mode magical again.
We just need a little Leap of Faith — and not just the priest spell, but the mindset :wink:

:trophy: Restoring Prestige: Titles That Endure

:dart: The Problem

PvP titles like Gladiator vanish each season. Unless you hit Rank 1 — reserved for the top 0.5% — your legacy disappears. With 5v5 gone and seasonal resets, identifiers like Arena Master, Challenger, and Duelist have faded from view.

:white_check_mark: Proposal

  • Reintroduce legacy titles through 2v2/3v3 brackets and new achievements
  • Introduce permanent sub-titles beneath Gladiator, like:
    • Blood Arena Gladiator
    • Shadow Duelist
    • Elite Warcaller
  • Display these proudly in tooltips, nameplates, and inspect windows

“Titles are more than text—they’re part of who you are. Seasonal resets feel like erasure. Once you earn something meaningful, you should carry that pride forward.”

:busts_in_silhouette: 2v2 Achievements & Motivation Overhaul

:dart: The Issue

  • No achievements for hitting 2400+ in 2v2
  • No inspectable title, no reward, no milestone

:white_check_mark: Proposal

  • Add bracket-based achievements and titles:
    • 2200 MMR → Dynamic Duo
    • 2400 MMR → Arena Veteran
    • 2700+ MMR → Twinblade Champion
  • These achievements inspire long-term grind and display personal mastery

“The moment I hit 2400 in 2v2 was pure adrenaline. Then I realized—nothing. No achievement, no signpost, just a hollow victory. I’d grind endlessly if achievements existed for 2s.”

:jigsaw: PvP Rewards in The War Within

:medal_military: Core Arena Rating Rewards (Season 2)

:trophy: Rating Tier :medal_military: Title :coat: Elite Transmog :brain: Notes
1000+ Combatant Cloak, Legs, Bracers Unlocks Vicious mount progress
1400+ Challenger Gloves, Boots, Chest, Belt First major transmog upgrade
1800+ Rival Helm, Shoulders Prestige tier recognition
2100+ Duelist Weapon Illusion High-skill bracket, no mount
2400+ Elite Class-Based Title Full elite transmog set
2400+ + 50 Wins Gladiator Gladiator Title + Mount Requires sustained performance

“Gladiator mount is worthy, but the 50-win requirement at 2400+ rating is brutal. Duelist and Elite deserve permanence too.”

:dragon: PvP Mounts in The War Within

:dragon: Mount Name :checkered_flag: Source :scroll: Requirement
Prized Gladiator’s Fel Bat Arena (Season 1) 50 wins at 2400+
Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat Arena (Season 3) Gladiator achievement
Vicious Electro Eel Rated PvP (Season 2) Fill seasonal bar at 1000+
Vicious Skyflayer Rated PvP (Season 1) Fill seasonal bar at 1000+
Raging Cinderbee PvP World Quests “Ruffious’s Bid” achievement

“These mounts are cool, but PvP gets one per season while PvE gets a buffet. Fel Bat is awesome, but locked behind a brutal grind.”

:shopping_cart: PvP Vendor Overview

:billed_cap: Vendor :hammer_and_wrench: Gear Type :moneybag: Currency :coat: Item Level
Velerd Honor Gear Enveloping Mist 626
Lalandi Conquest Gear Conquest Points 639
Rogurn Elite Gear Rating unlocks 678
Hotharn Crafted PvP Gear Honor + Reagents Up to 678
Gilderann War Mode Gear Bloody Tokens 636

:gift: Additional PvP Rewards

  • Weapon Illusions (e.g. Jackpot at 1950 rating)
  • Elite Transmog Sets with FX
  • Crafted sockets and gear upgrades
  • Weekly PvP quests
  • Battleground Blitz Titles: Strategist, Prized Warlord, Marshal

“Honor should feel rewarding. Give us legacy toys, rotating cosmetics, and seasonal flair.”

:european_castle: PvE Mounts in The War Within

:dragon_face: Raid & Achievement Mounts

:racehorse: Mount Name :european_castle: Source :scroll: Requirement
Ascendant Skyrazor Queen Ansurek (Mythic) Guaranteed drop
Sureki Skyrazor Queen Ansurek (Any difficulty) Rare drop
Shadowed Swarmite Glory of the Nerub-ar Raider Achievement
Diamond Mechsuit Keystone Master: Season 1 Mythic+ Score 2000
Ivory Goliathus Glory of the Delver Delve achievements
Kah, Legend of the Deep The Derby Dash Fishing Derby event
Machine Defense Unit 1-11 Awakening the Machine World Event Rare drop
Dauntless Imperial Lynx Spreading the Light World Event Rare drop

:shopping: Vendor & Renown Mounts

:paw_prints: Mount Name :shopping_cart: Vendor :dna: Requirement
Crimson Mudnose Waxmonger Squick Renown 19
Cyan Glowmite Waxmonger Squick Renown 23
Vermillion Imperial Lynx Auralia Steelstrike Renown 21
Shackled Shadow Auralia Steelstrike Renown 23
Smoldering Cinderbee Auditor Balwurz Renown 23
Aquamarine Swarmite Lady Vinazian Renown 23
Heritage Undercrawler Yamas the Provider Conspirator rank
Royal Court Undercrawler Tulumun Conspirator rank
Widow’s Undercrawler Bobbin Conspirator rank

:video_game: Miscellaneous Mounts

  • Delver’s Dirigible – Delve quest reward
  • Crowd Pummeler 2-30 – Engineering
  • Siesbarg, Alunira, Beledar’s Spawn – Rare spawns
  • Soaring Meaderbee – Farmable via currency

:brain: Final Comparison

:pushpin: Category :crossed_swords: PvP (Arena) :european_castle: PvE (Raids & Vendors)
Mounts per season 1–2 8–12+
Achievement density Limited Extensive
Vendor variety Minimal cosmetics Toys, gear, pets, mounts
Prestige titles Temporary Permanent via achievements
Model uniqueness Recolors Custom skeletons & FX

“PvE gets a mount from every angle — raids, reps, events, even fishing. PvP gets a bat.”

:microphone: Final Message from the Arena Floor

I’ve played every class, every mode, and collected 500+ mounts — but my pride lives in PvP. Arena wasn’t just a competitive format. It was a mindset. A fire. A proving ground for players who value precision, instinct, and legacy.

This post isn’t rage. It’s refinement. It’s the blueprint to restore:
• Prestige without expiration
• PvP systems that reward commitment
• Mounts and milestones players will grind for — proudly
• A UI that highlights awareness and instinct over clutter and automation
• Brackets that inspire pride, not obscurity

To the developers: This isn’t just feedback — it’s lived experience.
To the players: If this resonates, share it. Build off it. Reinforce the signal.

Let’s make Arena a space players return to with pride — not just nostalgia.
See you in the queue.
— Graham :crossed_swords:

10 Likes
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Is this ChatGPT?

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Can we report this so it gets removed for ChatGPT

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Need a report slop option. :dracthyr_a1: :newspaper_roll:

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You mean by Chatgpt?

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AI posts need to be outlawed for real wtf is this

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i put 7 hours into this. and formatted it with the help of microsoft word options. if you want me to remake the entire post and word it more humanly to satisfy you guys, i will be happy to make it with no emojis or formatting. those are personal quotes, and it is all from my wow experience.

HERE WE GO:
a special version for those who prefer a paragrah and never had the chance to learn any english

UPDATED:

version 2 for dummies:

PvP Needs Immediate Attention

  1. PvP titles like Gladiator disappear every season. There’s no permanent way to showcase what you earned unless you hit Rank 1, and even then, it’s only a small fraction of players. Titles should stick and represent your history.

  2. There’s no achievement for hitting 2400 in 2v2. You get to a huge milestone… and nothing happens. Not even a visual reward, title, or permanent recognition. Even a 2200 achievement exists, but not 2400 or 2700. What’s the logic?

  3. Gladiator mounts are just reused models. Every season it’s a minor variation of the same dragon model. Add spikes, change the color, call it a day. PvE gets advanced mechanical mounts, flying cities, glowing beetles… and PvP gets a blue drake with shoulder pads.

  4. PvE rewards absolutely dominate. Mounts from raids, achievements, vendors, renown, events, even world quests. Meanwhile, PvP gets one or two per season if you’re lucky. With just a few changes, PvP could easily become the most rewarding system in the game.

  5. Minor changes would fix everything. Add legacy titles. Make 2v2 achievements for real milestones. Offer better visual rewards. Bring back customization via PvP vendors. Stop resetting everything every season like it never happened.

  6. If Blizzard won’t prioritize PvP, that’s a massive mistake. The problems are simple. The solutions are obvious. Just hire one developer who actually cares about the bracket and listens to the community.

  7. MMR changes have destroyed player morale. The system feels artificial, inflated, and manipulated. Go back to how it worked in Wrath. Let rating feel earned, not rubber-banded. Stop hiding rating info and confusing players.

  8. PvP feedback exists. Venruki and Supatease — your own hired AWC announcers — have been vocal about it. These aren’t random streamers; they’re leaders in the scene trying to help revive it. And still, silence.

  9. Transmog used to be a PvP-driven idea. Spectator modes came from the community. PvP innovation has always come from the players, not the developers. So give those players more tools. Let us shape the game again.

  10. Gladiator motivation has collapsed. The rating grind, the reused mount, the seasonal wipe… nothing feels lasting. Give players a reason to care again. Give us permanent titles, achievements, and status that sticks with our character.

  11. If PvE keeps getting massive expansions, new zones, goblin towns, and visual spectacles while PvP stays the same… maybe make a new game just for PvE. Then rebuild PvP from the ground up and make it what it was meant to be.

  12. PvP systems could be the core of an entire MMO if they were treated right. Customization, self-built metas, gear that affects playstyle, rating-based unlocks — this is how WoW used to be. That spark is still there. It just needs attention.

  13. I’ve been in this game’s development culture long enough to know what’s possible. If nothing changes, then at least this post stands as proof that someone saw what PvP could be — and refused to accept silence.

I’ll post this. I’ll share it. And I’ll keep showing up to the queue. But make no mistake: PvP deserves more than breadcrumbs.

Graham

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did you guys even read this? These are good ideas… thumbs up

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Agreed for example Verdant Challenger, Rival, Duelist Titles could spice things up adding an extra word depending on bracket would be nice ie… 2v2,3v3,blitz, solo, RBG.

We just need a renowned track for pvp for this…

1 dev won’t do anything drastic. imo we need WoW 2 and pvp to split off into its own game that allows for regular balance, class reworks, more specs, better tutorials, wargame modes for practice etc…

Give us the combat logs for every match with the API.

Give us wargames with place-able dummies so we can practice our 123 macros, allow us to do it solo as well instead of having to have at least 4 players each time.

Also give us better tool tips for pvp related interactions.

Replays as well so we can rewatch the matches from others perspectives…

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Some of it yeah, but with it being AI it degrades the value of opinion and makes it seem low effort.

Like AI really isn’t that persuasive. And if someone doesn’t care enough to write and think about something themselves why should the reader?

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Yes, I agree well said.

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i think permanence is good but i don’t know if permanent titles all the way down is the answer

enchant and tabard are great items of permanence but have ultimately fallen into such obscene accessibility that nobody really cares about them outside of aesthetic preferences

IMO just adding the BFA/SL style 4 elite sets (one for each armor type) to 1800/2100 (available in solo brackets) and then adding the good looking tier recolor class unique sets to premade 3v3 at 2200 would be a really good step

after that giving the modern day enchants/tabards at 2100/2200 (accessible in solo brackets) but giving extremely unique tabards / glorious&demonic tyranny recolors for 2400-2700 in premade brackets would also go a long way

even going as far as adding class specific titles to 0.1-0.5% of premade queues on top of existing titles (legion class hall titles + season)
Prized Farseer
Prized Battlelord

ect

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Can confirm this guy actually talks like this… not AI

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Thank you for doing this. I actually read this and didn’t look at any of the chat gpt ai generated stuff.

That being said, I think the best change blizz can do for pvp is add pve gear to it again which wouldn’t be the same problem slands had due to the crest system and merge solo queue into the actual 3s ladder.

I’d also like to see Blizzard make better glad mounts, either hide mmr or be more vocal about how it works to prevent misunderstandings, and have more open communication.

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Hey,

I appreciate the passion! It’s clear that there’s a genuine desire to revitalize and evolve the competitive side of the game, even if it is usually underdeveloped by blizzard.

This post list many constructive solutions that many of us in the PvP community have been longing for. It is sometimes hard to stay positive, so an optimistic and well thought out post always brightens my day :slight_smile:

While it often feels like we (the community) repeatedly call for changes that blizzard never deliver on, today is kinda special. They didn’t just fix one, but TWO issue with the latest hotfix: Wintrading prot palas and being stuck with a leaver for three consecutive rounds in solo shuffle.

Those two points have been large complaints from the community … and then blizzard fixed it. It might not have been the most pressing issues and blizzard might not have communicated with us in any meaningful way … but they still heard us, and took action!

I think it’s awesome that we’re seeing a more focused approach to improving balance in season 2 (another huge complaint from season 1 that blizzard acted on).

One thing I’d personally love to see is a greater emphasis on rewarding players for consistent participation and lowering the barrier of entry for new PvPers. But overall, the communication and ideas being shared here are exciting!

Thanks for taking the time to really listen and push things in the right direction!

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I can’t keep Efx’s mom off of me even with a seasonal Rival II title. Make it something more flashy and that woman will be in more heat than Kardasian chick at a Lakers game.

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Hello this is your fellow robot man who just happens to have the swag of some gpt mysterious pvp expert with some opinions that are not even mentioned anywhere on the web. Yeah what’s up how can I help you?

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This is really the only answer.

As long as it exists it becomes a crying point for people.

And it only helps in a very very small way compared to the large “problems” (self-inflicted though they are) that has arisen from this.

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Jump off of a bridge… in blades edge… at your earliest convenience.

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yo, to be fair I was a bit confused with the first few comments saying that i was iRobot and had superior robot swag that i must have missed when looking in the mirror… but I think it is a compliment and a lesson to those born after wow was released in classic… :stuck_out_tongue:

This new generation, will never experience much of real nature and authenticity of being around people without a phone. I’m 33, and when flip phones came out I was begging my dad for one. now these kids are literally coming out of their mommy with iphones and androids attached to them, its scary.

hope this clears up the difference between me casually chatting and being serious and effectively explaining things with quality of life style post. Trust me, i started this post in notepad with tons of scattered thoughts and lingering philosophies after watching a lot of constructive PvP worries and how things are going, but I really think as a veteran player, started at the end of tbc… having that old classic view is kinda like how wow is now with weakauras and deadly boss mods and every little thing on the screen blocking whats actually happening, but usually its just telling you with a huge buzzer, move out of the way… do this, pop that, there isnt even voice calls to coordinate that stuff anymore. I remember joining skype calls with like 20 people running a raid in naxx when i was still like 13 yrs old or something and it was just sooooo much more valuable to me and @xaryu makes videos about his passion on this topic a lot, and i love how he has such good points about the difference of the nostalgia now compared to that time where you were exploring undercity with a few daggers from brill, undead rogue running around exploring, and eventually figuring out what to do haha. there were no handy notes, or anything like that. im out and typing this on my phone so if this makes sense, the point of this was to confirm i am not the next megan fox. but i do love AI as a developer, not having to manually code c++ and type in individual little squares in sql databases…

<3

oh here’s megan fox, this is actually pretty dope lol