I don’t understand why it was necessary to get rid of the Water Elemental. It was completely optional, anyone that cares about meta can easily choose the lonely winter talent to get rid of it while buffing themselves, why do we need to get rid of class fantasy? Class fantasy is a big part of what makes the game fun, what’s so wrong with that?
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I suspect Class Fantasy was the culprit, not the victim.
Perhaps they felt that Mages shouldn’t be summoners.
The water elemental is iconic to frost mage. Just look at Jaina, she has two, now we can’t even have one? Those that don’t want to use it were able to choose lonely winter, I don’t see how taking away this option is good for anyone.
I’m not saying I like it.
I’m just saying that maybe Blizzard felt like being a pet spec isn’t what Frost Mages should be about, so they changed the Elemental from a permanent pet to a Cooldown.
Trust me, I get it.
I’m a Warlock. Back in WotlK I built my whole character around turning into a Demon Lord and roflstomping everything around me.
Then one day, 8 years or so later, Blizz decided that Warlocks shouldn’t turn into Demons, and they removed my character’s main superpower without ceremony lol
It sucked, but ultimately we are all at the mercy of Blizzard’s vision for our Classes and Specs.
Silly enough is i’ve noticed some change with enemy voidwalkers partnered to shadow priests and water elementals summoned by shamans. There’s been small overlaps. 
edit: Then there’s also the new light elementals. 
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You still have the Water Elemental, just not all the time.
Still, yeah they should bring it back as a pet, for Resto Shaman!
Have you tried Season of Discovery? Metamorphosis warlocks are super cool there. I do think they should bring it back into retail though. Just because Warlocks have Metamorph doesn’t mean Demon Hunters suddenly play identically to them, you just have the choice to now be melee or ranged as a demon.
those look more like reskinned fire elementals to me.
Bring back my Observer first.
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It’s a return to how frost mages were before water elemental were permanent. Do i like it NO but blizzard like to keep inventing the wheel .