The current issue with Random Epic Battlegrounds is significant. Blizzard allows premade groups, which often results in matches losing balance right from the start. As a result, many players leave mid-game after the first wave of team fights, receiving a 15-minute deserter debuff. The matchmaking system then fills the vacant slots, but those who join mid-game face two choices: attempt to turn around a hopelessly lost battle (which I have never seen succeed), or leave and also receive the 15-minute deserter debuff.
In the end, the number of players who win and receive positive reinforcement in a match is constantly 40 or less, while the combined number of losers and deserters is 2-3 times higher.
The issue of premades in Random Epic Battlegrounds is a serious one. If you queue solo for Epic Battlegrounds, your win rate is almost as low as 20%, and that’s no exaggeration. Especially since the Vicious Bloodstone, worth 2500 honor, can be sold on the Auction House, it further incentivizes premade groups driven by profit motives.
This is an update as of January 5, 2025. I believe Blizzard needs to take the following two actions:
Undoubtedly, optimize the matchmaking system to eliminate premade
For those initial players who have already joined the game during the 2-minute preparation phase, increase the penalties if they leave. Their departure almost directly results in a negative gaming experience for another player who join mid-game, and remove 15-minute deserter debuff for mid-match joiners if they leave
Bro it’s easier said than done. I’ve given up on playing a lot of epic BGs and stopped trying to get pug players together to beat premades. It’s just not worth the effort.
Like the OP said, epic BGs are dead, so I just grab some honors and that’s it. If it’s against a premade, I’ll just leave and switch to an alt.
If premade teams enjoy these kinds of wins, good for them, let them have fun.
Thank you. Otherwise the other premades will get all premades banned for dropping queue we just want to give the unfortunate loners a chance to win and to have some fun in epics in an epic way
Epic BG may still be active and loved by some, but I certainly had lost all interest to play it again. I am looking forward to try plunderstorm and maybe Blitz before my sub run out. Money saved could be put to better use, such as donating to Wikipedia
The problem is not only ‘opponent dodging’ as you implied, but Any community that sync queue ARE dropping queue, causing shorthanded team whenever a drop is called, and this severely impacted the game. Don’t make it sounds like this is only a specific premade/community’s problem.
Communities might as well push Blizz to remove full raid queue restriction for Epic BG. No point keeping the restriction when its completely overrun by Premade anyway. And Blizz should be honest now and openly tell Pugs that: this game is not made for you. Deal with it or leave.
Lol I use wikipedia everyday and had been donating every year for a while already I would rather the money go to them than spending it on Blizz who doesn’t care about the problems in the only WoW content I love (Epic BG).
All sync communities drop queues causing the imbalanced starts. Little narrative AFK and friends like to spin about dodging is just a smokescreen to hide behind.
‘Dodging’ is very rare. Dropping queue is standard behaviour. It’s even built into the add-ons used to grey out the join button and why ‘take’ is the go call.
Yes. Re Queue Drop, because it can be done, it is done. Relying on the player’s self-discipline as a solution is impractical. The root problem is the game’s queueing design, making it possible to start an unbalanced and therefore unfair match. And there is this controversial subject of Premade which deserves a more appropriate environment instead of competing space with Pugs. The full responsibility is on Blizz, yet they failed on even just a simple acknowledgement of this issue (and many others). This lack of interaction with players (eg. acknowledgement of the current situations/issues, the status of any solution, etc.) made the outlook uncertain. I am upset with Blizz for this and don’t want my money to encourage them for more of these poor behaviours…
(Sorry for being a little off-topic. If anyone knows how to @ a person so they get a notification on the forum please let me know.)
Hey Tyling!!! It’s great to see you again! This is Jonina’s horde alt Mornag, myself and a few friends had stopped playing Epic (actually WoW in general) for a while already. Really miss seeing you in Epic, not only because you are a friendly and reliable person to be with, I must admit that always wanted to give you a BIG hug - You are SO Adorable !!! Hope one day Blizz will make Epic a better place and lots of players will flood back in!
Hey Jonina, lol didn’t realize this was your alt. I’ve actually stopped doing epics for now as well. Got tired of the premades, but mostly I got tired of the lag, especially that increase in lag that seemed to start around the time the anniversary patch dropped. I’ve only done 3 epics in the past 2 months, and that was to see if the lag was improved. It did seem better, but I found I just don’t really feel like doing epics for now. Hopefully someday I’ll do epics again, and hopefully I’ll see you then! I miss you guys too. Tell Mornag I said hello!
Mornag, myself and a few friends had stopped playing Epic (actually WoW in general) for a while already. Really miss seeing you in Epic, not only because you are a friendly and reliable person to be with, I must admit that always wanted to give you a BIG hug 
- You are SO Adorable 
!!! Hope one day Blizz will make Epic a better place and lots of players will flood back in!