I wanted to share some thoughts on Blizzard’s recent addition of the one-button rotation assist in World of Warcraft. At first, I was skeptical—but after using it for a bit, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It reminded me of classic NES-era design, especially games like The Legend of Zelda, where simplicity didn’t mean lack of depth—it meant accessibility, focus, and rhythm.
This new feature feels like a step toward that philosophy: stripping away some of the mechanical overload and letting you feel the flow of combat more intuitively. It’s not about making the game easier—it’s about making it more playable, especially for those of us who’ve juggled rotations, addons, and timers for years.
I’m curious:
Do you see this as a move toward more classic, input-friendly gameplay?
Does it open up the game to new players or casuals in a good way?
Could this be a foundation for other “retro-inspired” design shifts?
Let’s discuss—whether you love it, hate it, or are somewhere in between, I’d love to hear your take!
Probably the opposite, the super button means rotations can be as hodgepodge and unintuitive as Blizz throws together randomly and every complaint is countered with “the rotation is literally 1 button”
Yes
Could? Yes, but will it be? If it’s profitable yes, and if it’s not profitable probably no.
Remember Blizz is a business so they are doing this because they determined it would make them more money than it would lose. It’s as simple as that. If you wonder if they will do something else, ask if the thing will make more money than it will lose, and the answer will be the same.
I get your concern—too much simplification can make things feel dull. But I think the one-button assist could be a nice way to help new or casual players ease in without getting slammed by complexity.
As long as Blizzard keeps deeper options for those who want more challenge, I think there’s room for both. Just depends on how well they balance it.
What do others think—helpful tool or a step too far?
Maybe, but just think about the populations and how they spend their money on this game. Hardcore players who are bothered by current rotations being too simple for them, meaning they got to level 80, invested in learning them and practicing them to excellence, are probably playing this game for life. Casual players who don’t understand what is going on will just quit. So of course Blizz is going to do something to make the casual experience better no matter what the hardcore players think. It is just a logical business decision.
If we just think it’s a step too far isn’t important. It’s happening. If we resub or unsub over it being a step in the right direction or a step too far matters a great deal. The thing is people on this forum are not resubbing because you have to sub to post here so we don’t hear all the people who are thinking “nice when that comes out I will resub and start giving Blizz my money again”
You make a solid point—it is a business decision at the end of the day. Blizzard wants to reduce barriers so more players feel comfortable jumping in and sticking around. Hardcore players may grumble, but most of them aren’t going anywhere, and Blizzard knows that.
I do think you’re right that we don’t really hear from the lapsed or casual players who might return because of changes like this. The forum tends to lean toward current subs and veterans, so it skews the conversation. It’ll be interesting to see how many people actually come back once the feature rolls out.
Still, I hope they find a way to keep both sides happy—casual-friendly, but with depth for those who want to go deep.
Thanks. I think the current method is good. The people who are going to resub for this probably don’t know or care what a GCD is, so they won’t be bothered by a 0.2s GCD penalty. This is also enough to make learning the rotation powerful even if the super button rotation were ideal and understood burn phases and saving cooldowns when mobs are about to die and targeting different mobs with dot spells like BM hunter’s barbed shot. So everyone is happy except maybe players who aren’t very good and will now be forced to use the rotation helper or perform worse than other people who are spamming one button.
In any case the way it was designed is to maximize revenue and it seems like it will do that. And, a huge chunk of players who would play worse than the super button would also probably enjoy the super button, so it intuitively seems like a good business move.
I’m excited to finally focus on the more intriguing aspects of World of Warcraft, like the lore that has captivated me for decades. This will also make it much easier to play on the go, whether it’s on a Legion Go or a similar device.
I’ll believe that when I see it. They say those kind of things all the time, before each season, before each xpc, anytime they make an announcement they are all talk and it never actually happens.
To me, this comes across as a band aid to allow them to be lazier in their design. If things get too sloppy or too convoluted they can just shrug their shoulders and say “the one button assist solves all your problems”.
i wish wow was good as zelda, and i mean the older ones. these open world type of stuff they are doing just isn’t fun to me when 90% of the worlds empty. same with elden ring, but i degress.
I hear where you’re coming from, and I want to add something that really frustrated me. I originally brought up how Blizzard framed the one-button assist as an accessibility feature for players with disabilities. That thread got a decent amount of engagement—with a lot of people respectfully pointing out that, while the intent might be good, the execution comes across as treating disabled players like second-class citizens. Instead of offering deeper customization or real support, it feels like Blizzard is saying, “Here’s a simplified mode, now stop asking for more.”
Oddly enough, that thread was closed and hidden. No real explanation—just quietly taken down. That kind of response from Blizzard speaks volumes. If they can’t even handle open dialogue on how accessibility features impact actual players, then maybe this isn’t about accessibility at all. Maybe it’s more about simplifying gameplay across the board and using disability as a convenient PR shield.
It raises some serious questions about who they’re really designing for—and why.
Honestly, if WoW was like old-school Zelda, I’d be out here slashing bushes in Elwynn Forest hoping for rupees and heart containers. Instead, I get a kobold screaming about his candle and a grey item worth 3 copper. Truly living the dream.
And yeah, open world these days is just “walk 5 minutes to find a squirrel, then 20 more to find the quest objective.” At this point I need a mount for my mount.
I get that not everyone will agree with my perspective, and that’s totally fine. I post because I genuinely enjoy open discussion about the game and the features we’re all engaging with. I’ve been playing WoW for a long time, and instead of just saying “this sucks” or “this rules,” I like to dig into why things feel the way they do—what works, what doesn’t, and what it could mean for the future of the game.
It’s not about spamming or hot takes—just passionate dialogue from someone who cares about the direction of a game I’ve supported for years.
I get that WoW and old-school Zelda are different genres, but there is a philosophical connection—especially in early WoW. Both games emphasized exploration, discovery, and a sense of wonder without hand-holding. Think of classic WoW zones like Westfall or Duskwood: minimal direction, eerie music, and environmental storytelling. That’s very much in line with Zelda’s design roots—letting the player get a little lost and find their own way. It’s less about copying mechanics, and more about sharing a design ethos focused on immersion and player-driven adventure.
