Hello,
I’m a regular player who has genuinely loved Arena over the years. I’ve reached Gladiator once, with a peak rating of 2574. I know I’m far from the best, and I’ve never claimed otherwise. These days, I play much more casually than before largely due to the issues I’m about to outline.
(My English isn’t perfect, so I wrote this message and used ChatGPT to help me polish and correct it)
I’d like to share my thoughts on the current state of PvP in World of Warcraft. I’m both amazed and disheartened by what the game has become in this area. There are two major concerns I’d like to highlight: the impact of “legal” cheats such as WeakAuras, and the widespread use of actual cheats or third-party automation tools, both of which severely affect the integrity of the game.
1. “Legal” Cheats – WeakAuras Overpowered
WeakAuras, while technically allowed, have become so powerful that they essentially automate gameplay. With sound alerts and visual cues, players don’t even need to think – they just press a button when they hear a sound. This removes a significant layer of skill and awareness from the game. Some players are reaching Gladiator simply by reacting to WeakAura triggers, rather than playing based on game sense or experience.
2. Illegal Cheats Widespread and Ignored
In roughly 50% of rated PvP games, especially at high MMR, you encounter clear evidence of cheating: auto-kicks, auto-dispels, auto-totem kills, pixel-perfect Ring of Peace placements, and so on. These cheats are not only obvious but also easily detectable through logs. Yet, Blizzard seems to take little to no action. Ironically, players can get banned for saying “you’re bad at the game” in chat, but blatant cheaters continue to play without consequence.
Suggested solution:
- Permanently ban cheaters, with zero tolerance.
- Consider banning or heavily restricting WeakAuras in rated PvP.
3. MMR and CR System is Outdated
The current rating system is outdated and broken. It discourages consistent play and creates a situation where players only queue in the final weeks of the season. At 2.1k rating, players are facing multi-Rank 1 or AWC level players. To climb, you need to win 51% of your games against people who have been playing 12 hours a day for the past decade an almost impossible task for regular players. After grinding 300 rating, you’re expected to go positive against these same players at 2.4k+ just to earn rewards far below the R1 title.
Suggested solution:
- Replace the CR/MMR system with a percentage-based model (top X% per week).
- Let players unlock rewards based on weekly thresholds: “Reach top X%, win Y games at this level to earn the reward.”
This would encourage consistent play throughout the season and prevent players from running into AWC teams just to earn mid-tier rewards.
4. 3v3 is Dead Time to Rethink Reward Structures
3v3 is dying. Most players are frustrated and discouraged because it offers nothing of value unless you’re pushing for Gladiator which is nearly impossible under current conditions. As someone who was previously against it, I now believe the only short-term solution is to offer Gladiator titles via Solo Shuffle, unless the CR/MMR system is properly overhauled.
5. Boosters and LFG Abuse
The LFG system is full of account advertisements promoting boosting websites. These accounts are never banned the same names appear for weeks. Why aren’t these obvious boosters permanently banned? This should be an automated process.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, it feels like Blizzard has completely given up on PvP. No real improvements are being made, despite the fact that many solutions would be relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. It’s disheartening to see a billion-dollar company neglect this part of the game, when a small investment in development could make a huge difference.Today, I barely recognize the game I loved. Unless Blizzard decides to change the system
which I highly doubt I don’t see myself coming back seriously. I sincerely hope that one day, another arena-focused game will come out and revive that spark of passion for competitive PvP.
Wishing you all a good day,