World of Warcraft’s Shaman community is protesting changes to the class in the upcoming Forever release. The WoW Classic Shaman Discord, which has around 80,000 members, has been switched to read-only, with its moderators saying they want to signal their dissatisfaction to Blizzard.
Blizzard’s launch patch notes introduce class-balance changes based on beta feedback and data. Shamans are among the classes receiving adjustments, including the removal of Lava Burst for Elemental and changes affecting abilities such as Riptide for Restoration and Maelstrom Weapon for Enhancement.
In its lockdown message, the Discord said community feedback had been “completely ignored” and argued that class identities and fantasies were being undermined. A follow-up post said the complaints were not about damage output, but about the direction of Shaman design and the way ability changes affect each specialization. The server also raised concerns that spell power and intellect gear could benefit both Elemental and Enhancement, blurring the distinction between them.
The moderators said the server would reopen regardless of the outcome, but argued that feedback shared through what they considered legitimate channels had not been heard. They added that they would accept a “hybrid tax” — the idea that hybrid classes capable of dealing damage and healing should not outdamage dedicated damage-dealing classes — if Shaman playstyles better reflected a cohesive class identity.
The lockdown also affects channels discussing Shamans in other classic versions of the game, including WoW Classic and Mists of Pandaria Classic. Blizzard has said it does not expect to make further major class changes for at least another month. World of Warcraft: Forever is scheduled to launch November 4.
Sources: GameSpot.