WoW dev admits they should have “done more” for open world leveling in Season of Discovery

Whatever approach a player chooses to take to leveling in World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery, there are some methods that are much more efficient than others. Now, one senior developer behind the game has shared his belief that they could have done more for leveling outside of dungeons.

Season of Discovery is currently in its second phase, and players have been making their way from the first level cap of 25, all the way up to Level 40. While some are happy to do this at a leisurely pace, others seek out the most efficient methods of progressing.

Thus far, the latter has meant heading into select dungeons to farm the significant XP on offer. For anyone serious about breezing through the leveling process, using the open world is simply not the way to go.

As a result, Senior Game Producer Josh Greenfield has conceded that the development team could have done more to achieve parity between the different leveling options.

Open-world leveling in Season of Discovery is viable but more difficult

In a response to a fan of the game who raised the issue on Twitter/X, Greenfield confirmed that, while he has leveled two characters in the open world, it is a less appealing option than simply running through dungeons.

Nah, no bullying detected. The tone was a bit harsh but meh, it's the internet. The criticism though was fair. I also agree leveling in the open world was viable, I've done it on two toons now. But I think we could have done more to make it feel better compared to dungeoning.

— Josh Greenfield (@AggrendWoW) February 25, 2024

The viability of open-world leveling has never been in question overall, but the significant time difference required to cap makes it unappealing to some. Greenfield argues that they could have taken greater steps to make it feel as good as dungeoning.

Possible misstep aside, the nature of Season of Discovery means all is not lost. With two more leveling phases to go, the development team has a chance to address the issue.

Equally, it’s important to remember that the last leveling phase is easily the most time-consuming. This would greatly widen the appeal of alternative options for players looking to cap quickly.