WoW dev confirms state of 40-man raids in Season of Discovery final phase

World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery is currently in its second phase and there are two more before it reaches its inevitable conclusion. Even at this relatively early stage, one senior developer working on the game has confirmed that 40-man raids will feature in the game’s final throes.

Season of Discovery’s phased leveling system has created several mini-endgames within the seasonal experience’s lifespan. Players were initially able to reach Level 25 before this was increased to 40. Phase Three and Four will increase this further, to 50 and 60 respectively.

A major part of the first two phases has been the 10-man raid adaptations of iconic dungeons. Blackfathom Deeps and Gnomeregan have taken on a new life, and players were very receptive to the smaller raid size.

As a result, there has been speculation on the 40-man raids players would expect to see at Level 60. Now, Senior Game Producer Josh Greenfield has confirmed what those raids will look like in the final phase.

40-man raids will feature in Season of Discovery Phase Four

In an exclusive interview with Dexerto, the developer confirmed that 40-man raids will feature, with some possible caveats. Though they will definitely feature, there could be some Season of Discovery style changes. Greenfield went on to explain the thinking behind raiding in future phases.

“There are a lot of folks who say, ‘I have this guild and there are six 10-player raid teams. I really just want 40-player raiding again.’ Then there’s a lot of people who say, ‘I really love 10-player raiding and that’s what we want forever.’ I don’t think there’s an objectively correct decision, it’s mostly just preference”

“What we’re trying to do is not take anything away from anyone. Those raids that were 40-player will likely stay 40-player. Now, will they look exactly the same? Hard to say and that’s not something we’re ready to talk about right now. There are some things you can expect to stay the same and there are some things that will change a lot. There will be some form of 40-player raiding at some point.”

The comments provided further clarity on the developer’s priorities heading into the later stages of the game. With both 10-man and 40-man activities likely to feature, there should be something for everyone when Season of Discovery reaches its conclusion.