World of Warcraft is set to change its stance on third-party addons, which have become an essential tool for players tackling high-difficulty activities. Blizzard’s senior game director, Ion Hazzikostas, has revealed that the company will start phasing out combat-focused addons and instead develop in-house UI improvements and tools.
The decision comes after years of acceptance from Blizzard about the use of addons, with many users relying on tools like Deadly Boss Mods, Hekili, and GTFO to aid them in raids and other challenging activities. However, the efficacy and variety of these addons are causing headaches for the developer, who believes they’re detracting from the game’s original fun and uniqueness.
Hazzikostas explains that Blizzard’s design encounters have been influenced by the use of addons, which can compartmentalize and simplify complex mechanics, making it easier for players to navigate. However, this also ties their hands in terms of coordination mechanics and creating challenging experiences.
To address this issue, Blizzard will introduce a new feature called Rotation Assist, set to arrive in patch 11.1.7, which provides a UI option to help players with rotation guidance without relying on third-party addons like Hekili. The tool includes a “one button” option to automatically cast the recommended spell, but with a penalty that adds more time to the global cooldown.
Blizzard is taking a gradual approach to phasing out combat addons, acknowledging that rolling out a hurried blanket ban would be disastrous. The company plans to ease into this change and focus on developing in-house tools to replace mods first.
As big changes come to WoW’s addon landscape, players can expect significant updates to the game’s UI and gameplay mechanics. With Blizzard’s commitment to gradual implementation, the shift away from third-party addons is likely to be a more manageable transition for the community.
Source: https://www.pcgamesn.com/world-of-warcraft/combat-addons-rotation-assist-feature