Running WoW Classic Naxxramas is a welcome blast from the past – especially given that it was the MMORPG‘s first (and last) mega 40-man dungeon. Etched into history as one of the best raids in Warcraft history, Blizzard has decided to extend the achievement rewards for the duration of WotLK Classic, splitting the community down the middle.
In a January 5 forum post, community manager Randy ‘Kaivax’ Jordan writes, “as we approach Wrath Classic 3.4.1 and the release of Ulduar, we want to make sure all players know that the Glory of the Raider Black Proto-Drake, Plagued Proto-Drake, the Immortal title, and the Undying title will remain available to be earned throughout Wrath Classic.”
The response has generally been pretty positive, with a swathe of comments calling this a “good change.” Another response reads “there are dates on each achievement, so flex that if you need some validation I guess,” – to be fair, that’s not a bad idea at all.
While this is a welcome change for some, others remain resolute that the mount achievements specifically should be made unavailable upon Ulduar’s release. The Black Proto-Drake mount drops from completing Naxxramas with 25 people, whereas the Plagued Proto-Drake is a reward for completing it as a ten man stack.
“I’ve got to say I’m disappointed,” comments one fan. “The game’s already easy, but take away what little experience from the original Wrath we had.” “Man I miss when earning things felt rewarding. Time to cheese the achieves with full Ulduar gear! Participation trophies for all!” writes another.
This is a double-edged sword. Given that WoW game director Ion Hazzikostas has effectively confirmed that old limited time WoW mounts will not be returning (at least in Retail) and that the devs aren’t really looking to produce more of them, having something exclusive certainly feels pretty good.
To play devil’s advocate, though, extending the Naxxramas rewards gives players more incentive to keep playing the raid – especially given that it is one of WoW’s finest. With achievements scrapped, you’d just be competing for gear with no real reward that screams ‘look how hard I tried.’
Either way, the WoW Classic Naxxramas rewards are here to stay. If you’re taking to the scourge-ridden plains of Azeroth to try out Wrath of the Lich King for the first time, we have a WoW WotLK Death Knight guide to help you find the build for your new undead warrior. If you’re more magically inclined, we have a WoW WotLK Elemental Shaman guide with the class’s best builds, too.