As the World of Warcraft Diablo 4 crossover event comes to a close, echoes of Sanctuary’s strife continue to whisper through the plains of Azeroth, providing MMORPG enthusiasts with the all-new Winds of Sanctuary buff. While, at first glance, the buff looks great, there’s a slight caveat that means one of WoW‘s newest factions has been forgotten in the depths of Zaralek Cavern.
The WoW Winds of Sanctuary buff grants 50% extra experience to players below level 70, as well as 50% increased reputation for all factions. It’s a pretty hefty buff, and one that had me pretty excited. Finally, I could befriend the adorable Niffen, the moles that are clearly the best part of WoW Dragonflight patch 10.1.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. When you read the buff’s description in full, there’s a clause which states “you will get the benefit of the Winds of Sanctuary buff, which will increase experience gains by 50% for all players through level 70, and reputation gains by 50% for all factions except the Loam Niffen (who are not quite sure what to make of these strange winds).” Friendship ruined before it even began.
It’s a bit of a confusing decision, given the Loam Niffen are the latest reputation faction to be added to the game and are the ones players are most likely trying to befriend ahead of the next big content patch.
On the official Blizzard WoW forum, one player calls it a “swing and a miss,” with another echoing “Winds of Sanctuary Buff excludes fart moles? Excuse me but why?” I’d be a liar if I said that one didn’t make me chuckle.
The WoW Winds of Sanctuary buff runs from Thursday, June 15 at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST until Tuesday, July 11 at 11:59pm PST, so 2:59am EST / 7:59am BST / 8:59am CEST on Wednesday, July 12. It’s a great way to level your characters if you’ve been away for a while, so I suggest taking advantage of it.
It’s also a great time to start a new character, so check out our WoW Dragonflight tier list to help you choose your new main. If you’re new to Warcraft in general, I’d suggest also giving our list of all the best WoW addons a glance, too – you’ll need them, trust me.