WoW: Forever Increases Dungeon XP by 50% as Blizzard Prepares Class Changes

Blizzard has released its first post-launch updates for World of Warcraft: Forever, increasing experience earned from dungeon enemies and preparing several class adjustments aimed at improving gameplay balance.

The dungeon XP change arrived in a hotfix on November 8, giving players a stronger incentive to revisit dungeons instead of treating them as one-time activities. Blizzard has also confirmed class tuning scheduled for November 10, with changes affecting Hunters, Warlocks, and Enhancement Shamans.

WoW: Forever Increases Dungeon Enemy XP by 50%

The November 8 hotfix increases experience gained from killing enemies inside dungeons by 50%. Blizzard says the adjustment is intended to make repeated dungeon runs more worthwhile while leveling.

The developer specifically pointed to quests such as the Wailing Caverns objective that requires players to collect Deviate Hides. Completing these collection quests can take multiple runs, particularly when several group members are competing for the same drops.

Before this update, players had relatively little reason to return to a dungeon after completing its quests. Enemy kills provided limited experience, making repeat runs feel inefficient compared with other leveling activities.

The XP boost addresses that problem by rewarding players more consistently for spending additional time in dungeons.

Why Blizzard Changed Dungeon XP in WoW: Forever

Dungeon rewards have been a point of discussion throughout the game's beta.

Initially, dungeons offered substantial experience, especially through their associated quests. However, Blizzard became concerned that players were leveling too quickly by repeatedly completing dungeon content.

The developer responded by removing experience rewards from dungeon quests. Although dungeons remained attractive for their equipment drops and first-time quest rewards, their overall leveling value declined considerably after an initial run.

That approach carried over into the November 4 launch. Players soon found that repeating dungeons was not particularly rewarding, even when they still needed items to finish collection quests.

The problem was especially noticeable in five-player groups, where multiple players could be trying to collect the same quest items. When one run was not enough, returning to the dungeon often meant sacrificing more efficient leveling opportunities.

Blizzard had previously explained its intended approach during an October 8 episode of the WoW: Forever podcast. The studio said it wanted dungeons to remain repeatable activities rather than becoming a one-time experience, while avoiding a situation where dungeon grinding became the fastest way to level.

The 50% enemy XP increase appears to be an effort to strike that balance.

Blizzard's November 10 Class Changes

Alongside the dungeon adjustment, Blizzard has announced several class updates scheduled for November 10.

The changes focus on improving pet survivability, strengthening certain damage abilities, and addressing equipment priorities for Enhancement Shamans.

Hunter and Warlock Pets Become More Durable

Hunter and Warlock pets will receive improvements to their durability. The adjustment should help pets survive more effectively during combat, making them more dependable companions while leveling.

Affliction Warlock Damage Over Time Gets Improved

Blizzard will also increase the effectiveness of Affliction Warlock's damage-over-time abilities.

These spells are central to the specialization's playstyle, allowing players to apply effects that continue damaging enemies over time. The changes aim to improve the specialization's overall damage output.

Enhancement Shamans Get More Appropriate Gear Priorities

One of the most notable adjustments targets Enhancement Shamans.

Players using this melee-focused specialization have complained that their characters often need equipment with Intellect and Spell Power, rather than the Strength and Attack Power stats typically associated with physical damage dealers.

The upcoming changes are intended to make Strength and Attack Power more valuable choices for Enhancement Shamans, addressing a long-standing concern about the specialization's gearing requirements.

Enhancement Shaman Changes Address Long-Running Player Complaints

The Enhancement Shaman adjustments are particularly significant because the specialization's equipment requirements have generated frustration within the WoW Classic community.

Before Forever launched, members of the WoW Classic Shaman Discord protested the state of the class, arguing that Blizzard had not adequately addressed several of their concerns.

The dispute highlighted the disconnect between Enhancement Shaman's melee-focused gameplay and its reliance on Intellect and Spell Power equipment.

Blizzard had previously indicated that players should not expect major class balance changes before the game's endgame raids arrived on December 9. However, the November 10 adjustments show that the developer is willing to make targeted improvements when specific issues need attention.

What These Updates Mean for WoW: Forever Players

The latest changes address two important parts of the leveling experience.

The 50% increase in dungeon enemy XP makes repeated runs more appealing, particularly for players who need additional opportunities to complete collection quests. Meanwhile, the class adjustments should improve the experience for Hunters, Warlocks, and Enhancement Shamans.

These updates also suggest that Blizzard is responding to player feedback following launch. Rather than completely changing its original leveling philosophy, the studio appears to be making smaller adjustments designed to improve the value of existing activities.

With endgame raids scheduled for December 9, further changes may follow as Blizzard continues monitoring class performance and player feedback.