"Patch 11.1: Major Update for WoW Hunters"

Summary

• Hunters in WoW Patch 11.1 will be able to change pet specializations, opt for one pet in Beast Mastery, and lose pets in Marksmanship.
• The new Patch 11.1 in WoW will introduce Undermine and the Liberation of Undermine raid against Chrome King Gallywix.
• Player feedback on the Hunter changes in Patch 11.1 will be crucial as the adjustments are tested on the PTR early next year.

In World of Warcraft, Patch 11.1 introduces significant updates to the Hunter class, offering exciting new gameplay dynamics. With this patch, Hunters will have the flexibility to change their pet specializations at the stables, allowing any pet, like the Dreaming Festive Reindeer from the Feast of Winter Veil event, to switch between Cunning, Ferocity, or Tenacity. This change enhances the strategic depth by allowing players to tailor their pets to their preferred combat style.

For Beast Mastery Hunters, there's an option to focus on a single, more powerful pet, which will be larger and deal increased damage. This adjustment aims to streamline gameplay while still maintaining the essence of the Beast Mastery fantasy. On the other hand, Marksmanship Hunters will undergo a complete rework, shifting their focus to a sharpshooter fantasy. They will no longer use a pet but will instead be assisted by a spotter eagle that marks targets for additional damage, emphasizing precision and tactical play.

Additionally, the Pack Leader Hero Talent is being revamped to summon a bear, boar, and wyvern during combat, introducing a new layer of tactical complexity to the Hunter's arsenal.

Patch 11.1 also introduces new content with the "Undermined" update, where players will explore the underground capital of the Goblins and engage in the Liberation of Undermine raid against Chrome King Gallywix. This update continues the narrative from The War Within, promising an epic confrontation with Gallywix and his cronies.

The Hunter community has mixed feelings about these changes. While the pet specialization and Beast Mastery solo pet options have been warmly received, the Marksmanship rework and the fixed animal summons for Pack Leader have sparked debate. Many players appreciate the thematic direction but feel that removing the pet from Marksmanship dilutes the Hunter's core identity.

These changes are set to be tested on the Patch 11.1 PTR early next year, providing an opportunity for players to provide feedback. Blizzard will be looking to refine these adjustments based on community input to ensure a balanced and enjoyable experience.

World of Warcraft Patch 11.1 Hunter Changes

• Specializations for hunter pets can now be changed in the stable via a dropdown menu.

Class Changes

• HUNTER
  • Kindling Flare has been redesigned – Now increases the radius of Flare by 50%.
  • Territorial Instincts has been redesigned – Now reduces the cooldown of Intimidation by 10 seconds and no longer summons a pet if you do not have one out.
  • Wilderness Medicine has been updated – Now additionally increases the cooldown reduction effect of Natural Mending by 0.5 seconds.
  • No Hard Feelings has been updated – Now additionally reduces the cooldown of Misdirection by 5 seconds.
  • Roar of Sacrifice has been updated for Marksmanship Hunters only – Instructs your pet to protect a friendly target from critical strikes, making attacks against that target unable to be critical strikes. Lasts 12 seconds. While active, your Spotting Eagle cannot apply Spotter’s Mark.
  • Intimidation now has a unique variant for Marksmanship spec that does not require line of sight and uses your Spotting Eagle.
  • Explosive Shot projectile speed increased.
  • Eyes of the Beast is now only learned by Survival and Beast Mastery Hunters.
  • Eagle Eye is now only learned by Marksmanship Hunters.
  • Freezing Trap now breaks based on a small damage threshold instead of any damage.
  • Roar of Sacrifice, Wilderness Medicine, and No Hard Feelings have had their tooltips updated to not present Marksmanship Hunters with irrelevant information.
  • Hero Talents
    • Dark Ranger
      • Withering Fire has been updated – Triggers from casting Black Arrow during Trueshot/Bestial Wrath and no longer auto-fires Black Arrow, instead gaining Deathblow.
        • Developers’ notes: This change aims to balance Withering Fire’s consistency by raising its randomness floor and lowering its ceiling, ensuring exciting moments while reducing periods of inactivity.
      • Fixed an issue preventing Bleak Powder’s cone from dealing damage over its intended area.
    • Pack Leader
      • New Talent: Howl of the Pack Leader – Every 30 seconds, your next Kill Command summons a Bear, Wyvern, or Boar. Each has unique abilities to aid in combat.
      • New Talent: Better Together – Reduces Howl of the Pack Leader’s cooldown to 25 seconds and increases pet attack power by 5%.
      • New Talent: Dire Summons – Reduces Howl of the Pack Leader’s cooldown by 1 second with each Kill Command and by 1 second with each Cobra Shot/Raptor Strike/Mongoose Bite.
      • New Talent: Pack Mentality – Increases the damage of your next Kill Command by 50% or generates an additional stack of Tip of the Spear after using Howl of the Pack Leader.
      • New Talent: Ursine Fury – Your Bear’s periodic damage has a 10% chance to reduce the cooldown of Kill Command/Butchery or Flanking Strike. Choice node with Envenomed Fangs.
      • New Talent: Envenomed Fangs – Initial damage from your Bear consumes Serpent Sting from nearby targets, dealing instant damage. Choice node with Ursine Fury.
      • New Talent: Fury of the Wyvern – Your pet’s attacks increase your Wyvern’s damage bonus and extend its duration with Kill Command/Wildfire Bomb.
      • New Talent: Hogstrider – Each time your Boar deals damage, your next attack strikes an additional target, with additional effects for Beast Mastery and Survival Hunters.
      • New Talent: No Mercy – Damage from Kill Shot sends your pets into a rage, causing them to pounce on the target.
      • New Talent: Shell Cover – Summons a Turtle to reduce damage taken when health drops below 40%. Can occur once every 2 minutes.
      • New Talent: Slicked Shoes – Reduces Disengage’s cooldown when removing a movement impairing effect. Choice node with Horsehair Tether.
      • New Talent: Horsehair Tether – Drags stunned enemies to the center of Binding Shot. Choice node with Slicked Shoes.
      • New Talent: Lead From the Front – Summons a Beast during Bestial Wrath/Coordinated Assault, increasing Beast damage for a short duration.
      • The following talents have been removed:
        • Beast of Opportunity, Cornered Prey, Covering Fire, Cull the Herd, Den Recovery, Frenzied Tear, Furious Assault, Howl of the Pack, Pack Assault, Pack Coordination, Scattered Prey, Tireless Hunt, Vicious Hunt, Wild Attacks
    • Sentinel
      • Lunar Storm damage increased by 25%, with adjustments to its radius, duration, and cooldown to make it feel more impactful.
      • Lunar Storm now does initial damage and follows its target slowly.
      • Developers’ notes: These changes aim to make Lunar Storm a more significant event in combat while improving its usability and tracking.
  • Beast Mastery
    • Developers’ notes: Beast Mastery remains strong, with new talents added to enhance area of effect capabilities.
    • New Talent: Dire Cleave – Dire Beasts gain Beast Cleave at 100% effectiveness for 8 seconds when summoned.
    • New Talent: Poisoned Barbs – Barbed Shot has a chance to explode on impact, dealing Nature damage to nearby enemies.
    • New Talent: Solitary Companion – Increases pet damage by 35% and pet size by 10%. Choice node with Animal Companion.
      • Developers’ notes: This talent allows for a solo-pet playstyle with minimal throughput loss, ensuring balance and enjoyment.
    • Stomp now deals separate damage instances to primary and secondary targets.
    • Serpent Sting and Barrage damage increased, with Barrage's focus cost reduced.
    • Alpha Predator now increases Kill Command’s damage multiplicatively.
    • Additional Kill Shots from Hunter’s Prey target enemies regardless of health.
    • Dire Command summon chance reduced, with updated visual effects and summoning behavior for Dire Beasts.
    • Dire Frenzy is now a 2-point node, replacing Basilisk Collar.
    • The following talents have been removed:
      • Basilisk Collar, Venom’s Bite
  • Marksmanship
    • Developers’ notes: Marksmanship is being reimagined to enhance its sharpshooter fantasy, replacing pet functionalities with a unique Eagle support system.
    • New Ability: Harrier’s Cry – Boosts party and raid Haste, with a cooldown to prevent overuse.
    • New Passive: Manhunter – Applies Grievous Injury to reduce enemy healing.
    • New Passive: Eyes in the Sky – Introduces the Spotting Eagle to mark targets for increased damage from Aimed Shot.
    • New Talents: Aspect of the Hydra, Improved Spotter’s Mark, Moving Target, Obsidian-Tipped Ammunition, Shrapnel Shot, Magnetic Gunpowder, Precise Detonation, On Target, Quickdraw, Target Acquisition, Eagle’s Accuracy, Headshot, Feathered Frenzy, Tensile Bowstring, Incendiary Ammunition, Bullet Hell, Improved Streamline, Windrunner Quiver, Cunning, Tenacious, Ohn’ahran Winds, Double Tap, Killer Mark, Deadeye.
      • Developers’ notes: These talents aim to enhance the precision and tactical elements of Marksmanship while compensating for the loss of pet functionalities.
    • Streamline, Precise Shots, and Focused Aim have been updated to enhance the flow and effectiveness of Marksmanship rotations.
    • Trueshot has been redesigned to boost critical strike chance and damage, with reduced cooldowns on key abilities.
    • Razor Fragments, Calling the Shots, Unerring Vision, and Bulletstorm have been updated for better integration and performance.
    • In the Rhythm and Ammo Conservation have been adjusted to improve rotational efficiency.
    • Multi-Shot and Steady Shot have been updated, with damage increases and new baseline effects.
    • Many talents have been removed to streamline the specialization and focus on the new sharpshooter fantasy.
  • Survival
    • Developers’ notes: Survival’s rotation is being simplified to reduce cognitive load, with new talents to maintain depth.
    • New Talent: Cull the Herd – Increases damage taken from Bleed effects after using Kill Shot.
    • New Talent: Born to Kill – Enhances the chance to gain Deathblow and extends Cull the Herd's duration.
    • Frenzy Strikes and Merciless Blow have been updated to enhance Flanking Strike's impact.
    • Alpha Predator now increases Kill Command’s damage multiplicatively.
    • Butchery and Flanking Strike are now on a choice node to reduce rotational complexity.
    • Exposed Flank has been removed.

Player Versus Player

• HUNTER
  • New PvP Talent: Explosive Powder – Enhances Bursting Shot with a knockback and additional snare effect.
  • Beast Mastery
    • Dire Beast: Basilisk has been redesigned to trigger automatically with Call of the Wild.
  • Marksmanship
    • New PvP Talents: Sniper’s Advantage and Aspect of the Fox enhance range and mobility during combat.
    • Ranger’s Finesse no longer increases Bursting Shot’s effectiveness.
    • Several PvP talents have been removed to streamline PvP gameplay for Marksmanship Hunters.