"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 the upcoming World of Warcraft Patch 11.1, Hunters are set to experience significant changes that will reshape their gameplay. This patch, known as Undermined, will not only expand the game's narrative into the subterranean city of the Goblins but also introduce pivotal class updates. Hunters will gain the ability to change their pets' specializations, allowing them to tailor their companions' abilities to suit their combat needs. For instance, any Hunter pet, including seasonal favorites like the Dreaming Festive Reindeer from the Feast of Winter Veil event, can be switched between Cunning, Ferocity, or Tenacity specializations at the stables.

Patch 11.1 also brings changes to Hunter specializations. Marksmanship Hunters will undergo a significant transformation, moving away from using a pet and instead utilizing a spotter eagle that enhances their sharpshooting by marking targets for increased damage. Beast Mastery Hunters will have the option to employ a single, larger, and more powerful pet, enhancing the solo-pet gameplay experience. Additionally, the Pack Leader Hero Talent will see a rework, summoning a bear, boar, and wyvern to aid in combat, although this change has sparked debate among players who prefer customizable animal choices.

The community's response to these Hunter adjustments is mixed. While the flexibility in pet specializations and the solo pet option for Beast Mastery have been widely welcomed, the removal of pets from Marksmanship and the fixed animal summons for Pack Leader have stirred controversy. Many players feel that these changes detract from the core Hunter fantasy in World of Warcraft.

However, these changes are not final. Blizzard has planned to roll out a Public Test Realm (PTR) for Patch 11.1 early next year, giving players the opportunity to test and provide feedback on these new features. Hunters are encouraged to participate actively in this process to help shape the future of their class.

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 to increase the radius of Flare by 50%.
  • Territorial Instincts now reduces the cooldown of Intimidation by 10 seconds and no longer summons a pet if you don't have one out.
  • Wilderness Medicine now increases the cooldown reduction effect of Natural Mending by 0.5 seconds.
  • No Hard Feelings now reduces the cooldown of Misdirection by 5 seconds.
  • Roar of Sacrifice, updated for Marksmanship Hunters, protects a friendly target from critical strikes for 12 seconds, but prevents the Spotting Eagle from applying Spotter's Mark during this time.
  • Intimidation for Marksmanship Hunters now uses the Spotting Eagle and does not require line of sight.
  • Explosive Shot's projectile speed has been increased.
  • Eyes of the Beast is now exclusive to Survival and Beast Mastery Hunters.
  • Eagle Eye is now exclusive to Marksmanship Hunters.
  • Freezing Trap now breaks based on a small damage threshold rather than any damage.
  • Tooltips for Roar of Sacrifice, Wilderness Medicine, and No Hard Feelings have been updated to exclude irrelevant information for Marksmanship Hunters.
  • Hero Talents
    • Dark Ranger
      • Withering Fire now triggers from casting Black Arrow during Trueshot/Bestial Wrath, aiming to balance its randomness and effectiveness.
      • Fixed an issue with Bleak Powder's cone damage.
    • Pack Leader
      • New Talent: Howl of the Pack Leader summons a Bear, Wyvern, or Boar every 30 seconds with unique effects.
      • New Talent: Better Together reduces the cooldown of Howl of the Pack Leader and boosts pet attack power.
      • New Talent: Dire Summons reduces the cooldown of Howl of the Pack Leader with each Kill Command or Cobra Shot/Raptor Strike/Mongoose Bite.
      • New Talent: Pack Mentality enhances the damage of the next Kill Command after using Howl of the Pack Leader.
      • New Talent: Ursine Fury and Envenomed Fangs offer choice nodes for different pet effects.
      • New Talent: Fury of the Wyvern enhances Wyvern's damage bonus and duration.
      • New Talent: Hogstrider allows the Boar to strike additional targets and boosts damage for Beast Mastery Hunters.
      • New Talent: No Mercy sends pets into a rage with Kill Shot, causing them to attack the target.
      • New Talent: Shell Cover summons a Turtle for damage reduction when health drops below 40%.
      • New Talent: Slicked Shoes and Horsehair Tether provide choice nodes for movement and control effects.
      • New Talent: Lead From the Front summons a Beast and increases damage during Bestial Wrath/Coordinated Assault.
      • Several talents have been removed to streamline the Pack Leader tree.
    • Sentinel
      • Lunar Storm has been enhanced with increased damage, radius, and duration, now triggers every 30 seconds, and includes initial damage.
      • Visual and tracking effects for Lunar Storm have been updated to improve usability and impact.
  • Beast Mastery
    • New Talent: Dire Cleave enhances Dire Beasts with Beast Cleave.
    • New Talent: Poisoned Barbs adds a chance for Barbed Shot to explode on impact.
    • New Talent: Solitary Companion increases pet damage and size, offering a solo-pet option.
    • Stomp now deals separate damage instances.
    • Serpent Sting and Barrage have received damage increases, with Barrage's focus cost reduced.
    • Alpha Predator now affects Kill Command multiplicatively.
    • Additional changes to Dire Beasts, Dire Command, and Dire Frenzy enhance the spec's area of effect capabilities.
  • Marksmanship
    • New Ability: Harrier's Cry boosts party and raid Haste.
    • New Passive: Manhunter reduces enemy healing with Aimed Shot.
    • New Passive: Eyes in the Sky introduces the Spotting Eagle, enhancing Aimed Shot damage.
    • New Talents: Aspect of the Hydra, Improved Spotter's Mark, and others add depth and choice to the spec.
    • Streamline, Precise Shots, and Trueshot have been updated to fit the new sharpshooter fantasy.
    • Aimed Shot, Rapid Fire, and other core abilities have been adjusted to enhance the spec's feel and performance.
  • Survival
    • New Talent: Cull the Herd enhances bleed effects following Kill Shot.
    • New Talent: Born to Kill boosts Deathblow and Cull the Herd effects.
    • Frenzy Strikes and Merciless Blow have been updated to add more impact to Flanking Strike.
    • Alpha Predator now affects Kill Command multiplicatively.
    • Butchery and Flanking Strike are now mutually exclusive choices to simplify rotation and reduce cognitive load.

Player Versus Player

• HUNTER
  • New PvP Talent: Explosive Powder enhances Bursting Shot with knockback and snare effects.
• Beast Mastery
  • Dire Beast: Basilisk now triggers automatically with Call of the Wild.
• Marksmanship
  • New PvP Talents: Sniper's Advantage and Aspect of the Fox enhance range and mobility.
  • Ranger's Finesse no longer boosts Bursting Shot.
  • Several PvP talents have been removed to refine the spec's PvP toolkit.