The Future of World PvP

The Future of World PvP

Heroes!

World PvP on Ascension is all about pursuit, the thrill of battle, and reward. The open world is now a living battleground where every choice you make can change everything. Only those brave enough to face danger while flagged for PvP will uncover the valuable new features implemented. The best rewards await you if you’re willing to risk it all.

This World PvP update links exclusive and powerful crafting materials, recipes, and PvP gear directly to Open World combat. To obtain the materials needed for top-tier enchants, consumables, and Bloodforged gear, you’ll need to earn them while risking combat against other adventurers, exploring the world while flagged for PvP. If you do, you can gain spoils for yourself, or sell them for a profit to those unwilling to face the risks. Gathering nodes, creature drops, and Refineries have become PvP objectives, tempting heroes out of the safety of cities and into contested, shared spaces of Azeroth, where all is fair in loot and war.  

Crows Cache releases at 18:00 Server Time Today.

War Mode Crafting Materials release at 18:00 Server Time on Tuesday.

World PvP Overview

This update establishes a fully realized open-world PvP system, allowing you to engage in PvP on your terms.

Powerful new treasures are scattered throughout the world, and those who dare to fight for them can reap their rewards. When you venture out into the wilds, you can gather rare and new materials to craft potent consumables and uncover new recipes along the way, granting you unique advantages in combat. If you’re seeking the most thrilling challenge, face off against other players in High-Risk Mode: where your items and gear are on the line as you challenge other players. Loot, gold, and even worn equipment is dropped when players are defeated and collected by those who are victorious. You can win Bloodforged Gear–fierce PvP versions of powerful dungeon and raid items–uniquely through High-Risk PvP, the ultimate danger and savagery for any and all who seek the thrill of battle.

But if you’d rather not dive into combat, never fear: these treasures can be obtained by all, rewarding those who collect them with profit, and benefitting those who do not with items they would otherwise not have. All items obtained in World PvP are purchasable through both the auction house and trading. Consumables created from War Mode materials can empower regular dungeon and raid items, fueling trade between PvP combatants and PvE players. 

What to Expect

• Opt‑in PvP with new Open‑World objectives.
• Seamless Mode Swapping - Switch between PvE and PvP playstyles easily within capital cities.
• Bonus Experience - Level faster in PvP modes.
• The Greater the Risk, the More Rewards - Choose when and how to flag for PvP, with rewards that scale with risk level.
• Dynamic Resource Warfare -  New crafting materials and Refineries exist only in PvP zones, creating natural hotspots for conflict.
• Bloodforged and Heroic Bloodforged Gear - PvP-exclusive versions of Dungeon and Raid equipment earned through open-world combat.
  Player-Driven Economy - All materials and items are tradable through a shared market, bringing together players of all kinds to enjoy this new feature.
• Mercenary Mode - Toggle Free-For-All PvP and attack anyone, including your own faction, turning friends into foes.
• High-Risk Mode - The ultimate PvP challenge: Kill players for their loot, or die and risk losing your own.
• Treasure Hunts and Refiners - Discover Hidden Caches, battle for access to Refineries, and unlock rare crafting recipes and materials.

Play your Way With 3 Different Rulesets

Choose the mode that’s right for you in any capital city throughout Azeroth, all with their own levels of risk.

PvE Mode

• Disable PvP completely and focus on your adventure. Attacking and being attacked by other players is not possible.
• Enjoy their adventures in Azeroth without getting ganked.
• You will never lose your equipment, gold, or loot from being slain by creatures in the world.

War Mode 

Standard World PvP with no loss of loot upon death.

10% Increased experience bonus for playing in War Mode.

Access to War Mode Crafting Materials: New materials that can be used in Professions to craft exclusive items that are useful in all game modes.

High Risk

Risky World PvP with loss of loot on death: items, equipped gear, and gold from Fel Commutation can be lost upon being slain. These rewards can exclusively be looted by others in this PvP Mode via chests dropped upon player death.

15% Increased experience bonus for playing in High-Risk Mode.

Access to War Mode Crafting Materials: New materials that can be used in Professions to craft exclusive items that are useful in all game modes.
 
 

Obtain Bloodforged Gear: powerful equipment dropped from creatures that are the PvP versions of classic Dungeon and Raid items.

Find Marks of War: Tradable tokens that drop from creatures that can be converted into Runes of Ascension.

Unlock Hidden Caches with Ephemeral Keys: The caches hold valuable items such as crafting materials as well as regular and heroic Bloodforged equipment. Locate a chest before the timer on your key diminishes, or lose your rewards.
 

Free For All PvP (FFA PvP) - Become a Mercenary!

Within Warmode and High-risk PvP Mode lies Mercenary for Hire, a thrilling option to become hostile to everyone, regardless of faction.  When you opting into this game mode, you can attack and be attacked by all other players, including other Mercenaries.

• Mercenary for Hire
  • Activates FFAPvP. Allows you to attack and be attacked by your own faction and other mercenaries.
  • Available in both War Mode and High-Risk.
  • Group with fellow Mercenaries for PvP content, regardless of player faction.

This mode becomes available when selecting your PvP Ruleset at Level 15 and can be activated in any zone (including the Open World) via the Spellbook.
 

To remove Mercenary for Hire, enter a rested area and cast “For the Horde!” or “For the Alliance!” respectively.

PvP Grouping Rules

Play with your friends, choose your enemies, and take on the risk and conflict you prefer as you explore and conquer Azeroth. 

Players can group with anyone, regardless of faction or PvP Ruleset so you can always play with your friends and fight creatures together.

PvE Mode players cannot assist War Mode or High-Risk players.

• A PvE Mode player will be unable to directly interact with a party member in a PvP mode in combat. This means they cannot heal, buff, or dispel their PvP enabled friends.
• PvE players can directly interact with other PvE players, even cross faction, in combat.

War Mode and High-Risk players can assist each other if they are the same faction.

• PvP players cannot assist the opposite faction or Mercenaries.
• Mercenaries can assist one another regardless of faction or PvP Mode.

The Rewards of PvP Mode

World PvP Crafting Materials

War Mode Crafting Materials release at 18:00 Server Time on Tuesday.

While adventuring in War Mode or High-Risk PvP, you can collect new crafting materials, opening up access to a whole new variety of goods. Rare ores, herbs, leathers, cloth, meats, and reagents are up for grabs, and can be sold to make a profit, or crafted into powerful and exclusive enhancements to use yourself or trade with friends.

How it works:

• New crafting materials drop from certain creatures while flagged in War Mode or High-Risk.
• New materials appear in existing nodes in these zones and become available to collect while flagged in War Mode or High-Risk.
• Materials dropped by creatures are not locked behind corresponding professions.  Anyone can loot anything from a creature, whether or not they have professions for the dropped item.
• Materials do not drop while in a raid group.
• Materials are all tradable, buyable, and sellable on the Auction House or between players.
• When slaying creatures, you will find both an uncommon and rare quality material.
  • Rare materials are rolled on and looted by a single person, this raw material is whole and intact, ready to be Refined.
  • Uncommon materials are shared party loot, meaning everyone in your party can loot it! You can combine five uncommon items into the rare material. (Shared-party materials do not drop in 1v1 zones.)

• PvP Materials must be crafted at a Refinery to process them into new items for use in end-game professions. These can only be refined in High-Risk mode.

Refine New Crafting Materials

Many of the rare resources found in PvP modes are tainted or unstable, having been manipulated and corrupted by Azeroth’s most deadly enemies. In order to be use them, you’ll first need to purify them before they can be crafted into high-end items. This can be done at Refineries that are scattered throughout the Open World and located in dangerous areas.

How Refineries work:

• Refineries are found in the Open-World near high-value farming areas.
• Certain War-Mode materials can only be purified at Open-World Refineries while others are processed at Sanguine Workbenches located in Capital Cities.
• Cleansing tainted materials grants you Marks of War.
• Refineries are guarded by powerful NPCs, providing a challenge to gain access to these purifying stations. Slay your enemies, and vie for control over the Refineries against other players, should you dare to try and claim the ultimate rewards.
• While War-Mode materials can be found in both War-Mode and High-Risk, refining these materials can only be done in High-Risk!
  • Brave High-Risk and risk your materials to refine them, or sell your unrefined materials to those willing to risk the refining process.

Refinery Guardians

The hostile craftsmen who know how to refine Azeroth’s rarest materials won’t give up their secrets easily. Every Refinery is defended by Elite Guardians, powerful NPCs that must be defeated, or distracted, before players can access the purifying stations. These enemies are more than mere obstacles, offering their own rewards when defeated.

Each guardian wears unique, custom equipment that is Bind-on-Equip. These cosmetic drops are new and never-before seen, making every Refinery assault a chance at rare transmog pieces. For players in High-Risk Mode, Refinery Guardians offer even greater temptation, having a high chance to drop Normal or even Heroic Bloodforged Gear. Whether you are an avid cosmetic collector, hardcore PvPers, or simply want to turn a profit by selling the Elite Guardian’s loot, there’s always a reason to engage with these menacing foes!

War Mode PvP Materials

In the deadliest corners of Azeroth, adventurers will discover new and valuable resources hidden throughout the most contested and volatile areas. These materials are both dropped by creatures, and buried within gathering nodes. For those who dare not brave the dangers, these crucial materials can be bought, sold, and traded between players, each one unique and needed for their respective, new recipes. 

New Metals

HomicitE

• Obtained from mining nodes in End-Game PvP Zones
• Refined in capital cities at a Sanguine Workbench

EBON DRAGONSTEEL

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

CLEANSED PLAGUE IRON

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

wintersteel

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

New Cloth

Profane Cloth

• Obtained from humanoid creatures in End-Game PvP Zones
• Refined in capital cities at a Sanguine Workbench

DRAGONWEAVE

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

BLACKROCK FIREWEAVE

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

Ghostweave

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

New Shards and Dust

Profane SHARD

• Sometimes obtained from disenchanting Bloodforged gear
• Refined in capital cities at a Sanguine Workbench

HELL DUST

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

ANIMATED BONE DUST

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

ESSENCE OF  TWILIGHT

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

New Leathers

Cured Feralhide

• Skinned from beasts in End-Game PvP Zones
• Refined in capital cities at a Sanguine Workbench

Cleansed plague leather

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

sulfur-tanned stegodon hide

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

firewater cured yeti hide

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

New Meats

Cured savage meat

• Obtained from beasts in End-Game PvP Zones
• Refined in capital cities at a Sanguine Workbench

seared savage chimaera meat

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

salted naga tail

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

shadowcharred animated meat

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

scorched silithid meat

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

New Herbs

Blightroot extract

• Obtained from Herb nodes in End-Game PvP Zones
• Refined in capital cities at a Sanguine Workbench

storm brine

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

fiery frond

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 
   
   

plague blossom

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

spectral rose

• Obtained from specific creatures
• Cleansed at a Refinery in the Open World 

War Mode Crafting Recipes

At the higher levels, you’ll uncover new recipes throughout the Open World as you explore. These recipes are dropped by creatures within end-game PvP zones or sold by hidden vendors tucked away in dangerous corners of Azeroth. Obtaining them means venturing deep into contested territory, where competition is fierce and enemies are plentiful. These highly coveted recipes can also be obtained by players who do not wish to engage in PvP, however they will have less opportunities to do so.

Each profession’s new crafts require both PvP and PvE materials, making all forms of gathering and crafting viable and relevant.

New Blacksmithing Recipes

• Blacksmiths can craft new Belt Buckle item enhancements

New Engineering Recipes

• Engineers can craft new Scopes and Polish ranges weapon enhancements.
  • New Scopes can be used to enhance ranged weapon, thrown weapon, and wands
  • Polish is used to enhance relic slot items like Librams, Relics, and Totems

New Tailoring Recipes

• Tailors can craft new Cloak Lining item enhancements

New Enchanting Recipes

• Enchanters can craft new Weapon Enchants

New Leatherworking Recipes

• Leatherworkers can craft new Gambesons
  • Item enhancements for chest armor

New Cooking Recipes

• Cooks can craft new food granting powerful new buffs

New Alchemy Recipes

• Alchemists can brew new flasks granting powerful new buffs

End-Game PvP Zones

Though world PvP can happen anywhere at any time, many of the best rewards and materials are only available in End-Game PvP zones. Whether players venture into areas where only 1v1 combat is enabled, or the unrestricted PvP zones where there are no limitations, both offer valuable treasures and new enhancements to discover. 

End-Game PvP Zones include:

• Silithus
• Burning Steppes
• Blasted Lands
• Azshara
• Eastern Plagueslands
• Western Plaguelands (1v1 Honorable Combat)
• Un’Goro (1v1 Honorable Combat)
• Winterspring (1v1 Honorable Combat)

1v1 Honorable Combat PvP Zones

1v1 Honorable Combat Zones are areas where you can venture out solo and control your PvP experience, only ever battling one player at a time. 1v1 Honorable Combat Zones are a great place to seek out Bloodforged Gear and powerful crafting materials while ensuring a fair fight without risk of being overwhelmed by the masses. 

Leveling 1v1 Honorable Combat Zones include:

• Ashenvale
• Desolace
• Feralas
• Un’goro Crater

Mousing over zones on the world map will indicate if they are End-Game PvP Zones.

End-Game PvP Zone Rewards

End-Game and 1V1 honorable Combat PvP Zone exclusive rewards include:

New end-game crafting materials
 

New end-game crafting recipes
 
 

Maximum level Bloodforged Gear (High-Risk Only)

Heroic Bloodforged Gear (High-Risk Only)

Marks of War (High-Risk Only)

Hidden Caches (High-Risk Only)
 

Bloodforged Gear

Bloodforged gear is an alternative version of classic dungeon and raid equipment that features PvP power to assist players in PvP combat. This type of item can be obtained as drops from creatures in the Open World while in High-Risk PvP mode, looted from Hidden Caches, buying it from other players, or by transforming your Soulbound PvE gear into a Bind-on-Equip Bloodforged version with a Bloody Jar.

In the Open World, the kind of Bloodforged Gear you can find is based on the currently released raid gear and your equipped item level to ensure constant progression, this is shown visually with the Treasure Hunter buff.

Alternatively, Bloody Jars can be bought from the Guardian of Time in any capital city and can be used on any Normal, Heroic, Mythic, or Ascended piece of equipment. However, when you bloodforge your item, the process will cause the item to revert down to its default state and subsequent stats, ie a mythic PvE item will turn into a normal mode PvP item.

Heroic Bloodforged Gear

Heroic gear is the stronger variant of regular Bloodforged equipment that can only be obtained in High-Risk mode by unlocking Hidden Caches, looting a Crow’s Cache, conquering your fellow players and looting their belongings, or by purchasing it from the Auction House. 

Unlike regular Bloodforged items, Heroic Bloodforged gear cannot be created with a Bloody Jar and must be obtained through High-Risk combat.

Fel Commutation: High-Risk Item Insurance

When engaging in High-Risk there are ways to safeguard your equipped items by using Fel Commutation, a service that allows you to retain your equipment in exchange for a flat gold fee upon death. You can access this menu at the Fel Commutation portal, which is available in any capital city.

Fel Commutation is active by default! You can visit a portal to turn it off.

The price for this safety however, depends on your equipment’s item level. The better your gear, the higher the price. The total cost of safeguarding your items upon death can be seen at the top of your Character Sheet.

Hidden Caches (High-Risk)

Hidden Caches are valuable treasure chests hidden throughout Azeroth, each having a chance to contain Marks of War, Bloodforged gear, and rarely, Heroic Bloodforged gear. These caches can be opened with Ephemeral Keys, which can be looted off of creatures in High-Risk Mode.  However, these keys each have a unique rarity and have a duration of 15 minutes. Once looted, they will mark the location of nearby caches on your minimap, allowing you to find and open corresponding chests equal to the quality of your key. Possessing an Ephemeral Key grants a buff visible to other players, who may actively hunt you down to claim your spoils, so act quickly. 

There are three tiers of Hidden Caches:

• Uncommon Caches
  • These are randomly spawned chests that change locations though they are typically found by roads, in the wilderness, and near encampments.
  • These chests have a chance to contain an upgraded Rare Ephemeral Key.

• Rare Caches
  • These are static chests that remain in the same locations, and they are typically found in the bottoms of caves and in enemy encampments.
  • These chests contain Bloodforged gear, and have a high chance of containing Heroic Bloodforged gear as well as an upgraded Epic Ephemeral Key.

• Epic Caches
  • These are limited chests that remain in the same locations. They are found in only the most dangerous and difficult to access areas with a high concentration of enemies.
  • These chests contain several pieces of the current Raid Tier Heroic Bloodforged gear.

Crow’s Cache

Crow's Cache releases at 18:00 Server Time 26-10-2025.

Crow’s Cache is a large-scale world PvP event that spawns once every 3 hours around Azeroth. These events are not for the faint of heart, requiring manpower and team coordination to overwhelm your foes and claim your prize. Not unlike battlegrounds, these open-world skirmishes summon challengers from near and far, enticing the masses with high-value rewards that are definitely worth fighting for.

• The event will be announced server-wide, revealing its spawn location as well as marking it on the world map for all to see.

• The affected area where the Crow’s Cache is spawned in will grant the Crow’s Rage Buff to all War Mode and High-Risk Mode players. This buff reduces damage done by all AoE spells and rewards all players with 500 Runes of Ascension for participating when the Crow’s Cache is looted.

• Both War Mode and High-Risk players can battle in the event, however, the Crow’s Cache is only lootable with High-Risk enabled.
• Looting the Crow’s Cache comes with a risk. The player who loots the chest will have a Crow's Cache item in their bags. This item applies Crow's Spite making them unable to teleport, accept a summon, use their hearthstone, or even get mounted movement speed until they’ve reached a town. Collaboration is essential, as the looter will be under constant threat of overwhelming attack, and should they perish, your group’s spoils will be dropped and available to other players. If you loot the person holding crow's cache, you too will get the Crow's Spite debuff.
• Crow’s Caches can contain:

Bloodforged Gear

Heroic Bloodforged Gear
 

Golden Marks of War

Arcanite Bars

Mooncloth

Black Lotus

Arcanite Crystals

Nexus Crystals

In this new era of Ascension, the world itself becomes your battlefield, your opportunity, and your proving grounds. Whether you fight for glory, riches, or sheer survival, every step beyond the safety of the cities carries risk and the promise of reward. 

The choice is yours: embrace the chaos of open-world PvP and seize power through conquest, or profit from the spoils of those who dare. Azeroth’s frontiers are alive once more, and only the bold will rise above the rest.

World PvP Crafting Materials release at 18:00 Server Time on Tuesday.