It’s no secret that things are a little hectic right now for everyone, with many taking measures against the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. Most of us are being told to stay indoors and self-isolate, to work from home where possible, and to self-quarantine at even a hint of the virus. These measures are necessary, but they can also be scary, lonely, and frustrating. Fortunately, MMOs like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft are a great way to continuing socializing amidst the isolation.
Unfortunately, with Battle for Azeroth all but over and Shadowlands still months away (at least), there’s not much to distract WoW players right now. Maybe that’s why Blizzard has decided to grant all players the Winds of Wisdom buff until April 20, which increases all experience gains by an unheard of 100%.
The nicest thing about this buff is it’s not just for players who own Battle for Azeroth. Starter Edition and Legion players are included as well. It also stacks with heirlooms, which means leveling just got, well, faster than we can remember. Basically, if you’ve been holding off on making that adorable new Vulpera or Mechagnome character, now is the time to do it.
Not Blizzard’s first response to COVID-19
This isn’t the first action the World of Warcraft studio has taken in response to COVID-19. A week ago, they announced they would be implementing a work-from-home policy for their Irvine and Austin offices.
We will continue to pay our on-site vendors and contractors while this work-from-home policy is in place, and our game teams will work to provide the best experiences we can for players during this challenging time.
— Blizzard Entertainment (@Blizzard_Ent) March 14, 2020
At this stage, there’s still a lot of speculation about what COVID-19 will mean for WoW. Blizzard has not announced BlizzCon yet, and one can’t help wonder if they will cancel it this year. Shadowlands could also easily be delayed. Of course, a new encrypted alpha build was shipped even after the work from home policy was implemented. That means work on the new expansion is still being carried out despite the disruptions.
Honestly, however, there are many more important things than whether or not Shadowlands comes out this year. For now, the Winds of Wisdom buff should provide a welcome bit of fun. Goodness knows we need that.
