Two of The Burning Crusade's most famous raids are about to open their doors again.
Blizzard has launched the Burning Crusade Anniversary Phase 3 PTR, with
Black Temple and
The Battle for Mount Hyjal entering raid testing this weekend.
Testing begins on August 14 and runs through August 17.
So if you've been waiting for another opportunity to hear Illidan explain how spectacularly unprepared everyone is, your weekend plans have arrived.
Black Temple and Mount Hyjal Testing Starts August 14
Blizzard plans to open both raids on the PTR at
1:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, August 14.
Testing will remain available throughout the weekend before ending at
1:00 p.m. PDT on Monday, August 17.
That gives guilds several days to test the encounters, check strategies and begin preparing for the real Phase 3 release later this month.
Black Temple brings back nine bosses, culminating in Illidan Stormrage himself.
Mount Hyjal contains five encounters, ending with Archimonde and one of Warcraft's most famous historical battles.
For anyone who played Burning Crusade the first time around, we're now firmly entering the part of the expansion where the nostalgia becomes extremely expensive to enchant.
Phase 3 Goes Live August 27
The actual Burning Crusade Anniversary Phase 3 launches globally on
August 27.
Black Temple and Mount Hyjal are obviously the headline attractions, but Phase 3 includes considerably more than two raids.
Players also get the Netherwing reputation hub in Shadowmoon Valley, access to Epic Gems and the next stage of Burning Crusade PvP progression. Arena Season 3 begins separately on September 1.
And yes, this means Netherwing Drakes are nearly back.
Some players will raid Illidan.
Others will spend several weeks stealing dragon eggs from cliffs while insisting this is somehow the more relaxing option.
Both are valid Burning Crusade traditions.
Blizzard Is Making Raid Testing Slightly Easier
For this PTR test, Blizzard is also making additional consumables available.
Haste Potions and Destruction Potions are being added alongside the normally available flasks for testing purposes.
That should make it easier for guilds to focus on encounter testing rather than spending half the evening recreating a 2007 Auction House economy on the PTR.
It is worth stressing that this addition is specifically part of the testing setup.
The important thing this weekend is giving Blizzard useful raid data before Phase 3 reaches live servers.
And perhaps discovering which twenty-year-old mechanic your raid has somehow completely forgotten.
The Attunement Game Is Already Underway
Players preparing for Phase 3 should also be paying attention to attunements.
Mount Hyjal requires completion of
The Vials of Eternity, which involves defeating Lady Vashj and Kael'thas.
Black Temple's longer attunement chain runs through Shadowmoon Valley, Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep before eventually requiring progress inside Mount Hyjal itself.
In other words, August 27 may sound comfortably far away.
Burning Crusade attunements would like a word.
Illidan Is Almost Back
Phase 3 is one of those Classic releases where Blizzard barely needs to explain why people care.
Black Temple is Black Temple.
Illidan is Illidan.
Mount Hyjal lets players revisit one of Warcraft III's defining battles.
And for a generation of WoW players, Tier 6 is permanently burned into the part of the brain normally reserved for useful information like birthdays and passwords.
The raids don't officially return until August 27.
But this weekend, the PTR gives us the dress rehearsal.
You are not prepared.
Again.
Source: Blizzard Entertainment / Wowhead
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