We’ve all known for awhile that the smaller team brackets favor certain compositions and classes… and now, with almost 2 seasons under it’s belt, Blizzard is no longer being coy:

I’m not saying it’s right that warlocks should be so powerful as a solo class simply because the balance is aimed somewhere else, but that’s the way it is and it has been said that little to no balancing will be done for 1vs1 or 2vs2 scenarios. It was even announced recently that there was almost not going to be a 2vs2 arena due to balance concerns. -Tharfor(EU)

Couple that with the blurb earlier this week from Kalgan saying that they were considering scrapping 2v2 in favor of 4v4 during TBC beta, it almost seems like Blizzard never intended for 2v2 to be a serious arena bracket. If that is indeed the case, isn’t it ironic (and amusing) that 2v2 is the only bracket that Blizzard currently backs competitively?

Tags: News

12 Responses to “Blizzard on Warlocks and 2v2: Deal With It”

1. Kioto Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 12:09 pm

   As opposed to 5v5 which they directly organized and established a tournament for? As opposed to the current 3v3 bracket that Gameriot is organizing and are currently negotiating with Blizzard for private servers and backing? As opposed to the former 3v3s with WSVG in which Blizzard was directly involved trying to foster a competitive e-sport atmosphere way before the 2v2 tournament was announced?

   Take off your tinfoil hat, 2v2 was picked up relatively late in the scene by CGS just because it was the only bracket that had no league or tournament representation. The only reason that it’s the only currently standing competition is because unlike The WSVG, CGS didn’t go belly up. Doesn’t take away from the fact that 3v3 is and will be a way more popular bracket than 2v2s.

   Magog: The history of Blizzard’s involvement competitive gaming is duly noted and has been reported on this very site here in the past. I chose the word “currently” very carefully and my comment is nothing more than a playful snark at blue.

2. specr1 Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 1:32 pm

   Hey just curious, what website is that in the picture?

   thanks

   Magog: here’s the link to the article written by Kow:

   http://www.thecgs.com/index.php?s=content&d=details&id=3563

3. idiot Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

   cgs

   2v2 is balanced… if you’re a druid or a warlock

4. kags Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 2:56 pm

   Seriously it doesnt make sense… If blizzard wants WoW to be a real e-sport they should feature 2v2 and 3v3 more because its much easier to follow. (i think 5v5 would be easier to follow if a spectator mode where the viewer is able to click a player and follow him around). If they want to make it an e-sport, they reeeeallllly need to put some effort into finding solutions for the “strong solo” classes.

5. Evidense Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

   Newsflash: Warriors are dominating 2v2.

6. mookster Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 5:35 pm

   What a dumb post… it is druid/war dominating 2s. That graphic you put up is from a long time ago and btw, the warrior won that.

   So again, warrior/druid is dominating not warlock healer. With armor pen+ soul siphon nerf + drain nerf + ms fix the gap will grow.

   Magog: The point of the news blurb isn’t to point out the best current 2v2 combo. If it was, I agree, that would be a dumb post.

   The point of the news is that, from the blue posts this week (ie. PvP news), Blizzard is moving from the general stance of “we don’t balance for 1v1″ to outright naming unbalanced classes and combos — if you follow the Kalgan link he mentions Warrior/Druid along with Warlock/Druid — and continuing to say 2v2 at its current state is broken. For those playing the have or have not classes, how does that make you feel when the CM’s say that? Making statements like: warlocks are OP in 2s, “that’s just the way it is”?

   Apologies if my post is being read another way. Instead of just posting news that you can get from a bluetracker, I try to tie bits of news to a bigger picture if that avenue is available — hence the picture of the CGS finalists. And yes I am aware that the winner is a Warrior (w/Priest)… I think we may even have done a podcast or something with that guy

7. Anoximon Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 7:21 pm

   I can’t hold PvP Source responsible for the CM’s comments, but yea, it’s insanely stupid that he talks about warlocks in a post that’s illustrating how they won’t balance 2v2.

   Warlocks aren’t the overpowered 2v2 class now, and they most certainly won’t be once 2.3 comes out in two days.

   I just find it amusing that things like Illumination and Blessing of Freedom was nerfed, as well as drains and Siphon Life being affected by healing debuffs. That’s not going to be a huge deal in anything EXCEPT 2v2. They make all these changes to classes that only has a real impact in 2v2, yet they say that they don’t balance around small-scale PvP.

8. Projenna Says:
   November 10th, 2007 at 11:36 pm

   How do you get that wars are more dominating than locks let alone any other class? In that graphic, attached to an article dated Oct this year, not so long ago, there are 8 teams of which 5 have locks and only *2* have wars… the top and the BOTTOM teams. For that matter, there are more pallies or priests than wars in that line up. It would be safer to say that priests dominate 2v2 than wars. And if you want something more current, picking rampage battlegroup at random, in season 2 so far a look at the top 10 teams reveals 8 out of 10 are lock-based for dps. The other 2 teams are warrior-based and neither one of them has a druid for a healer. So say again why the OP’s was a “dumb post” and show me where’s the warrior domination?

9. idiot Says:
   November 11th, 2007 at 4:42 am

   warriors are the most represented class in all three brackets, thus the domination. who cares if theres only 2 of them in the top10, atleast there are some of them there, right?

10. Morgan Says:
    November 11th, 2007 at 3:32 pm

    I can UNDERSTAND your thoughts at warlocks,, but warlocks were made to DEE PEE ESS… In PVE and PvP if u nerf warlocks, damage then who will do the dmg in raids?

    I admit warlocks are OP, but so are rouges in 2v2, ever been stunlocked to 2000 hp? lol

11. Ast Says:
    November 11th, 2007 at 11:09 pm

    Could start by removing the healing effect on deathcoil.

    This is the kind of change that doesnt affect pve and wont have any real impact on 5v5.

12. nevermore Says:
    November 13th, 2007 at 12:11 am

    There are countless ways to balance Warlocks, and any other class for that matter, that doesn’t involve nerfing dps.

    Locks are annoying in that they can cast 3 instant dots at max range and run away/out of LOS, and you lose almost all of your health.

    And seeing as how 80% of WoW players will always rolls the easiest class/spec to play, the deluge of warlocks and warriors in PvP really hurts PvP variety, and fun, in the end.

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