Season of Discovery’s third phase is upon us, and with it comes a batch of massive changes, new raids, runes, and ways for people to play World of Warcraft.

_{headline images courtesy of}_Wowhead

World of Warcraft in 2024 is still called a “dead game” by trolls across the internet, but a few aspects have definitely kept the game very much alive in recent times. With three different “versions” to play, the community is finding a way to love the game all the time with Classic, Retail, and the Season of Discovery all holding some form of appreciation within the current player base – and that’s not forgetting Plunderstorm’s insurgence. However, today we are looking at SoD’s Phase 3, which releases on April 4 and has people excited to gain a few more levels and try out some new things too.

Phasing in fast

It has only been 8 weeks since Phase 2 of SoD began, but players are already itching to move forward in Blizzard’s interesting new take on their stalwart title. This time players will be able to dip into The Temple of Atal’Hakkar (also known as Sunken Temple to those who have been around a while) at level 50, with a newly revamped 20-player raid experience awaiting them. Of course, the new raid will also include new loot, as well as changes to encounters, a new boss, and reworked mechanics to balance everything out.

The Nightmares encroach

_source:_{Nightmare Incursions}

A brand-new activity is being added to the game, Nightmare Incursions, which pits players against demons that have appeared outside dream portals in each zone. Players need only speak to an NPC in each area, and they will be able to begin their new Nightmare adventure. Of course, these incursions will feature Nightmare-Only consumables to assist everyone – and this also will be a new faction added to the game as the Emerald Wardens become unlocked. Nightmare Incursions begin at level 25, with breakpoints at level 40, and finally at level 50, in different regions for each – and some aspects of these will require a group of players.

Classes and runes

There are, of course, a multitude of changes coming to the classes in SoD, with buffs and nerfs to nearly everyone. All class changes can be found over on Wowhead, as there are just a few too many to list. A new phase also means new runes for all the classes, but it also means the engraving of both Bracers and Helms too – with most classes getting at least SIX new runes (Warriors get away with a seventh). Another full list of all the new runes available can be found here, which includes all the changes made to them along the way too.

All-in-all, Phase 3 of SoD is shaping up to be incredible, as more and more players experience their favourite classes and specialisations in different ways. With Phase 4 already on the cards for later this year, Blizzard has been putting in the work to respond to community feedback and not let anything get too crazy right now. But, once players start to reach the maximum levels, we are sure that chaos will ensue.

World of Warcraft's Season of Discovery enters Phase 3