How long will WoW Plunderstorm last?

Storms don't last forever, right?

Image of a pirate yelling in WoW Plunderstorm.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

World of Warcraft’s new battle royale mode has taken the player base by storm, providing players with instant chaotic action, introducing them to new spells and play styles, and offering a chance at a track full of premium awards. But it won’t be here forever.

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Since the mode launched in late March, Blizzard has been explicitly clear that it is a limited-time mode. It’s certainly possible for Blizzard to consider keeping Plunderstorm as a permanent addition, but that would depend on what the player numbers are saying. Blizzard, however, is already willing to put on a big Plunderstorm tournament featuring dozens of creators, indicating the company might have bigger plans for the mode.

Until anything is made official, though, we have to assume that Plunderstorm’s time will eventually come to an end. But when will it end?

When is the end date for WoW Plunderstorm?

Our estimated end date for the WoW Plunderstorm limited-time event is around late April or early May.

Blizzard Entertainment's patch roadmap in 2024
This is the official Blizzard patch roadmap for 2024. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

While no official date has been given for the end of WoW Plunderstorm, we are estimating based on the official WoW 2024 roadmap. Plunderstorm was introduced in the 10.2.6 update, and according to the roadmap graphic, that update’s duration extends just slightly past the start of Dragonflight season four. Because season four is speculated to start in April, Plunderstorm would last just a few weeks past the season four starts.

The graphic also shows the alpha test for The War Within expansion starting before the halfway point of the Plunderstorm limited-time event. The alpha for The War Within is expected to begin in Spring.

Should Blizzard keep WoW Plunderstorm in the game?

Treasure chest in WoW Plunderstorm
Is there more gold to be made in keeping Plunderstorm in the game? Image via Blizzard Entertainment

The community’s reaction to Plunderstorm has been a bit divided, but some fans have suggested a pretty good idea for making it a permanent addition to the free-to-play version of WoW. The mode could bring in subscribers if free-to-play players vibe with it.

Blizzard could also spin it off into its own game, with its own spot on the Battle.net launcher, opening up more maps, spells, and game modes, and potentially even some monetization avenues that battle royales are known for.

Author
Image of Scott Robertson
Scott Robertson
VALORANT lead staff writer, also covering CS:GO, FPS games, other titles, and the wider esports industry. Watching and writing esports since 2014. Previously wrote for Dexerto, Upcomer, Splyce, and somehow MySpace. Jack of all games, master of none.