How To Join Plunderstorm: WoW's Take on Battle Royale

Shiver me timbers! With the 10.2.6 update on 20 March 2024 for World of Warcraft (WoW) Dragonflight, Blizzard has finally released WoW's version of Battle Royale. It was inevitable, really, and that's why we've got WoW Plunderstorm, a Limited-Time event that kinda feels like its own game.

If you have no clue what's going on or how you can even access this brand-new Battle Royale mode for WoW, we've got you covered.

WoW Plunderstorm: How To Install & Join

Want to scour the Arathi Highlands and be the last pirate standing in WoW Plunderstorm, upgrading your abilities and plundering for loot to survive? Well, your first step is to actually install and join WoW's take on Battle Royale.

Please note:You don't need to purchase any expansion (like Dragonflight) to play Plunderstorm. Only an active subscription/game time is required. WoW Classic players can join in as well.

Follow the precise, step-by-step instructions on how to install WoW, and then launch Plunderstorm, below:

1. Launch the Battle.net desktop app.
2. Click the World of Warcraft icon at the top. If the icon is missing, click on All Games and select the game from the list.
3. On top of the Install button is a drop-down menu. Confirm that you wish to install World of Warcraft.
4. Click Install.

Once you’re in modern WoW:

1. Select Plunderstorm from the World of Warcraft game menu to get into the action.
2. Create a new, ready-to-play character—player characters are unique to this event. You don't need previous knowledge of races and classes to chart your course for mayhem.
3. Choose between Solo or—to play with your Battle.net friends—make a group from the Plunderstorm character screen and select Duo. If queued for a Duo without a partner, you'll be automatically matched with one. You can also access chat, customize characters, and see the queue from the Character Select Screen.

WoW Plunderstorm Features & Rewards

You can jump in and earn rewards both for normal WoW and WoW Classic progression realms. As you play Plunderstorm in Arathi Highlands, you will gain progression to unlock new rewards. Each match only lasts roughly 10 to 15 minutes, and features 60 players per match. The last man standing wins because dead men tell no tales...

WoW Plunderstorm players level up, get new abilities and spells, loot chests, and kill enemies as well as creatures as they try to avoid the incoming storm.

Learn more about Plunderstorm in the video below.

Check out some features and rewards from WoW Plunderstorm below.

Action Bar and Abilities, Worthy Mates

"Discover lootable spells, abilities, and upgrades as you plunder treasure chests and defeat enemies. Upon picking up, spells and abilities are automatically added to your Action Bar, with two slots dedicated to offensive skills and two for utilities such as leaps, speed boosts, and crowd-control.

Some abilities are more action-based and require good positioning and player targeting. Have fun discovering and experimenting with different combinations to find what works for you."

Upgrades to Your Spells and Abilities

"Your spells and abilities can be upgraded by discovering higher-quality versions from treasure chests or finding the same ability elsewhere and stacking it to Rank 3 (epic). There are also plenty of plundering opportunities—various treasure chests with different rarities that harbor all types of abilities are stashed around the map. Always stay on the lookout for better loot and upgrades."

Plunderstorm Rewards

"Players can earn cosmetics, pets, titles, and mounts as they progress through the reward track. These include the majestic Polly Roger parrot mount, Bubbles the crab pet, swashbuckling cosmetics, 750 Trader's Tender from "Keg Leg's Crew" for use on the Trading Post, and more. 3 A victory is not required to claim the spoils of a well-fought fight.

To view Renown and apply the Plunderstorm weapon and transmog customizations, change titles, or summon pets, swabbies can click on Da'kash Grimledger standing directly in front of the spawn point in the Plunderstorm lobby.

Customization unlocks are simultaneously unlocked for Dragonflight characters and can be found in your Collection. Each Renown level unlock is noted in colored text under the reward name, whether the reward is for Dragonflight, Plunderstorm, or Classic."

In case you've been trapped on a deserted island and missed it, check out the WoW Plunderstorm trailer below, featuring pirates, looting, and let's face it...battle royale action...

Enjoy Plunderstorm, Matey! At the time of writing, there is no end date, but the developers did say it will last for the "next several weeks." Maybe, just maybe, Plunderstorm, WoW's take on Battle Royale, will become a permanent feature.

Check out our video below, where we dive deep into the lore of the Dragon Aspects in World of Warcraft, discussing all the leaders, their history, and some family drama!

For more World of Warcraft news, be sure to check out our dedicated section or some of our WoW Guides & Tutorials below:

Dragonflight Guides - Primal Storms Event| Content Roadmap| Play On Steam Deck| Raid Schedule| Dracthyr Evoker Class| Dragon Isles Zones| Max Level & Progression Path| Crafting Orders| Dragonriding| Editions & Bonuses|Dracthyr Evoker|Twitch Drops & Rewards|Maintenance Schedule US & EU|Check Server Status|Performance & Stuttering Fix|DPS Tier List|Mythic+ Affix Rotation Season 1|Reset Talents | Transfer Aborted & World Down Issues | Tangled Dreamweaver Mount | Stuck on Loading Screen Error Fix | Vault of the Incarnates Loot | Wrathion or Sabellian? | 

Dragonflight Tier Lists - Best DPS Class & Build | Best Healer Class & Build | Best Tank Class & Build

Dungeon Guides - Nokhud Offensive | Neltharus | The Azure Vault | Brackenhide Hollow | Ruby Life Pools | 

WotLK Classic Guides - Best Death Knight Builds| Retribution Paladin PVE| Herbalism Leveling| PvE Beast Mastery Hunter DPS| Shadows of Doom| Cold Weather Flying| Fire Mage PvE| Flying Carpet 

Holiday Events - Hallow's End| Feast of Winter Veil  

Featured image courtesy of Blizzard.