Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast

The Midnight pre-patch is live, and for the first time in a while, World of Warcraft feels fundamentally different. Let's talk about the good and the bad.

💬 Join the conversation
► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ
► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 12 – Is WoW at a Breaking Point?
Patch 12.0 didn’t just tweak numbers. It disrupted habits, dismantled long-standing addon workflows, and exposed friction between Blizzard’s intent and player reality. Combat addons are restricted, UI changes are colliding with muscle memory, healers are raising accessibility concerns, addon creators are burning out, and trust feels fragile at a moment when it matters most.

Marcelian, Flame, and NzSkyy unpack why WoW feels strange right now, how discourse fills the gaps when communication falters, and what absolutely cannot go wrong when Midnight launches.

This Week's Guests:

Flame
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/marcelianandflame
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MarcelianFlame
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCyf0SCaSGhKpvI_azfvidUw

Marcelian
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/marcelianandflame
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MarcelianFlame
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCyf0SCaSGhKpvI_azfvidUw

NzSkyy
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thecomebackkidsofficial
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ComebackKidsTV
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC_ODNEPbkVolMCWSjchNdfA
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCnOCo3AHlMBJQy6hzPUCu8g

► Here's the poll from the episode: https://forms.gle/yMN9MTM5LNd5wrAA7

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments
0:00 Intro
5:18 Why are you logging into WoW?
6:08 What are your first impressions so far?
12:30 How messy does the pre-patch feel?
15:30 Default UI LUA errors??!
18:15 How does your audience feel?
27:10 Have you decided on a main yet?
31:47 Are the combat addon changes reducing dependency?
39:40 Flame's mic is not hot (no pun intended)
42:00 Do combat addon changes make WoW easier?
44:02 Why does high-end play feel harder without combat addons?
47:46 Are the new raid bosses...easy??
57:23 Midnight's S1 dungeon pull is GREAT
1:00:56 Harrek's healing concerns
1:10:56 Who gets left behind when customization is removed?
1:17:26 Quazii quit WoW...again?!
1:22:04 Does Blizzard's silence make these conflicts inevitable?
1:33:36 Is the current addon ecosystem sustainable long-term?
1:36:56 What has to feel right on day one of Midnight?
1:42:42 Enjoying the game, not your addons
1:47:18 We just want a smooth launch, Blizzard!
1:52:58 Do you trust Blizzard to get Midnight right?
1:57:25 Will Midnight feel like WotLK, and is that good?
2:01:56 One month from now, what should feel different if Midnight is doing its job?
2:03:38 EverQuest!
2:06:43 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.

Midnight’s pre-patch is changing how World of Warcraft is played, learned, and understood. This week, we dig into what that really means.

💬 Join the conversation
► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ
► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 11 – Midnight’s Pre-Patch Is Here
Patch 12.0 marks a fundamental shift. With built-in meters, cooldown managers, UI changes, endgame reward restructuring, and new signals around class design, Blizzard is redefining how much responsibility the game itself takes on versus what players solve through addons and optimization.

Joined by Dalaran Gaming, Dvalin Gaming, and Lance from The Comeback Kids, this episode explores accessibility vs mastery, addons vs core UI, Mythic+ incentives, seasonal burnout, and what these changes say about Blizzard’s long-term vision for WoW as both a game and a world.

This Week's Guests:

Dalaran
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dalaran_rogue
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCobP8-RBCEPh4Bzsm02BNFQ

Dvalin
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dvalin
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dvalin_Gaming
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCxIAxsveK2KOdy_Wh4WcUsQ

Lance
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thecomebackkidsofficial
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ComebackKidsTV
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC_ODNEPbkVolMCWSjchNdfA
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCnOCo3AHlMBJQy6hzPUCu8g

► Here's the poll from the episode: https://forms.gle/29dDuPE9NRgnEcY87

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments
0:00 Intro
4:54 What version of WoW is Blizzard actively designing for right now?
11:59 What problem are they actually trying to solve?
18:07 Is this...forever???
21:02 Dvalin takes a stand
23:32 What worries you most about the pre-patch?
28:26 Viewer Question Round 1
32:45 Meters vs WCL - what's the right split?
40:56 Can Blizzard maintain?
42:52 Is serviceable "enough"?
49:31 How do these combat addon changes actually improve gameplay?
56:05 When it comes to addons, Blizzard should…
59:20 Midnight S1 raiding feels "easy"
1:03:33 Viewer Question Round 2
1:09:38 Does Lindormi’s Guidance meaningfully help players?
1:22:56 Is removing extra incentives above +10 healthy for the endgame ecosystem?
1:33:25 Does the seasonal reset model foster engagement or lead to long-term exhaustion?
1:36:14 Does Blizzard want the PvE endgame to be the focus of the game?
1:40:50 Is Blizzard designing for today’s players, or for WoW’s long-term survival?
1:45:08 DVALIN?!???!
1:46:56 What keeps you logging into WoW long-term?
1:47:57 Is Blizzard exploring new long-term class identity?
1:59:45 What should feel meaningfully better if it’s working?
2:02:50 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.

As Midnight approaches, we step back and ask: Is World of Warcraft truly entering a new era, or refining the same one it’s been on for years?

💬 Join the conversation
► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ
► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 10 – A New Era For WoW?
With Midnight less than two months away, this episode takes a look at where WoW has been, and where it's going. Joined by Tettles, Xyronic, and Zorthas, we dig into class pruning and identity, modern raid design, and the growing tension between optimization and enjoyment. From how Blizzard defines difficulty to how community expectations shape playstyles, this roundtable explores whether WoW’s evolution is meaningful, cautious, or quietly conflicted.

Rather than chasing hype or nostalgia, the goal here is clarity. What feels different? What feels familiar? And what should players really expect as the next chapter begins?

This Week's Guests:

Tettles
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tettles
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tettles
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCQxhna2XRWA_Pts6abbpEIg
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCJrULFYv7mIdFXDl403uaA

Xyronic
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/xyronic
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/limitxyronic

Zorthas
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/zorthas
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/zorthas
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCcex_X_PE_64DZNkx7toPiQ
► Resilient Keys Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34JCXGqKvoY

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments
0:00 Intro
5:04 Weekly EverQuest Plug
5:30 Okay, this expansion is different
9:00 Is this a confident long-term vision?
11:38 Do you feel more constrained by your class?
15:03 Where does skill expression actually live now?
17:48 Does pruning actually make execution cleaner?
21:38 Is losing WeakAuras good?
23:58 How should class identity be defined?
27:31 Do modern classes still reward players?
29:30 How does Midnight compare to the last few expansions?
33:51 Where do players still get to express skill in modern raids?
39:33 Is raid difficulty today more about eliminating mistakes?
41:02 Is Blizzard better right now at X or Y?
46:50 Does difficulty often come from ambiguity?
51:25 What makes a great raid encounter?
54:00 Which failure do you respect more?
57:35 If you could remove one design trend from raids...
1:05:15 Can you tell when a raid was designed by people who understand high-end raiding?
1:08:46 How much do top players actually shape the game?
1:11:24 Are there forms of optimization that feel healthy and engaging?
1:12:48 At what point does optimization stop adding fun?
1:19:03 Do you think high-end players have made the game harder for average groups?
1:22:11 Are there systems in the game right now that feel mandatory but not meaningful?
1:29:30 Is it Blizzard’s responsibility to protect players from over-optimization?
1:30:41 Do you think most players today are actually playing the game Blizzard designed?
1:32:07 Do you think the average player genuinely wants to optimize?
1:35:39 Has optimization quietly become the real endgame?
1:37:28 Viewer questions!
1:54:11 Is your Bloodlust keybound?
1:55:42 Are you more optimistic or more worried about where WoW is heading?
1:59:52 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.

Midnight gets put under the microscope this week as we move past theory and talk about what the expansion actually feels like to play, two months out from launch.

💬 Join the conversation
► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ
► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 9 – Pressure Testing Midnight
This episode isn't about theorycrafting or optimism. It’s about experience. Joined by Awoo, LBNinja7, and MadSkillzzTV, we break down combat pacing, class and spec changes that actually matter, and the social pressure that comes with always playing “correctly.” The goal is simple: help players understand what Midnight is really asking of them on day one.

This Week's Guests:

Awoo
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/awootank
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC-YoOqRX1_3-N1fhHu7DhqA

LBNinja7
► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lbninja7yt
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lbninja7
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC8n5zBJRVelcB4wWeSmmIGA

MadSkillzzTV
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/madskillzztv
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/madskillzztv
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCh9tBg-00bU299M4wc9YUDQ

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments
0:00 Clip this...
0:20 Buzzzzzzzzz
0:35 Intro
7:12 One thing you could do in TWW that feels noticeably harder in Midnight
8:16 Why is it important to be able to see your group's CDs?
17:40 How does combat pacing feel in Midnight?
21:10 What about when things go wrong?
23:36 Does incoming damage feel smoother?
30:40 Are tanks expected to chain defensives more aggressively?
34:49 What CAN they do to incentivize people?
45:15 From the healer side...
57:48 Are there talent changes that look fine on paper but fall apart in practice?
1:07:20 Have you noticed players optimizing themselves out of enjoying the game?
1:09:19 Do you think Midnight does anything to ease pressure?
1:14:49 If Blizzard wants people to tank and heal more, then...?
1:31:34 Do you have Bloodlust bound??!?
1:33:24 What should players realistically expect when Midnight launches?
1:35:40 What will feel better immediately when Midnight launches?
1:38:53 What will probably feel rough until tuning passes happen?
1:42:48 What habits from The War Within are going to get players killed?
1:45:02 What makes Midnight worth getting excited about?
1:49:05 Midnight is a reset to awareness
1:54:44 Viewer questions!
2:10:54 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.

Midnight is almost here. This week, we take a grounded look at what’s ready, what’s risky, and what players should realistically expect when the next expansion launches.

💬 Join the conversation
► Discord: https://discord.gg/4nPPXDr7YQ
► Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/brutallstatic
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/brutallstatic
► Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrutallStatic
► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrutallStatic

Welcome back to Brutally Honest: A WoW Podcast - a weekly World of Warcraft roundtable hosted by Brutall. Each episode brings together top players, creators, and theorycrafters to break down class design, game direction, encounter philosophy, and the future of WoW.

🎙️ Episode 8 – Midnight: Two Months Out
With launch approaching, what already feels solid? What still feels unfinished? From class pruning and UI modernization to raid and dungeon philosophy, this roundtable breaks down Midnight as it actually exists right now.

This Week's Guests:

Dratnos
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dratnos
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dratnos

Preheat
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/preheat
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/preheatwow

Tactyks
► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tactyks
► Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/tactyks

⏱️ Timestamps, Chapters, and Key Moments
0:00 Intro
5:11 What was your initial reaction to the Worldsoul Saga announcement?
10:40 Does Midnight feel more like something being polished, or...?
12:01 What about the loosening of restrictions?
17:45 What feels surprisingly solid already?
20:33 Do we drop Arcane now in prep for Midnight or stick it out?
22:08 What still feels clearly in flux?
24:04 What feels like it might ship “good enough” rather than truly finished?
27:11 Does Midnight feel confident in what it wants to be?
29:26 Where are players most likely to be pleasantly surprised?
32:08 How is Blizzard handling class kits and identity?
34:41 Does the current pruning feel intentional?
36:15 Are classes becoming clearer, or just simpler?
39:51 Which specs feel like they genuinely benefited from this direction?
43:47 Which specs feel like they lost something important?
47:25 What worries you the most?
48:45 Is baking addon functionality into the game empowering or a bit limiting?
54:15 Who benefits the most from the new UI direction?
56:18 Who’s likely to feel constrained by it?
1:00:37 Does reducing addon reliance actually make the game more accessible?
1:04:08 For top-tier players, does this lift the baseline?
1:07:13 What’s the biggest pain point players are going to feel immediately?
1:09:34 Viewer questions!
1:12:29 Who is this content actually designed for?
1:14:16 How do raid encounters feel compared to Dragonflight or The War Within?
1:17:59 Does Mythic+ on the Midnight beta feel more execution-driven or reaction-driven?
1:22:36 Should 10-man raiding release later in the tier?
1:24:55 Does the current raid/M+ difficulty feel earned?
1:25:54 How well do you think Blizzard is balancing approachability?
1:27:37 What do you think can still change before launch?
1:29:06 Where do guardrails genuinely help players?
1:32:55 Where do they start to feel restrictive?
1:34:52 Is it worth it to have season one of Midnight being worse?
1:39:03 Is Blizzard designing more for new players or long-term invested players?
1:40:23 Does Midnight give players more room to figure things out on their own?
1:41:28 What’s the biggest risk to the game’s long-term health?
1:42:33 What kind of player behavior do you think these guardrails are trying to prevent?
1:48:16 The game's 20 years old, so how does Blizzard get new players interested?
1:52:07 If you had to give players one piece of advice going into Midnight, what would it be?
1:57:01 Outro

If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and share your thoughts. And, of course, hit like, subscribe, and turn on notifications so you’re ready for the next episode. See ya soon, gamers.