June 2013   « Archives | Current News »

The discussion of pet family passives is still open, and Crithto recently presented potential changes to a few of them.

These are not yet finalized and if any adjustments are made, they are likely to happen in Patch 5.4. [source]

• The Magic passive now caps damage taken at 35% of maximum health, buffed from 40%.
• The Dragonkin passive effect now activates when the enemy is taken below 50% health, up from 25%.
• The Aquatic passive now reduces DOT damage by 50%, up from 25%.
• The Elemental passive effect now only affect negative, direct effects of weather (e.g. the accuracy reduction of Sandstorm won’t be applied, but the damage reduction will).
• The Critter passive now makes critters completely immune to roots, stuns, and sleeps.

What do you think about these changes? How will they affect your battling gameplay?

Let the developers know by leaving some constructive feedback on the official thread!

The latest batch of raid dropped pets can be fierce opponents in a battle, but ever wonder what these pets do when they're not going head to head in combat?

It turns out that these adorable companions can be pretty active when idling about in the world next to you. Each one has a unique interaction or animation that you don't want to miss out!

• Lil' Bad Wolf: Sits or lies down (pictured right)
• Menagerie Custodian: Quotes Curator (boss) at random
• Fiendish Imp: Jumps out from a red portal when summoned, but players can sometimes summon Kil'rek (NPC from the Illhoof encounter) instead
• Netherspace Abyssal: Casts Hellfire when idle
• Tainted Waveling: Randomly gains the Purified buff and changes from green to blue in color
• 
  Tideskipper: Expels a bubble from his rear and then pokes and pops it (pictured right)
• Coilfang Stalker: Casts a fear that causes nearby critters to flea
• Phoenix Hawk Hatchling: Spins around while breathing fire
• Pocket Reaver: Revs an invisible motorcycle
• Lesser Voidcaller: Summons a Wandering Spirit
• 
  Tito: Summons a tornado, complete with two cows and a farmhouse inside (pictured right), that lifts Tito into the air

Who knew that these little scamps could be so energetic? Bring out these pets and if you wait long enough, you just might see something neat happen!

Curious about which other pets do more than just look cute?

Check them all out by using the WarcraftPets Pet Filter and selecting "Has Interactivity". You'll be amazed with how active your pets are when you're not looking.

Patch 5.4 will be hitting the PTR servers in the near future, but in the meantime, we have the official patch notes to whet our appetites! [source]

Here are some highlights of what's to come in 5.4. Keep in mind that these patch notes are subject to change over the course of the PTR.

• A new pet battle tournament is available on the Timeless Isle, more details coming soon!
• Players are now able to trade in any 3 of the same family specific Flawless Battle-Stones for a single Marked Flawless Battle-Stone.
• Aquatic type's passive effect now reduces damage from damage-over-time effects by 50%, up from 25%.
• Critter type's passive effect now makes critters immune to roots, stuns, and sleep effects.
• Dragonkin type's passive effect now activates after an attack brings a target's to below 50% health, up from 25%.
• Elemental type's passive effect now only affects negative direct effects of weather. (E.g. Sandstorm's accuracy reduction won't be applied, but the damage reduction will.)
• Magic type's passive effect now caps damage taken at 35% of maximum health, up from 40%.

There are also some adjustments to a few pet abilities as well as two UI updates. Check out the full list of changes here.

Datamined Discoveries
In addition to the official patch notes, Wowhead discovered four new possible pets coming in 5.4. [source]

• Crafty (Bind on Pick Up)
• Moon Moon (Bind on Equip)
• Rascal Bot (Bind on Pick Up)
• Essence of Xuen (Bind on Pick Up)

Last but not least, Wowhead datamined a new Darkmoon Faire world boss. This newest addition seems to be a direwolf and may drop a few special items, including the pet Moon Moon! [source]

There's a new companion for sale in the Blizzard Pet Store, the Blossoming Ancient! [source]

This pet costs $10 and once redeemed is applied to single Battle.net account.

Born from a seed of one of the Ancients, these spirited saplings are destined to regrow and heal Azeroth from the devastation caused by the Shattering. Adopt one, and you’ll be rewarded with joy throughout the year - as each new season begins, the Blossoming Ancient changes, bringing new life to its surroundings.

As the description mentions, this pet will change its foliage depending on each season. It has a different look for Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring; it's like a whole new pet each time!

So if you're interested in the Blossoming Ancient, head over to the Blizzard Pet Store (US Store/EU Store) and adopt your very own!

Enjoy our monthly web comic created for WoW pet collectors! We feature a new World of Petcraft strip every month.


About the Artist
Meaghan McLaughlin is an aspiring artist and the author of "Nerds Illustrated." She's currently available to create custom WoW artwork.

UPDATE: A hotfix was applied on June 24 to increase the spawn rate of the Qiraji Guardling. [source]

Happy collecting everyone!

Summer has finally graced Azeroth with its presence and with this season comes a new wild pet, the Qiraji Guardling!

This pet can spawn around the gates of Ahn'Qiraj, all the way up to each instance portal in southern Silithus.

The Qiraji Guardling will be the primary pet in battle, so be careful when attempting to capture it. When in doubt, use the Terrible Turnip's ability, Weakening Blow, to ensure you don't accidentally kill your prize.

For those seeking the "Zookeeper" title, the wait is finally over! Capturing this pet will complete one of the requirements for Kalimdor Safari, which in turn is part of the meta-achievement World Safari.

Head over to Silithus to capture your very own Qiraji Guardling today!

This pet will only last for the duration of summer, so don't delay in finding one of your very own.

UPDATE: Blizzard has confirmed which "Murkimus" will be the reward for the 2013 Arena Pass. Eligible players will receive the original Murkimus the Gladiator for this year's event. [source]

Registration for the 2013 Arena Pass is finally open! It costs $20 in North America or €15/£12 in Europe. [source]


The Arena Pass is a special event held on separate servers from normal realms, where the competition to be number one in 3v3 is fierce!

Registered players will be able to create a new character which will be equipped with all necessary gear and items, and form a team with two other players. Once the rated phase begins, teams can then queue up for a 3v3 match and test their skills in the arena.

For more information and details, check out the Arena Pass FAQ.

What are the Rewards?
This year's Arena Pass will reward the pet "Murkimus" for participating in at least 50 rated matches. The pet will be mailed to eligible players within roughly 4-6 weeks after the event ends.

Keep in mind that although a new "Murkimus" was datamined this year, it's still unclear if it will replace the original Murkimus the Gladiator or not.

When participating in matches, be sure to keep in the spirit of the competition and do your best and fight your heart out! Instant forfeits and thrown matches can be discounted by Blizzard.

Find a Team!
Interested in collecting Murkimus? Well there are many like-minded collectors out there too, and WarcraftPets has set up a special thread on our forums just for those seeking an Arena Pass team.

Create a 2013 Arena Pass Team Today (US)
Create a 2013 Arena Pass Team Today (EU)

So if you love to PVP or just want to add the pet to your collection, we wish everyone good luck and have fun!

Engineering Pets In 5.4
There are two new pets coming in patch 5.4 that will be craftable, Pierre and Rascal Bot. Both of these pets are Bind on Pick up, so only engineers with max skill level will be able to craft and learn them.

To obtain the schematics that will teach you how to craft these pets, as well as the material Jard's Peculiar Energy Source, you will need to make your way to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. The mobs in the Vale will have a chance to drop Schematic: Chief Engineer Jard's Journal, which contains all necessary recipes.

This engineering journal is categorized as "smart loot" and Bind on Pick Up so only engineers of appropriate skill level (600) will see this item drop. Players do not need to be level 90 in order to loot this item and learn each schematic.

So are you ready to do some engineering tinkering? These pets are just waiting to be crafted and collected in 5.4!

Epic Quality Battle-Stones Not In 5.4
Although the upcoming patch will include some awesome pets, Mumper recently Tweeted that it's unlikely we'll see epic quality battle-stones this expansion:

"Said that was a possibility. Most likely not going to add them this late in the expansion cycle."

So the next expansion is a distinct possibility.