Legendary Bug Returns in WoW's Season of Discovery

Summary

• The infamous Corrupted Blood incident from World of Warcraft has unexpectedly reappeared in the Season of Discovery.
• The Zul'Gurub raid, introduced in Phase 5 of Season of Discovery, re-introduced the Corrupted Blood spell, causing widespread chaos.
• Players are recreating the 2005 event by deliberately spreading the plague in Stormwind City, mirroring the original incident's uncontrolled spread.

A notorious chapter in World of Warcraft's history, the Corrupted Blood incident, has resurfaced, unintentionally, in Season of Discovery servers. Videos circulating online depict the deadly plague's resurgence in major cities, sparking both amusement and concern among players, particularly regarding the potential impact on Hardcore realms.

Initially unleashed in September 2005 with Patch 1.7 (Rise of the Blood God), the Zul'Gurub raid—a 20-player instance featuring Hakkar the Soulflayer—returned in Phase 5 of Season of Discovery (September 2024). Hakkar's Corrupted Blood spell, inflicting damage over time and spreading to nearby players, typically posed a manageable threat, easily countered by strong healing classes like Priests and Paladins.

However, for almost a month following Zul'Gurub's release in 2005, Corrupted Blood targeted both players and their pets/minions. This allowed for the deliberate spread of the plague beyond the raid, creating widespread pandemonium. A recent video on r/classicwow, posted by Lightstruckx, shows the debuff spreading rapidly in Stormwind City's Trade District, mirroring the 2005 "pet bomb" strategy used to spread Corrupted Blood across the game world.

World of Warcraft's Accidental Corrupted Blood Recreation

Some players attribute the Corrupted Blood debuff's return to unresolved issues, while others voice concerns about its potential weaponization in Hardcore mode, where character death is permanent. Unlike Season of Discovery, the permadeath mechanic in World of Warcraft: Classic Hardcore adds a significant layer of risk.

Despite previous attempts to address the issue, the Corrupted Blood incident's legacy persists. With Phase 7 of Season of Discovery slated for early 2025, the timing of Blizzard's intervention remains uncertain.