It's been over a month since the release of WoW MoP Classic Phase 2 on September 23rd. Due to the limited content of Phase 2, players have been bored, and many have left.
The player community is impatient for Phase 3, Throne of Thunder, with many urging for its release. Recently, the official announcement of Throne of Thunder PTR was released, potentially indicating that Phase 3 is imminent.

Announcement Content And Phase 3 Release Date Prediction
In the recently released announcement, the official team announced that Throne of Thunder Raids will be tested during the following periods:
- Raid test 1 – November 4-6
- Raid test 2 – November 14-17
Meanwhile, according to a leak from the well-known source Algalon the Observer on X, World of Warcraft Classic PTR server has just been updated with a new version.
The version number has been updated from 5.5.1 (the prequel to Siege of Orgrimmar, usually referring to the Battle of Pandaria) to 5.5.2. Version 5.5.2 corresponds to the major content patch Throne of Thunder, part of 5.2.0 (the 2013 patch).
Similar minor PTR updates (from 5.5.1 to 5.5.2) appeared before the official release of WoW MoP Classic Phase 2 Landfall patch, suggesting that Throne of Thunder might be coming soon!
Release Date Prediction
Since the PTR testing lasts approximately two weeks, and a release during Thanksgiving week (the third week of November) is highly unlikely, the predicted release dates for Phase 3 PTR are as follows:
- November 18th: A slightly accelerated but possible date.
- December 2nd or 4th: A date more in line with the regular release cycle.
The first phase was a pretty good start, but the second phase was relatively dull in comparison, which is why players are so eager for the third phase. Throne of Thunder is one of the most acclaimed raids in World of Warcraft history, but it's also extremely difficult. Many of the first raiders to clear it have vivid memories of it; almost every boss in the raid has a very interesting mechanic.
To successfully complete this raid, your gear needs to be at least BiS (or near-BiS) level for the current version. You'll also need to prepare potions, elixirs, and some first-aid items to boost your stats.
If you want to earn some WoW MoP Classic gold before the start of the third phase, you can craft these items in advance, and their value will definitely increase after the third phase begins.
How To Unlock Throne Of Thunder Raid?
In the original game, players contributed progress by completing quest chains and daily quests on the Isle of Thunder to unlock the raid. This process will be very fast on the current highly centralized servers, as Sunwell only takes two days to unlock on a mega server.
While the specific unlocking method is still unclear, and a server-wide cooperative unlocking mechanism is no longer unusual, retaining this mechanism is a cool experience. Furthermore, since the servers are now integrated, there won't be any issues with smaller servers being unable to complete the process.
Aspects For Improvement In Phase 3
Thunderforged
However, Phase 3 includes a controversial system, Thunderforged, which is the precursor to the later Warforge and Titanforge systems. It's a rare quality item dropped in Throne of Thunder raid, with an item level 6 levels higher than its regular counterpart.
However, players don't really like it, mainly because this disparity can lead to conflict and hostility among hardcore players and raid groups. This is especially true for efficiency-driven guilds, causing unnecessary competition and dissatisfaction. Furthermore, the already complex loot pool from each boss makes each item essentially two versions.
Retaining this system intact might negatively impact the game. If the developers decide to modify it, they could choose to remove it entirely, eliminate randomness and allow all drops to directly upgrade, or allow players to use Justice Points or Valor Points for consistent upgrades.
Flex Raiding
Given the high difficulty of Throne of Thunder, introducing a flexible raid system might be better, allowing raids to be limited to a certain number of players, such as 20-30. Raid difficulty will be dynamically adjusted based on the actual number of players, rather than randomly matching you with another player.
This is because anyone who has experienced high-difficulty raids in MMOs knows that these raids contain many instant-death attacks, requiring players to cooperate and follow commands to successfully navigate the most difficult mechanics of each phase. If any player cannot communicate, it could be a wipe, and forcing it might just be a waste of consumables and WoW MoP Classic gold.
If raid difficulty is dynamically adjusted based on the number of players, the difficulty of forming a group will be significantly reduced.
The above is a general overview of the third phase of Mists of Pandaria Classic and Throne of Thunder. The third phase may be coming soon, but it's likely still a month away from official release, so prepare your best weapons and armor and wait patiently.







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