WoW Classic Season of Discovery has managed to draw in all kinds of WoW fans with its novelty, introducing new runes, events, and more with each phase. However, Phase 3’s Nightmare Incursions have resulted in widespread community frustration, as they disrupt how players engage in world content and, even worse, the WoW economy.
Season of Discovery Phase 3 went live on April 4, 2024, ushering in a new PvE event, Nightmare Incursions. This event would allow players to earn items and gold, gain reputation with the Emerald Wardens, and level up their characters. Unlike previous events, such as the Stranglethorn Bloodmoon and The Battle for Ashenvale, Nightmare Incursions have received a heap of criticism from the Classic community particularly due to Gold inflation, killing all hype for this new phase.
Shortly after the event went live, players quickly discovered that Nightmare Incursions could yield massive amounts of gold rewards. “A group of five people with 10 quest turn-ins makes roughly 40 to 60g per 20 minutes,” wrote u/real_klinkz on a post about the event’s quest rewards. Several other players noted that you could make over 100 Gold an hour along with earning a significant amount of XP.
But, in the words of Sylvanas Windrunner, “Nothing lasts.” Gold rewards were ultimately nerfed, and according to WoW Classic Senior Game Producer Josh Greenfield there was a “doubling up on math happening” that needed to be resolved. However, the influence of those gold rewards still remains.
The temporary boost of gold only benefited players who were able to jump into Nightmare Incursions before the nerf, leaving others feeling like they missed out and discouraged by the sudden gold inflation the Incursions caused. Auction House prices are currently the prime example of price hikes, showing how the economy has shifted. “Just wait until you check AH,” u/pendantcrown commented on the game’s subreddit, “the same people bought up every crafting mat and are reselling for 3x the price.”
Despite the frustration about gold, players have also leveled critiques against Nightmare Incursions for ruining the way players engage in world content. “It’s impossible to justify doing anything else for XP,” u/Manorak87 said in a post on the WoW Classic subreddit. One of the best things Season of Discovery had to offer in its first two phases were cities and quest locations teeming with questing players. Now, you’re unlikely to see players doing more than running Incursion quests on a loop. The gold and XP are still extremely good, despite receiving nerfs.
While the SoD economy will likely recover, it’s not surprising that players are convinced this misstep of design will leave a lasting mark on Phase 3.
