WoW: Season of Discovery Players Rediscover Notorious Bug From 2005

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 have unintentionally replicated the 2005 Corrupted Blood incident by spreading the deadly plague in Stormwind City.

A notorious event in World of Warcraft's history, the Corrupted Blood incident, has resurfaced, albeit accidentally, in the Season of Discovery servers. Videos circulating online show the deadly plague spreading through major cities, sparking mixed reactions. While some players find the situation humorous, others are worried about the potential impact on Hardcore realms.

Originally launched in September 2005 with Patch 1.7, Rise of the Blood God, the Zul'Gurub raid (a 20-player instance) featured Hakkar the Soulflayer, a formidable deity worshipped by Gurubashi trolls. Its return in World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery during Phase 5 (September 2024) brought back the Corrupted Blood spell. This spell inflicts damage over time and spreads to nearby players, though typically manageable with strong healing.

For almost a month following Zul'Gurub's release in 2005, Corrupted Blood affected both players and their pets/minions. This led to the widespread, unintentional spread of the plague outside the raid, causing significant disruption. A recent video on r/classicwow, posted by Lightstruckx, depicts Corrupted Blood's spread in Stormwind City's Trade District. The video showcases the rapid spread and the use of healing spells (Flash Heal and Power Word: Shield) to survive. This closely mirrors the 2005 incident, where "pet bombs" were used to spread the plague across cities before Blizzard intervened.

World of Warcraft Players Unintentionally Recreate the Corrupted Blood Incident

Some players attribute the Corrupted Blood debuff's return to unresolved issues. Concerns have also been raised about its potential misuse in Hardcore realms, where character death is permanent. Despite past attempts to address the issue, the Corrupted Blood incident's legacy continues. With Phase 7 of Season of Discovery slated for early 2025, the timing of Blizzard's fix remains uncertain.