World of Warcraftis one of the most pervasive, most widely-known video games of all time. During its height in popularity,WoWwas being referenced on the silver screen nearly everywhere – FromSouth Parkto the nightly news, theWarcraftfranchiseand its most iconic characters, spells, and locations have all become well known even to people who’ve never touched the MMO.
The new Blizzard mobile gameWarcraft Rumbletakes place during an undetermined time in Azeroth’s history, and it’s unclear if the game officially exists in theWarcraftuniverse, likeHearthstone,or if it’s just a fun self-contained experience. Whether it’s a “real” game in Azeroth or not, there are tons of references toWorld of WarcraftinWarcraft Rumblethat players can come across.
5Warcraft Rumble Talents Mirror WoW Talents
Leader & Mini Talents Share Names & Effects With WoW Counterparts
World of Warcrafthas been around for about two decades, and being such a juggernaut in the MMO genre, its most iconic talents and abilities have become household names. It’s no wonder, then, that Blizzard named a variety of talents after the most well-known talents and abilities inWoW– and copied their effects. As a few examples;
TheseWoWreferences inWarcraft Rumbleare mostly found on Leaders, but a few mini talents and abilities call back toWoW, too.
4Major Dungeon Bosses & Iconic Enemies Appear All Over
Returning Icons Like Whitemane, Goldtooth, and the Deadmines' Dreadnaught Itself
As one might expect with a mobile spin-off of a major franchise likeWarcraft,Warcraft Rumbleminis are almost entirely inspired by, or directly copied from,World of Warcraft’s impressive roster of characters. Additionally, though, players get the chance to fight against icons that weren’t actually enemies in the MMO – like the Dreadnaught, the ship docked in the Deadmines.
Every zone in the game is capped by a more challenging level than the other four available, and most of these are headed by familiar foes. At the end of Duskwood, players face off against Abercrombie, the necromancer behind the abomination Stitches. At the end of the Un’goro Crater zone, players face off against the Devilsaur Queen.
Some of the game’s most well-known characters show up as regular level opponents, likeMaiev Shadowsong in Ashenvale. Be sure to check your opponent before jumping into a level – you might be facing off against aWarcraftlegend without even realizing it.
3Kobolds Mine And Say Their Classic Line
Flashbacks To The Fargodeep Mine – “You No Take Candle!”
Kobolds are one of the most beloved and maligned creatures amongWoWfans. They’re not particularly remarkable creatures, and though they show some signs of higher intelligence, their hyper-fixation onprotecting the candles they wear on their headsmight be preventing any kind of cultural advancement.
Still, they can be useful for one thing: mining.
Kobolds are creatures that come from beneath the earth, and thus are often found in the mines and rocky areas of Azeroth. InWarcraft Rumble, these goblinesque denizens of the deep serve as players' primary means of getting Gold from nodes. And of course, when played, Kobolds will sometimes let out a shrill “YOU NO TAKE CANDLE!!!” voice line.
2Some Mini Abilities Mimic Their WoW Movesets
Tirion Fordring Casts Holy Light, Hogger Gets Enraged, Sneed Loves Gold & Sieges
Just like howWarcraft Rumbletalents will mimic realWoWtalents and abilities, so too do mini special abilities. A number of minis and leaders inWarcraft Rumblehave a unique ability that differentiates them from members of the same faction or that share trait types. Tirion Fordring, for example, is a Tank just like the Abomination or Corehounds. However, he can also Heal allies thanks to his unique Leader ability.
Tirion’s leader ability is simply called Holy Light, thesame name as a major Priesthealing spell inWorld of Warcraft. Leaders aren’t the only ones whose special abilities harken back to the MMO, though. Whelp Eggs will only hatch when attacked, a callback to Onyxia’s Lair, Abominations will pull enemy minis closer with a giant meat hook – Stitches would be proud.
1The Big Red Button References Gnomeregan or A Battle for Azeroth Trinket
A Drop From The MOTHERLODE!!! Dungeon & A Useful Tool For The G.R.I.D.
The Big Red Button is an item thatWarcraft Rumbleplayers will use to reset all slots on the G.R.I.D. at once. Normally, when players buy an item off of the G.R.I.D. (or when the midnight rotation happens), only a few slots will refresh. But with a Big Red Button, players who don’t like anything on offer don’t have to waste their hard-earned gold just to get new options.
Big Red Buttons pop up as environmental objects throughoutWorld of Warcraft, particularly in mechanical,Gnome-themed areas like Gnomeregan. There are big red buttons in the Mechjineer Thermaplugg fight, for example, that disable minion spawns. But it’s also possible that the Big Red Button is a reference to theBattle for Azerothtrinket Razdunk’s Big Red Button.
Razdunk’s Big Red Button is an item that drops from The MOTHERLODE!!! megadungeon, from Mogul Razdunk. However, its effect is not to erase things but instead to launch a barrage of missiles at a location.
It’s unclear which of these buttons is actually being referenced, but either way, a Big Red Button seems like exactly the type of thing a Gnome would add to a contraption like the G.R.I.D.
