The Rebirth of Retribution Paladins
In World of Warcraft Patch 10.0.7, a much-needed overhaul of Retribution Paladins was implemented to improve their performance. This resulted in the previously less-played DPS specialization skyrocketing to the top of PvP and PvE charts, causing frustration among non-Paladin players.
An overhaul of a specialization in the midst of a content season is unusual and is typically reserved for major milestone patches or new expansions. In an interview with GameSpot, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas stated that the Retribution overhaul in Patch 10.0.7 was an "exceptional" situation and not something players should expect for other specializations throughout Dragonflight.
Impact on PvE and PvP
It remains a fact that the rework of Retribution Paladins had a significant impact on both PvE and PvP. The specialization is now one of the most played in endgame content. Analysis of Mythic raid statistics from the week of March 28 shows Retribution Paladins at the top of high-performance Mythic raid play in terms of overall damage and is the third most played specialization behind Beast Mastery Hunters and Havoc Demon Hunters.
In PvP, the pick rate of Retribution Paladins in all forms of rated arena content increased from under 5% to rates in the high teens (or even high 20s in 3v3). Most arena matches now involve at least one Retribution Paladin, which is causing too much frustration for players trying to climb further in PvP ranking before the end of the season due to their current strength.
Blizzard's Response to Overpoweredness
Blizzard's goal with the Retribution Paladin rework was to make the specialization less reliant on stacked modifiers and instead cause more consistent damage and improve survivability. This apparently worked so well that the developer now plans to tone down the specialization a bit.
A recent hotfix reduced the damage of Retribution Paladins by 3% and targeted a number of potent defensive talents. This is in addition to a PvP nerf for Retribution Paladins that went live a few days after Patch 10.0.7 and reduced the effectiveness of a long list of talents and abilities in PvP. However, many players feel that the nerfs have not gone far enough and are waiting for Blizzard to take further action.
Outlook: Patch 10.1 Embers of Neltharion
The next major patch of Dragonflight, Embers of Neltharion, is scheduled to be released on May 2, while the second season of Dragonflight begins in the week of May 9. Patch 10.1 brings a huge new underground zone called Zaralek Caverns, a new rotation of Mythic dungeons, a new raid, the long-awaited introduction of cross-guild factions, and the continuation of various expansion storylines.
It remains to be seen whether the Retribution Paladin rework will undergo further adjustments in the future and how the balance of power in PvE and PvP will develop with Patch 10.1.
