A couple of weeks back, Blizzard announced that it would be simplifying the way that cosmetic items are rewarded in World of Warcraft’s Island Expeditions with the release of Tides of Vengeance, and today, Community Manager Kaivax stopped by the forums to give players some details on how the system will work going forward.
As it stands, the cosmetic rewards players can earn from a given expedition are determined by the creature-type of the island’s invaders — e.g., if the invaders are Hozen, then players have a chance to receive Hozen-themed cosmetic items. Moreover, the chance of receiving said cosmetic items is determined “by means of a hidden scorecard” that keeps track of players’ “efforts against anything on the island that [is] part of the invaders’ ecology,” meaning that players who were focused on getting the cosmetic items have often been at odds with players who just want to finish the expedition efficiently to earn as much Azerite as possible.
In Tides of Vengeance, however, “all players on an Expedition will have a chance to receive cosmetic rewards based on the island’s inhabitants, rather than which enemies were specifically defeated,” with higher difficulties providing greater chances for the cosmetic rewards to drop. In short, this means that players will no longer have to target specific enemies to increase their chances of getting the cosmetic drops, and “the most efficient way to receive cosmetic rewards will be whatever tactics cause you to complete the Island quickly, on the highest difficulty that you’re comfortable.” For the full details on the planned changes, you can check out Kaivax’s post on the game’s official forums.
