WoW Players Uncover Legacy 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, seemingly by accident, in the Season of Discovery servers. Videos circulating show the deadly plague spreading through major cities, prompting mixed reactions; some players found it humorous, while others voiced concern about the potential impact on Hardcore realms.

Originally introduced in September 2005 with Patch 1.7 (Rise of the Blood God), the Zul'Gurub raid—a 20-player instance featuring Hakkar the Soulflayer—returned in Phase 5 of World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery (September 2024). Hakkar's Corrupted Blood spell, inflicting damage over time and spreading to nearby players, was part of the encounter. Normally, this damage is manageable with sufficient healing from classes like Priests and Paladins.

However, for almost a month after Zul'Gurub's release in 2005, Corrupted Blood affected players and their pets/minions, leading to widespread chaos as the plague was deliberately spread beyond the raid. A recent video on r/classicwow, posted by Lightstruckx, depicts the debuff spreading rapidly in Stormwind City's Trade District, mirroring the 2005 incident. The video shows Lightstruckx using healing spells to survive as the debuff quickly eliminates other players. This echoes the "pet bomb" strategy used in 2005 to spread Corrupted Blood throughout the game world.

World of Warcraft Players Unwittingly Recreate the Corrupted Blood Incident

Some players attribute the Corrupted Blood debuff's return to unresolved issues, while others worry about its potential weaponization in Hardcore realms, where permanent death is a core mechanic. This contrasts sharply with Season of Discovery, where character death has less severe consequences.

Despite past attempts to address the issue, the legacy of the Corrupted Blood incident persists. With Phase 7 of Season of Discovery slated for early 2025, the timing of Blizzard's fix for this latest recurrence remains uncertain.