WoW Players Encounter Infamous 2005 Bug in Season of Discovery

Summary

• The Corrupted Blood Incident has resurfaced in World of Warcraft Season of Discovery.
• The Zul'Gurub raid in Phase 5 of Season of Discovery reintroduced the Corrupted Blood spell, causing chaos.
• Players have recreated the Corrupted Blood Incident by spreading the deadly plague in Stormwind City, echoing the 2005 event.

One of the most infamous events in World of Warcraft, the Corrupted Blood Incident, has made an unexpected return in the Season of Discovery realms. As players shared videos of the deadly plague sweeping through cities, reactions varied from amusement to concern, particularly about its potential impact on Hardcore realms.

Originally introduced with Patch 1.7, Rise of the Blood God, in September 2005, the Zul'Gurub raid was a 20-player instance where players battled Hakkar the Soulflayer, a deity revered by the Gurubashi trolls. Zul'Gurub made a comeback in World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery during Phase 5, which was released in September 2024. Hakkar's Corrupted Blood spell, which inflicts damage over time and spreads to nearby players, was manageable under normal conditions with robust healing from classes like Priests or Paladins.

However, for nearly a month following Zul'Gurub's release, Corrupted Blood could affect both players and certain pets and minions, enabling the plague to spread beyond the raid and wreak havoc across World of Warcraft. A user named Lightstruckx on the r/classicwow subreddit posted a 20-second video showcasing the Corrupted Blood debuff in action within Stormwind City's Trade District. In the video, Lightstruckx used Priest spells like Flash Heal and Power Word: Shield to survive as the debuff quickly overwhelmed other players. This scene mirrored the original 2005 Corrupted Blood Incident, where "pet bombs" were used to spread the plague in towns and cities for almost a month before Blizzard managed to contain it.

World of Warcraft Players Accidentally Re-Create The Corrupted Blood Incident

Some World of Warcraft players have pointed out that the re-emergence of the Corrupted Blood debuff in Season of Discovery realms indicates an unresolved issue that Blizzard has yet to address. There are also concerns about the potential for this debuff to be exploited in Hardcore realms, where permanent death is a core feature, forcing players to restart from scratch upon their character's demise.

Despite previous fixes implemented in World of Warcraft, the legacy of the Corrupted Blood Incident persists. With the seventh phase of Season of Discovery slated for early 2025, it remains uncertain when Blizzard will resolve the latest outbreak of Corrupted Blood.