WoW Mists of Pandaria 5.1 patch kicks off continent-spanning conflict, adds fight club

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Soon to hit the Public Test Realms, Mists of Pandaria's 5.1 patch is the first step in what will be an ongoing conflict between the Alliance and the Horde, escalating and spreading across the new continent with each major update. The first wave will focus on the eastern coast and the Krasarang Wilds region, where Alliance players will represent the new Operation: Shieldwall faction, and Horde players the opposing Dominance Offensive.

Also coming is an update to Pokémon mode pet battles in the form of Battle-stones, allowing you to upgrade the quality of any pets from Poor to Uncommon, and Uncommon to Rare. Whether this will retroactively award a leveled pet the stat points from being a higher quality isn't specified, nor whether it will affect fixed quality pets like the ones awarded to Blizzcon attendees and purchasers of the Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 collector's editions.

Lastly, two new Brawler's Guilds have arisen in the seedy underbellies of Stormwind and Orgrimmar. The first rule of the Brawler's Guild is that we don't talk about the Brawler's Guild. But what I'm doing now is technically writing, so I'm sliding by on a technicality by following the letter, but not the spirit, of the law. It sounds similar to Oblivion's Arena quest line, challenging players by "testing their solo PvE mettle against some of the toughest creatures found in World of Warcraft." You'll also be able to spectate other brawlers' matches. But be aware, as the patch notes specify: "If this is your first night at Brawler's Guild, you have to fight."

Read the full patch notes here.

Len Hafer
Contributor

Len Hafer is a freelancer and lifelong PC gamer with a specialty in strategy, RPGs, horror, and survival games. A chance encounter with Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness changed her life forever. Today, her favorites include the grand strategy games from Paradox Interactive like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, and thought-provoking, story-rich RPGs like Persona 5 and Disco Elysium. She also loves history, hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and heavy metal music.