WoW Players Encounter Infamous 2005 Bug in Season of Discovery

Summary

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

The Corrupted Blood Incident, one of the most notorious events in World of Warcraft, has unexpectedly resurfaced in the Season of Discovery realms. Players have shared videos of the deadly plague spreading through cities, sparking a mix of humor and concern, especially 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 destructive deity revered by the Gurubashi trolls. Zul'Gurub made a comeback in World of Warcraft: Season of Discovery during Phase 5, 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, following the release of Zul'Gurub, the Corrupted Blood debuff 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 shared a 20-second video of the Corrupted Blood debuff in action in 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 took down other players. This scenario mirrored the original 2005 Corrupted Blood Incident, where "pet bombs" were used to spread the debuff in towns and cities for nearly a month before Blizzard managed to contain it.

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

Some players have pointed out that the reappearance of the Corrupted Blood debuff in Season of Discovery realms is an unresolved issue that Blizzard has yet to address. There's also concern about its potential misuse in Hardcore realms, where permanent death means players must start anew if their characters die.

Despite previous fixes in World of Warcraft, the legacy of the Corrupted Blood Incident persists. With the seventh phase of Season of Discovery set to launch in early 2025, it remains to be seen when Blizzard will tackle the re-emergence of Corrupted Blood.