Onyxia returns for WOW's 5th birthday News • News • Eurogamer.net

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Classic raid to be revamped.

Blizzard has revealed that it will celebrate World of Warcraft's 5-year anniversary by updating one of the classic raid dungeons from the original game, Onyxia's Lair.

The face-off with the brood mother of the Black Dragonflight will go from being a level 60 raid for 40 players to a level 80 raid for either 10 or 25 players, much as the Naxxramas necropolis did at the launch of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

Loot will be look the same as the equipment dropped in the original encounter - albeit with upgraded stats, naturally - and Blizzard will also add a new, rare, fast flying mount called an Onyxia Broodling, modelled after the big bad dragon queen herself.

Anybody logging into the game during the 5-year anniversary event in November will get an Onyxia Brood Whelpling vanity pet, too.

It's all coming in patch 3.2.2, apparently. More fifth birthday plans, no doubt, from BlizzCon next week. And for more nostalgia for WOW's early days, check out part one of our exclusive Making of World of Warcraft.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 3 years ago

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Rayn #1 3 years ago

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Yay! I loved Onyxias Lair!
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Nasty #2 3 years ago

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More fifth birthday plans, no dount, from BlizzCon

No Donuts
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comedian #3 3 years ago

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Hurrah!
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Pirotic #4 3 years ago

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I was looking forward to ganking her when I reached level 80 (never had the pleasure of fighting her properly back during the 60's). I better hurry up else she'll be uberpowered again before I get a chance!
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smirny #5 3 years ago

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Actually I'd really like to see them overhaul more of the original games content/zones... why not add some lvl 70/80 quests to the old zones get people revisiting them again.
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ChaK #6 3 years ago

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agree smirny, I'd like to get back on azeroth. Not for poney ride only.
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Davinnicus #7 3 years ago

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Woohoo, the tier 2 raid stuff that dropped were possibly the best looking pieces in the game, especially the pally hood. Good news that they are updating it
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darkmorgado #8 3 years ago

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*crosses fingers for new expansion announcement*
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Eraysor #9 3 years ago

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*does a dance*
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viper_h #10 3 years ago

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Mmmmm.. Ten Storms shoulders and BP owned hard.
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Gurgeh #11 3 years ago

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@smirny

In Wrath they've revamped Naxxramas and now Onyxia. I'd prefer them to spend their time on new raids rather than revisit the ones we've already done to death. As someone else said, we can look forward to Watery Core and Blackfin Lair in the Cataclysm expansion.
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Azazel #12 3 years ago

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Will there be more dots?

Edited by 1 at 14/08/09 @ 16:51
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WantOn #13 3 years ago

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Yet more evidence that Blizzard ran out of ideas with WoW a long time ago? Perhaps they need some more MMOs to come out so they can 'borrow' their best ideas from them. Oh wait, I forgot; talent borrows, genius steals.
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MaxiSleep #14 3 years ago

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@WantOn

Other then trollbait exactly what do you mean?

I see no probs with resuming an old classic as part of a FREE update. Looking it another way isnt everyone just ripping off MUD?
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Gurgeh #15 3 years ago

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@MaxiSleep

The problem is it isnt free. The monthly subscription fee is the same, but where's the new content? One new raid (Ulduar) and one new room (Coliseum), with only one more new raid planned according to Blizzard (Icecrown). That's pretty thin compared to Burning Crusade and original WoW post-release.
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stevetuck #16 3 years ago

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MORE DOTS MORE DOTS!!!!
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DrMGinius #17 3 years ago

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Wait, theres two people here talking about some negative stuff on WoW? Well, I like to see somebody thinks the game is not perfect, too. I agree with Gurgeh, they should make new stuff rather than re-make the old.
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CaptainTrips #18 3 years ago

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"ODD GROUPS GO LEFT, EVEN GROUPS GO RIGHT!!

THAT'S 1,3,5,7 LEFT, 2,4,6,8 RIGHT!"

Won't have the same ring to it with only two groups of five :'(

MANY WHELPS!!!!!
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Dezm0nd #19 3 years ago

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The talk of revamping old dungeons has been mentioned in our guild and I personally think its a good idea, I'd love to run a Heroic level 80 wailing caverns. This is just the beginning, I hope.

People need more stuff to do, even with its vast content and continuos updates. Onyxias Lair is a great idea and the 310% mount is a definite incentive.

Edited by 1 at 14/08/09 @ 22:19
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Nephirion #20 3 years ago

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Heroic Deadmines anyone?
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FunkyRenegade #21 3 years ago

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@smirny - check out the front page of MMO-Champion today, it's a compilation of strong rumours surrounding the next expansion, including a full revamp of Azeroth.
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Orange #22 3 years ago

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Soloing Onyxia was good fun, not sure I cba to raid though.
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smirny #23 3 years ago

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@FunkyRenegade sounds very interesting, thanks for the heads up
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luthe12 #24 3 years ago

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hey what happened to your ten level tests? i was in to those and then it seems like you stopped or something
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