Patch 11.0.5 Hotfixes: October 24 Class Fixes and Blackrock Depths
The October 24, 2024 hotfixes re-applied lost 11.0.2 class changes and nerfed the Blackrock Depths 20th Anniversary raid. Full breakdown inside.
By:
John Langan
Key Takeaways
- The October 24, 2024 hotfixes were unusually large because Blizzard restored a batch of Patch 11.0.2 class changes that a systemic bug had dropped from 11.0.5.
- Wave of Souls had been applicable by only one Death Knight at a time; the fix let multiple Death Knights apply the debuff again.
- Shaman's Lightning Rod had its transfer reduced from 20% to 10% of lightning damage, a straight numeric nerf rather than a vague tweak.
- Rogue's Ethereal Cloak stopped granting an unavailable talent, and Warlock spells stopped aggroing out-of-combat targets.
- Blackrock Depths, the 20th Anniversary 10-player raid, got its first tuning pass, with health, damage, and ability-frequency cuts on its early bosses.
- Battleground Blitz stopped handing out incorrect credit for the "Something Different" quest.
The rest of this recap walks through the class corrections, the Blackrock Depths nerfs, and the smaller PvP and event fixes.
Why So Many Fixes Landed at Once
The October 24 batch was larger than a normal day-two hotfix round, and Blizzard explained why in a developer's note. A systemic issue had caused a number of class changes made back in Patch 11.0.2 to go missing from the 11.0.5 build. The October 24 hotfixes re-applied those lost changes, which is why so many specs saw corrections on the same day. That context matters: most of these were not new nerfs or buffs, but restorations of balance work that had briefly reverted.
Class Bug Fixes by Class
Death Knight
- Dark Talons had been granting 0% haste until Icy Talons triggered again; the hotfix restored its intended haste.
- Wave of Souls could be applied by only one Death Knight at a time before the fix, so raids stacking Deathbringer Death Knights lost damage. The hotfix let multiple Death Knights apply the debuff.
Demon Hunter, Hunter, and Mage
- Demon Hunter: The Hunt had an incorrect icon, which was corrected.
- Hunter: Kill Cleave no longer persists while Beast Cleave is inactive, and Mastery: Sniper Training no longer benefits Black Arrow twice.
- Mage (Frost): Splintering Orbs now correctly grants six Splinters.
Paladin and Rogue
- Paladin: Worthy Sacrifice could cast Blessing of Sacrifice while Blessing of Sacrifice was on cooldown, which was resolved. Hammer of Light's global cooldown is now affected by haste.
- Rogue: Darkest Night failed to be granted correctly, and Ethereal Cloak no longer grants an unavailable talent.
Shaman and Warlock
- Shaman: Lightning Rod now transfers 10% of lightning damage to its targets, down from 20%. Separately, Ascendance stopped sending more Lava Burst than intended at a single target.
- Warlock: spells and abilities could aggro unexpected, out-of-combat targets, which was fixed.
The class list was only half the day's work, though. The new anniversary raid also drew its first round of tuning.
Blackrock Depths: The First Anniversary-Raid Nerf Pass
Blizzard converted Blackrock Depths into an eight-boss, ten-player raid for the 20th Anniversary, live from October 22, 2024. The October 24 hotfixes were the first tuning pass on that brand-new raid, softening the early bosses rather than overhauling the encounters. These nerfs applied mainly on Normal and LFR.
| Boss | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Lord Roccor | Casts Roiling Magma less often, so fewer Sons of Roccor spawn; boss and add health reduced; Berserk timer extended by 60 seconds on all difficulties. |
| Bael'Gar | Health reduced; Spawn of Bael'Gar health and attack damage cut. |
| Lord Incendius | Health reduced; Flame Geyser capped at three on Normal and LFR; Blaze, Dying Flare, and Scorching Wind damage lowered. |
| Golem Lord Argelmach | Golem health reduced; ultimate-ability timing spaced out; various ability damage lowered. |
| The Seven | Health reduced about 12.5%; time between powerful abilities increased; Bladestorm and Mind Torrent damage lowered. |
These cuts made the limited-time raid clearable for pug groups before the anniversary event closed on January 6, 2025. The later bosses, from General Angerforge through Emperor Dagran Thaurissan, kept their difficulty for guilds chasing the Heroic clear.
PvP, Timewalking, and Event Fixes
- PvP: Battleground Blitz stopped giving incorrect credit for the quest "Something Different."
- Timewalking: finishing the level-up version of "An Original Path Through Time" at level 80 now grants a properly scaled item.
- Anniversary event: assorted quest and item fixes landed, including reduced damage on Archavon the Stone Watcher's Rock Shards.
Taken together, this was a stabilizing day: the restored 11.0.2 class changes settled spec balance, and the raid nerfs kept the anniversary content approachable while it was live.
FAQ
Why were the October 24 hotfixes so large?
A systemic bug had dropped a set of Patch 11.0.2 class changes from the 11.0.5 build. Blizzard's October 24 hotfixes re-applied those missing changes, which is why many specs were touched on the same day.
What changed for Death Knights?
Dark Talons stopped sitting at 0% haste until Icy Talons re-triggered, and Wave of Souls, which had been applicable by only one Death Knight at a time, could again be applied by multiple Death Knights.
How much was Lightning Rod nerfed?
Elemental and Enhancement Shaman's Lightning Rod had its transfer reduced from 20% to 10% of lightning damage dealt. It was a direct halving of the effect rather than a minor adjustment.
Was Blackrock Depths a real raid?
Yes. For the 20th Anniversary, Blizzard turned Blackrock Depths into an eight-boss, ten-player raid available from October 22, 2024 through January 6, 2025, on LFR, Normal, and Heroic difficulties.
Which Blackrock Depths bosses were nerfed on October 24?
The first five: Lord Roccor, Bael'Gar, Lord Incendius, Golem Lord Argelmach, and The Seven. The cuts covered health, ability damage, and ability frequency, mostly on Normal and LFR.
Is Patch 11.0.5 the same as The War Within?
No. Patch 11.0.5, the 20th Anniversary Celebration, is a content update within The War Within expansion. The October 24 hotfixes refined that patch; they did not launch a new expansion.
Last reviewed 2026-07-02 against Patch 11.0.5 "20th Anniversary Celebration" — Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.