Every good World of Warcraft fan knows that Warlords of Draenor, the newest expansion in the franchise, is in the alpha stage of testing. This is a pretty exclusive phase, usually reserved for Blizzard employees and perhaps their close friends and family. Fans like us, need to wait until beta testing hits and hope we get lucky enough to get our very own beta key.

Even though beta testing may be awhile off, excitement for it is pretty high, doubly so thanks to the host of beta keys that were unexpectedly released at PAX East. Yes, it seems just about everyone wants to try out the Warlords beta, but perhaps they might want to reconsider. You see, while the beta seems to be a magical, mystical, and beautiful thing, sometimes holding off for the real deal is a better idea. Not sure why? Check out five reasons why you should skip playing the Warlords of Draenor beta.

Major Spoilers

Perhaps the biggest problem with playing the beta is the spoilers. Before the game is even truly released to the public you know exactly what is going to happen, when it will happen, and why. There are no surprise endings for you anymore and no sudden plot twists. Depending on how much you play, nothing is a shocker anymore.

Even worse, you may be the only person in your group of friends that knows every little detail from the beta. They certainly won't appreciate spoilers, so you are left with no one to discuss the cool new things you have experienced along the way. Sure, you can sit back smugly and bask in the glow of your profound knowledge, but that can only sustain you so far. After awhile you might start wishing that you were blissfully ignorant once again.

No New Car Smell

Going hand in hand with major spoilers, playing a beta means that once the game is released to the general public it will be decidedly lacking that new car small. What I mean is, that sparkle of a new game, a new experience is already gone. It is an unavoidable downfall of playing any beta.

No longer is there that anticipation as you update and open the game, there is no wondering what things will look like or what exactly has changed, you have already seen it before. That brand new wondrous world that everyone is oohing and awing over, isn't new to you at all. Sure, when you first play the beta you get that new feeling, but since it is not a completed form of the game, it isn't quite the same.

The Grinding Blues

With all major events spoiled and the freshness worn off the game after playing a beta, the game can become a real grind. You know how everyone hates leveling alts because they have to do the same thing over and over again? Playing a beta, then playing the game after it is officially released, is exactly the same feeling. Since nothing you do counts in the beta, you are doomed to repeat the process again after the release date. A prospect that (to some) can feel rather discouraging and should be avoided.

Bugs and Glitches

As mentioned above, betas are not fully completed versions of the game. This is true with every beta, including Warlords of Draenor. The purpose of a beta is to work out most of the bugs and glitches in the system and there will be many of them. Your character might fall through the world, find themselves stranded in the ocean, or find some other nasty bug. Servers will go down, things will be lost, and it is all part of the process. While it is important for people to find these things and test them out, sometimes it is better to let that to other people, especially if you have a short temper.

Input Required

The final reason you may want to consider skipping the beta testing of Warlords of Draenor is that it is actual work. At least it should be if you are doing what is expected of you as a beta tester. Beta testing isn't a way to see the game first or learn the content before anyone else.

When you get invited into a beta it is with the premise that you will check to see that things work, everything runs smoothly, it contains entertaining game play, and to pinpoint any glitches and bugs that are lurking in shadows. While you can skip all this, it means you are being a rather poor beta tester and invalidating the reason you were invited to play in the first place. So if you aren't up for some work along with the play, you may want to consider skipping a beta test.

That wraps up our list of the top five reasons you should skip the Warlords of Draenor beta test. While I usually play the beta, in order to write about it, sometimes I wish I could skip it. For the reasons above and more, the beta sometimes manages to dull the excitement of the real deal. Do you take part in beta testing? Or do you wait for games to be fully released? Do you think playing the beta has ever spoiled part of the game for you? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below!


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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

About The Author

Amunet, also fondly known as Memtron, is an organic life form best known for its ongoing obsession with Blizzard Entertainment's numerous properties. To that end, Amu has authored hundreds (thousands?) of the most popular World of Warcraft guides, editorials, and Top 10 lists on the planet. When not gaming and writing, Amu is busy chasing after her three children in a perpetual loop of ongoing disaster.

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