As we inch closer to the end of 2025, The War Within Season 3 is effectively entering its twilight phase. The Hall of Fame is closed, the "Cutting Edge" achievement is becoming commonplace for mid-core guilds, and players are starting to look toward the Midnight pre-patch.
Itās been a chaotic, explosive, and surprisingly goblin-filled season. Now that the dust has settled, itās time to ask: Was it good?
The Raid: Liberation of Undermine
The crown jewel of Season 3 was, of course, the Liberation of Undermine. Finally taking the fight to Gallywix in the heart of the Goblin Trade Empire was a payoff 15 years in the making.
The Highs:
- Visuals: Undermine is gorgeous. The neon-soaked aesthetic, the leaking pipes, the magitech overloadāit felt distinct from anything we've raided before.
- Boss Design: The "Steam-Powered K.A.I.J.U." early wing boss was a highlight, requiring the raid to pilot their own mechs to fight back. It was gimmicky, yes, but fun.
- Gallywix: The final encounter was a spectacle. Fighting him while his "coin storm" mechanic literally drained gold from your character (don't worry, it was refunded... mostly) was a meta-narrative stroke of genius.
The Lows:
- Balance: The tuning on Mythic difficultly was erratic. The "Assembly Line" boss was a wall for three weeks until a significant nerf bat hit it, while the penultimate boss fell over in two pulls for many guilds.
- Melee Unfriendly: Once again, if you were a Rogue or Warrior, you spent 50% of this raid chasing bosses that wouldn't stand still.
The Mythic+ Rotation
Season 3 brought us a mix of new War Within dungeons and some returning classics from the Warlords of Draenor and Legion eras.
Key takeaways:
- Operation: Floodgate: The "Mega-dungeon" split into two keys was successful. The "Hydro-plant" wing became the push key of the season due to its generous timer.
- Grimrail Depot (TWW Version): Bringing this back was a controversial choice. Even with the camera updates, fighting in a narrow hallway remains a miserable experience for Sanguine weeks. Blizzard, please stop trying to make Grimrail happen.
- The "God Comp" Return: This season saw a hard crystallization of the meta. Augmentation Evoker, Brewmaster Monk (after their rework), and Discipline Priest were in 90% of all keys above +25. Spec diversity took a hit this season.
Systems and Loot
The Cartel Renown system introduced in Patch 11.1 matured well here. Being able to "bribe" vendors for specific loot slots using the Renown currency was a fantastic bad luck protection mechanic that I hope carries forward into Midnight.
Item upgrades leveled out nicely. The crest cap increase was timed perfectly, allowing alts to catch up quickly without devaluing the main's grind. The War Within has finally solved the "Alts are a chore" problem, and Season 3 was the peak of that philosophy.
Final Grade: A-
Season 3 didn't reinvent the wheel, but it kept the car driving fast. It was a "fun" season rather than a "serious" one, leaning into the absurdity of Goblin tech and the high-octane gameplay of the post-hero talent world.
It served its purpose: It kept us entertained while the developers finished cooking Midnight. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still need to farm the mount from Gallywix before the drop rate gets nerfed to 1%.