Blizzard announced another racial tuning pass on 26 October, before character reservation. If you chose a race using an earlier beta guide, some of those numbers have changed.
This answers the practical part of a player's question about changes before character creation. It doesn't establish a best race for every class.
Human, Dwarf, Tauren and Orc changes
Blizzard's 26 October development update lists these changes:
- Humans: Ruthless gives 1% critical chance, down from 2%. Human Spirit increases Spirit by 10%, up from 5%.
- Dwarves: Artisan's Precision replaces Earth Fury, giving spells and attacks 1% hit chance.
- Tauren: Plainsrunning adds 2% movement speed per stack, up to 60%, but no longer boosts mounted speed. Endurance keeps 5% extra health and loses its hit-chance and critical-damage modifiers.
- Orcs: Savage is removed. Command returns with 5% extra damage for Hunter and Warlock pets.
Skyborne: regeneration and movement
Wind-Blessed Haste becomes 2%, down from 3%. Read Leyline increases mana and health regeneration by 50% for 15 seconds, rather than 100%. It cannot be used while Innervate is active, and Innervate replaces it as the more powerful effect.
Using Read Leyline at a Ley Line grants an hour of Attuned. While Attuned, Read Leyline's regeneration increase is 100%. Attuned persists through death.
Skysight gives 15% movement speed for 15 seconds. Using it at an elemental convergence grants an hour of Charged, raising Skysight's movement-speed benefit to 30%. Charged also persists through death.
Are weapon specialisations returning?
No, not in this pass. Blizzard explicitly leaves out Human Sword Specialization and Orc Axe Specialization. Its explanation is that future raid and dungeon loot shouldn't be judged around required weapon types.
Before you reserve
Recheck any plan that depends on one of these effects, especially mounted travel or a Skyborne regeneration calculation. These numbers alone don't show that you need to abandon a character you wanted to play.
The announcement is a beta tuning update, not a class-by-class performance comparison. I haven't playtested these changes.
The name-reservation guide covers eligibility and regional opening times. If your class choice is still unsettled, the role-planning guide separates available roles from promises to fill every gap in your group.