With the progress of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2, Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep have become the primary raiding and farming dungeons for players. More and more guilds are steadily advancing their raid progress, but a problem faced by almost all guilds is gradually surfacing: class shortages. For many guilds, acquiring gear is no longer the biggest challenge; maintaining a stable and complete raid lineup has become the new hurdle. Previously, many statistical websites published class demand rankings based on player data, but the actual game environment often differs significantly from mere statistics. The truly hard classes to recruit are not necessarily the least populated, but those that can significantly improve the overall performance of a raid, yet lack a stable player base. Based on current raid recruitment data and feedback from WoW TBC Classic player community, the demand for some specs far exceeds that of others. Enhancement Shamans and Elemental Shamans Shadow Priests Affliction Warlock Balance Druid Protection Warrior Enhancement Shamans and Elemental Shamans In WoW TBC Classic Phase 2, Shamans were undoubtedly one of the most sought-after classes in guilds. With Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep becoming core raid content, the demands on overall DPS efficiency increased, making the totem buffs provided by Shamans even more crucial. Since different groups require different types of buffs, a standard raid often includes multiple Shamans to maximize overall combat effectiveness. Enhancement Shamans and Elemental Shamans are particularly popular specializations that many raids compete to recruit. Enhancement Shamans significantly boost DPS of melee groups, while Elemental Shamans provide stable damage buffs and support effects for caster classes. We found that while Restoration Shamans were plentiful in TBC Classic Phase 2, the number of players willing to commit to Enhancement Shamans and Elemental Shamans long-term was relatively limited, resulting in a persistent shortage of these two DPS specializations. Therefore, Enhancement Shamans and Elemental Shamans have extremely high recruitment priority, whether for fixed raid groups seeking stable progress or temporarily formed PUGs. For players looking to quickly secure a spot in a raid, these two specializations remain the most competitive choices for WoW BCC Anniversary Phase 2. Shadow Priests Besides Shamans, Shadow Priests are another crucial spec that many guilds have long lacked. As one of the most classic support DPS specs from WoW TBC era, Shadow Priest's greatest value lies not only in individual damage output but also in its unique mana regeneration mechanism, which significantly improves the survivability of the entire caster-based party. In the long battles and high-intensity dungeon environment of BCC Anniversary Phase 2, team benefits are often far more important than simply adding a high-DPS spec. This is why many teams, even with a complete roster, continue to seek stable Shadow Priests. Because of the relatively small player base for this spec, its long development period, and the significant investment of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Gold, many teams could not recruit stable Shadow Priests for months on end. Affliction Warlock Affliction Warlock is another spec frequently targeted for recruitment by guilds. With the advancement of WoW TBC Classic Phase 2, the overall importance of Warlocks has further increased, and many teams have begun to heavily utilize Destruction Warlocks to pursue higher DPS performance. However, in this team composition, the importance of Affliction Warlocks is further amplified. Affliction Warlocks not only provide crucial team buffs but also effectively enhance the overall DPS of other Warlocks. Especially in teams aiming for high scores and speed runs, Affliction Warlocks have almost become standard equipment. Unfortunately, because of gameplay habits and class preferences, the number of players willing to primarily play Affliction Warlock in BCC Anniversary remains very limited, making it one of the most scarce specializations. Statistics show that Affliction Warlock players make up less than 2% of the player base. This means that many teams, even with several Warlocks, still lack the crucial Affliction specialization. Balance Druid Balance Druid, also known as Boomkin, was another popular spec in BCC Anniversary Phase 2 team recruitment market. While Boomkin doesn't excel in individual DPS rankings, its ability to provide spell critical strike auras, combat resurrection, and various support abilities gives it unique team value. In standard team compositions, Boomkin often brings considerable benefits to the entire spellcaster DPS group. However, because the number of Druid players is not large to begin with, and the proportion of players choosing Balance Druid is even lower, many guilds have long faced a shortage of Boomkins. For players looking for an easy to spot, Boomkin remains an excellent choice. Protection Warrior It's worth noting that Protection Warriors were also in high demand during TBC Anniversary Phase 2. Because many players considered Arms Warriors and Feral Druid Tanks to be the mainstream tanks in WoW TBC Phase 2, the number of Protection Warrior players steadily declined. However, Protection Warriors possess extremely strong single-target threat generation and excellent gear progression potential. With high gear levels, many Protection Warriors can even maintain stable tanking performance while dealing significant damage with dual-wielding weapons. Many experienced players believe that Protection Warriors are actually one of the most underrated specs in the entire WoW TBC Anniversary Phase 2, and their scarcity further increases the demand for this class in raids. Based on current raid recruitment information and class demographics for WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2, Enhancement Shaman, Elemental Shaman, Shadow Priest, Affliction Warlock, Balance Druid, and Protection Warrior have become the most popular spec choices in Phase 2. For players considering leveling alts or returning to the game, choosing these specs not only makes it easier to secure raid slots but also ensures they remain highly competitive in future raid environments. Judging from current trends, this class demand pattern is likely to continue throughout BCC Anniversary Phase 2.

The pace of updates for ARC Raiders has slowed, and the next one may not arrive until October. That said, the game is not completely idle: a brand-new, standalone server is about to go live, though unfortunately it will be open only to players in China. If you know even a little about video games in China, you are aware that they operate under their own set of censorship rules and sometimes feature completely separate content. According to an announcement from the official Chinese operator of ARC Raiders, new game modes will launch on Chinese server. China-Exclusive Client As early as February 2026, the developer had already announced that ARC Raiders would receive a standalone game client tailored for Chinese market. Chinese gaming market has historically been a difficult barrier for publishers to cross. To bring ARC Raiders and more titles into China, large Chinese publishers typically rely on their own development teams to carry out localized production through licensing agreements or brand partnerships. In the case of ARC Raiders, Chinese partner will handle both the release and the development work, rather than the original developer. In other words, the team behind the version that players currently enjoy has no connection whatsoever to the development of Chinese client. Another major difference lies in regional restrictions. Although there are ways to circumvent them, the vast majority of Chinese players can only access their dedicated version and client of ARC Raiders, which does not interconnect with the rest of the world - much like Overwatch and World of Warcraft. This kind of segregation has also effectively reduced the influx of cheaters from that region. As a result, the two versions have no form of connection with each other, which has led to different outcomes but also brought positive effects in other respects. Rebellion Mode During the early beta tests, several distinctly new modes existed, and the one that interests players the most is likely Rebellion mode. Some players mistook it for a PvE mode, and while it does function like a PvE mode in practice, that is not strictly accurate. This new map state, called Rebellion, is exclusive to ARC Raiders beta test as well as the eventual official launch of Chinese client. Functionally speaking, the world environment remains almost identical no matter which map you are on, save for a few important details. At the start, all players are in a PvE state, with every Raider fighting against ARCs. Raiders cannot deal any damage to one another at the beginning. However, players can choose to rebel and turn their weapons against their teammates. When players make that choice, they can then harm hostile Raiders. Those who have not chosen to rebel do not seem to take damage even if they are hit by stray bullets. Only players who actively opt into rebellion can both inflict and receive damage. That means you can defend yourself in such a situation, but lethal force only works against those Raiders who have chosen rebellion. It is worth noting that rebels are marked with a traitor icon, and a red marker appears on the minimap, letting other players know their location. Whether this marker updates in real time or at fixed intervals is still unclear, but that is the basic mechanic. Another interesting aspect of this mode is that it yields more ARC Raiders blueprints, and the spawn rate of rare weapons and attachments is also higher. This makes Rebellion a low-risk, high-reward mode in most situations. Yet if too many players choose to rebel, the scenario could become entirely different. Perhaps this is PvE versus PvPvE discussion that players have always wanted to have: the mode neither abandons PvPvE elements on which the game was built, nor does it ignore the interest of those seeking a more relaxed experience with lower risk. Dual Boss Mode Apart from Rebellion mode, there is also a Dual Boss mode. It is known that Queen and Matriarch will appear at the same time, and additional airdrop supplies will be available within the combat zone. These supplies may include ammunition, medical kits, weapons, as well as Raider backpacks and crates that can be looted. This mode is quite compelling, especially for players who lean more toward a PvE style. Countless times, Dual Boss mode provides another major threat and will undoubtedly extend match durations. Right now, many players simply quit when they see that only 15 to 20 minutes remain on the clock, knowing that there is nothing of value left on the map. Weapon Skins Footage from this closed test also reveals that Chinese client includes weapon skins. Only a handful of weapon skins have been shown so far, but it is certain that others will appear later. Weapon skins represent a whole new cosmetic system - not just a few individual items - and this feature is still absent from the global client. While some players are indifferent to cosmetic systems, others have certainly been looking forward to this addition. Will These Features Come to the Global Servers? Many players want to know whether any of this content will make its way to the global version. Especially given the months-long gaps between major updates, adding new modes could effectively help sustain ARC Raiders' activity. Unfortunately, the developer has not made any statements on this matter yet. However, Dual Boss mode does have a chance of appearing, as it was mentioned in previous leaks. As for Rebellion mode, the likelihood is much lower. This is because the official developer of ARC Raiders may not have been involved in creating Rebellion mode at all. Partnerships in regional markets - especially China - tend to follow a brand licensing model. Chinese operator obtains permission to use the base version of the game and then further develop it. This is a regional partnership: the core gameplay remains intact, but the content is then expanded specifically for Chinese market. Consequently, this version may be a completely independent product, and some or even all of these differences may never come to the global client. Yet it is also possible that these features are already planned for the future, and Chinese client simply got there first. Chinese client has its own exclusive content. Some players might feel envious, but for those familiar with World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, this is nothing new. If you look at it from a different perspective, it might actually be a good thing: ARC Raiders now benefits from more developers, and perhaps both server versions can borrow the best parts from each other.