Coming off a momentous 10th anniversary and release of Empyrea Part 2, 2019 for Wizard101 was a year filled full of improvements to beginner experience and several new free to play additions! Hop in as we go over the past year in Wizard101, and take a look at the good and bad of 2019!
FTUE
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The shining star of 2019 to me would have to be the First-Time User Experience overhaul. While it may not be flashy to max levels, the beginning experience has always been a sore spot in the spiral. Before, you weren’t given too many helpful tips or guidance in your beginning hours of gameplay - but that’s all changed for the better. Now, new players will have plentiful tips along your first few hours of gameplay, leading up to the introduction of the Three Streets questline. If you haven’t touched Wizard101 in a bit, I would suggest making a new character and hopping in the game to give it a try for yourself.
Wizard City Underground Update
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The major content update of the year brought a new max level dungeon storyline for players, and introduced a new spellwrighting system into the game. Several new mechanics were introduced to boss fights, and the challenge is plentiful in this exciting addition to the Wizard City lore. The story is amazing as well - as we dig deep into the past of Wizard City and some sneak peeks at some possible future plotlines. This update also brought forth the Backpack Butler, an item every wizard needs - it tracks where all your items are on that specific character. Hoarders rejoice!
Beastmoon Hunt
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Let’s talk about Beastmoon Hunt. At first release, it was a fun and new event introduced to the spiral. With elements of capture the flag, mixed in with new polymorphs with their own spells, it had potential to be a fun, free-to-play addition to the spiral. There also has been continued additions to the game mode, including a new map variant and several new beast polymorphs from you to choose from. As time has gone on, however, there are growing problems with the event that make it more of a hassle than an enjoyment.
For starters, let’s talk about that updated map. The original map was clear-cut in where the points were, and how to get to those points. In the new skin, it can be confusing at times to figure out just where you are going - and how to get to the points. However, the bigger problem lies in the player base itself. When the mode was first released, there were few to no problems with AFKers or people intentionally throwing matches. As we’ve had several rotations of this event, this problem has increased dramatically, and it’s rare to have a match without someone not leaving or ending up AFK on a team. As we move into 2020, I hope that KI puts in a form of anti-griefing to help smooth out this major problem plaguing the mode currently.
Completion of Wizard City Revamp
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As you all know, 2019 was a year that Wizard101 had many improvements to the front of the game, and they wrapped up the incredible revamp of Wizard City! This really helped give the first world many years ago that pop of color and splash of life heading into 2019. Everything form the giant cyclops in Cyclops Lane to the rainfall in Triton Avenue makes Wizard City a visual success of 2019. They even gave Crab Alley, a side area added sometime later, a nice revamp too - to give it a more underwater feel.
Overall, 2019 was a good year for Wizard101! From the new underground dungeons for max levels, to several new events for all wizards to enjoy, there was something for everyone to try out this year. Hopefully we see some improvements to Beastmoon heading into 2020 to make it more fun of an experience for everyone. I can’t wait to see what exciting features and content comes our way heading into the decade, and I’m sure it’ll be magical! Sound off in the comments and let me know your thoughts on the highs and the lows of 2019!
