Updated November 11, 2026. World of Warcraft: Forever client build 1.60.1.70888 appeared on November 10, replacing 1.60.1.70862 in Battle.net. This is a client-build comparison, not an official claim that every server-side hotfix was delivered by the download. Blizzard's separately published hotfix list describes many gameplay changes that can arrive without a client update.
What changed in build 70888?
Community build-data comparisons agree that the update changes Affliction Warlock spell and talent descriptions, Restoration Druid Swiftmend wording and several item records. They disagree on the headline number of changes: one tracker counts nine client-data records (three talents, one spell, one new item and four modified items), while another counts seven because it groups or filters the talent changes differently. The concrete named changes are more useful than either headline total.
Affliction Warlock: Wrack now strengthens active damage-over-time effects
The updated Wrack base tooltip describes a six-second channel that deals 25.2 Shadow damage each second before character scaling. While channeling, the target's Corruption, Siphon Life and Bane of Agony effects deal their periodic damage 100% faster. The preceding 70862 base tooltip instead described 36 Shadow damage per second and a 10% bonus to other Shadow damage-over-time effects. These are client base tooltip values; your actual damage can differ with rank, level, spell power, talents and target defenses.
Soul Siphon now specifies exactly which effects count toward its bonuses: Corruption, Siphon Life and Bane of Agony. Each qualifying effect increases Drain Life, Drain Soul and Wrack damage or health drained by 4%, 8% or 12% per effect at talent ranks one, two or three, respectively, up to 12%, 24% or 36%. Earlier wording referred more broadly to other Affliction effects. This specific wording change helps prevent inflated calculations that count unrelated debuffs.
For leveling and dungeon pulls, apply and maintain the named damage-over-time effects when the target will live long enough, then compare Wrack uptime against your previous rotation. The text implies a different interaction from endless Wrack-only channeling, but a build-file diff alone is not a controlled live damage test or a confirmed total-DPS increase.
Restoration Druid: Swiftmend clarification
Swiftmend's updated description removes the wording of the consumed spell. Its tooltip now describes a heal based on the full periodic duration of an active Rejuvenation or Regrowth effect. Blizzard's earlier November 6 notes had already corrected a misleading claim that Swiftmend consumes the underlying effect. There is no reliable evidence in this build text alone for a new numerical healing nerf or buff.
Item changes in the tracked client data
| Item | Previous data | Build 70888 data |
|---|---|---|
| Berdun's Trusty Rifle | Old level requirement shown as 0 in the compared record | Level 45 required; new tracked item entry lists item level 48, 47–87 damage, speed 3 and +6 Strength |
| Adaptive Combat Assistant | +20 Expertise | +11 Expertise |
| Serenity Field | +42 Healing, +14 Spell Power | +21 Healing, +7 Spell Power |
| Weakness Analyzer | +22 Spell Power | +18 Spell Power |
These item values are from a client-data diff, not independent in-game inspection of every obtainable item. The new rifle entry and its changed minimum-level field are two records referring to the same named item, not two separate weapons. Blizzard's November 9 official hotfixes also state that Berdun's Trusty Rifle no longer has random stats and no longer binds on equip.
What about Hunter pets, Voidwalkers and Enhancement Shaman?
On November 6 Blizzard announced intended tuning for November 10 involving Hunter pet and Voidwalker durability, Affliction Warlock rotations and Enhancement Shaman stat priorities. The presence of this download, by itself, does not verify numerical changes to all those systems. The identified Wrack/Soul Siphon client text supports an Affliction direction, but unresolved topics should not be declared fixed without a corresponding official hotfix or measured live behavior.
What changed on the website?
Our Warlock talent calculator and Druid talent calculator now use targeted, sourced tooltip corrections for Wrack, Soul Siphon and Swiftmend. The Talent & Class Change Tracker lists them as dated build-data events. We have not relabeled every October/November source export as completely verified for build 70888; unchanged talents still require broader data auditing.
References and verification level
- The Forever Era: automatic build 70862 to 70888 comparison (community datamine, includes before/after text)
- METAMMO: build 70888 change log (independent client comparison with a different counting scheme)
- Blizzard: official November 9 hotfixes
- Blizzard: earlier class tuning plan
Data status: client records are datamined, not a Blizzard-authored full patch note; server-side coefficients and undisclosed changes cannot be reconstructed from a Battle.net version number.
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