Traditionally, certain areas have been hotbeds of PvP action. These include the zones of Arathi Highlands and Stranglethorn Vale. However, in mid-2006, the concept of “world PvP” was expanded with the introduction of zone-wide PvP objectives. An early proof of concept for world PvP objectives is located in Silithus, where players are tasked to collect samples of a dust-like object called “Silithyst” and turn it in to their respective faction’s camp. A tally of how much Sillythyst each side has collected is visible to anyone present in the zone, and when one side reaches 200 samples, players of that faction gain a temporary buff and their side’s counter resets.[1]

The Eastern Plaguelands was another testing ground for world PvP objectives. The zone is home to four towers, which can be “captured” by standing on one for a brief time. When one side simultaneously controls all four towers, players on that side gain a beneficial buff, but upon losing control of any of the towers, the buff disappears. The PvP objectives in Silithus and the Eastern Plaguelands were released in patch 1.12 of the game.[2] Blizzard opted to promote the Plaguelands PvP release more heavily, however.[3]

The release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, the first expansion to WoW, made world PvP objectives a significant part of the game. For instance, the first zone of Outland, Hellfire Peninsula, contains a situation similar to that of the Eastern Plaguelands: three towers in the center of the zone may be “captured” by standing on them for a period of time, and controlling all three towers provides certain benefits. World PvP objectives exist in most zones of Outland.