Riot's MMO will have to decide whether two strangers who hit the same monster both get credit for it. Blizzard, the studio behind WoW Forever, just gave its answer: no. WoW Forever is the new version of Blizzard's 2004 MMO, and it keeps first-come tagging, where the first player or group to hit a monster owns the kill and the quest credit that comes with it.
What Happened
A streamer asked for shared kills in WoW Forever, and Blizzard's Classic designer said the friction stays.
The post
- The ask. On September 20, Gingi, a streamer, asked on X whether Forever should add shared drops and shared tagging, noting Blizzard had already raised mob spawn rates.
- The reply. Nobbel, a German content creator, answered that the small effort of grouping up is what can build a community.
- The designer. Josh Greenfield, the WoW Classic senior game designer who posts as Aggrend, quoted that reply to turn the request down.
- The reason. Greenfield wrote that "it is extremely important to our social pillar to maintain some of this friction".
- The reach. His post drew about 329K views and 2.4K likes, and Wowhead, the fan database site for Blizzard's MMO, amplified it the same day.
This is one of those things that we simply must hold the line on.
— Josh Greenfield, WoW Classic senior game designer, on X, September 20, 2026, post
The beta
- Lines for quests. PC Gamer reported on September 21 that beta players queue for quest objects that respawn every few minutes, and ran screenshots of the lines.
- A second designer. Game Rant, a gaming news site, reported on September 22 that Johnny Cash, a principal designer on WoW Forever, agreed with Greenfield.
- The safety valve. Per Game Rant, Blizzard will adjust a quest if players can't finish its objectives.
- The dates. The beta runs to October 21, and WoW Forever launches November 4, 2026.
So the line Blizzard is holding is narrow. It already added monsters by raising spawn rates. What it refuses to add is credit for a kill you didn't earn alone or in a group.
What This Means for the Riot MMO
Kill credit is one of the first social rules Riot's MMO has to set, and Riot hasn't said a word about it.
- Nothing announced. Riot hasn't said how its MMO handles kill credit, grouping or quest objects. The only confirmed fact about the game is that it's set in Runeterra.
- New to League players. League players have only ever fought beside teammates the game assigned them, never a stranger after the same monster.
- The Blizzard hires. Three senior Riot MMO hires came from the Blizzard team making this argument: producer Raymond Bartos, engineering manager Orlando Salvatore and designer Brian Holinka.
- A pattern. It's the same stance Blizzard took on convenience killing the journey and on the long flight paths it is keeping.
| Rule | WoW Forever | Riot MMO |
|---|---|---|
| Kill credit | First-come tagging | Not revealed |
| Spawn rates | Raised | Not revealed |
| Stuck quests | Blizzard will adjust them | Not revealed |
Our read. Riot should keep the contest and make grouping cheap. Two players on one monster is how an MMO introduces strangers, and Forever's spawn-rate increase shows the friction can be tuned without being deleted. The part not to copy is the queue: standing in line for a respawn gives nobody a reason to talk.
Add it to the six things Riot should take from WoW Forever, with the queue fixed.
Your Take
Should Riot's MMO make players compete for quest kills unless they group up?
Reported from Josh Greenfield (Blizzard) on X; reported by PC Gamer, Game Rant, Wowhead and corroborating coverage. The MMO read is ours and clearly speculative. Analysis by RuneGrove.
