Fast Facts
Name:
World of Warcraft
Acronym:
WoW
Developer:
Blizzard
Publisher:
Blizzard/Activision
Release Date:
11/23/04
Country:
USA
Genre:
RPG
ESRB Rating:
Teen
News
World Of Warcraft: 2.3 Arena Changes Announced

To continue the explosion of information regarding patch 2.3, it seems that it should be landing on the PTRs in the first week of october. At the same time, there have been some significant changes to the arena gear system that will be heading out with the Zul'aman patch. The rating requirements for weapons have been expanded to include shoulders as well (argueably the most popular piece of arena gear for 90% of the population). Weapons will require a 1850 rating, while shoulders will take a 2000. You will not be required to maintain this rating in order to use the weapons, just to purchase them.

Beyond this a few new things have been announced for PvP fiends, straight from the mouth of Kalgan himself:

As of patch 2.3 all items in the gladiator season 1, 2, and 3 sets will be part of the same set, so you can use those items interchangably and keep the set bonuses (ie: you can wear the season 2 shoulders along with the season 3 helm, chest, legs) and retain the 4 piece set bonus.

At the same time he announced a few new arena items that will be coming with 2.3 to support different classes and specs:

Yes, there's a Vengeful Gladiator's Waraxe

62 Stam
46 Crit
33 Resil
15 Hit
92 AP
98 Armor Penetration

Cost: 1000 arena points (no rating requirement)

There's a PvP healing cloak in patch 2.3. The vital stats are...

34 stam
15 int
6 mp5
23 resil
+51 healing / +17 spell dmg

Well here it is (also patch 2.3)!

Melee:
34 Stam
20 Crit
20 Resil
46 AP
112 Armor Penetration

Caster
34 Stam
15 Int
16 Spell Crit
23 Resil
+27 Spell Damage/Heal

Now that hunters get their own weapon, perhaps retribution paladins will get some love beyond the Hammer of the Naaru.