World of Warcraft Faction-Switching Mercenary Mode Announced

More than a decade after its release, Blizzard Entertainment's genre-defining PC MMO World of Warcraft continues to add new features. The latest is what Blizzard is calling Mercenary Mode for PvP.

In short, Mercenary Mode--coming to the game in an upcoming patch--will allow you to play as a mercenary for the opposing faction in World of Warcraft's PvP modes. "They say, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer"--and soon, you'll be able to do just that," Blizzard said in its announcement.

Blizzard says the main goal for the new Mercenary Mode is to help people get into Ashran or unrated Battlegrounds without having to wait in long matchmaking queues "while still maintaining the spirit of the core Alliance vs. Horde fantasy." It's also good for a chuckle--just look at the image above.

Here's how it works, according to Blizzard's official description:

"Whenever your faction is experiencing a long wait time to get into Ashran or unrated Battlegrounds, agents of the enemy faction will appear in your base in Ashran (Stormshield for the Alliance, Warspear for the Horde). These agents will allow you to enter Ashran or Battlegrounds disguised as an enemy player, and actually fight as the opposite faction."

Blizzard notes that, when playing as a mercenary, you'll still get the same rewards if you were playing as your own faction--but faction-specific achievements are the exception. What's more, your race will automatically change to match the opposite faction.

Mercenary Mode will roll out "soon" on World of Warcraft's Public Test Realm before it becomes available widely sometime later.