With the release of Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible, the second raid in World of Warcraft’s Dragonflight expansion, comes a new iteration of the Race to World First, the game’s most prestigious esports event.
The top WoW guilds are gearing up for what promises to be a brutal raid tier competition, with new challengers having a better chance of making significant gains after you get past the top two guilds globally. In addition to Liquid and Echo, the two strong hitters in the RWF, the field of competitors is more evenly loaded than it has been in recent races. Echo is shooting for their fourth consecutive RWF victory.
Recently, the middle raid has hosted several nail-biting competitions, including as the Fight for Azeroth’s Battle of Dazar’alor and the Shadowlands’ Sanctum of Domination. The Vault of the Incarnates race at the beginning of Dragonflight was wrecked by a controversial nerf to the last manager towards the conclusion of the event (presumably owing to time constraints imposed upon the race by the then-imminent Christmas break). Aberrus, with its open summer, may be a testing ground for unrestrained tuning and power-creeping.
Shadowlands and the synchronised release of the raid on all issues require leading guilds in split raids for longer than usual, so WoW fans should expect this race to be longer than ones in the past because its 9 managers are the most. Aberrus may be more visible than other raids, given that races last anywhere from 8-10 days. The Sepulchre of the First Ones competition in March was the longest competition to World First in recent memory, lasting 19 days.
Here, you can follow the latest RWF news as it happens, thanks to our live updates, real-time leaderboard, and in-race commentary.
Aberrus Race to World First leaderboard
- Echo 0/9
- Liquid 0/9
- Technique 0/9
- BDG 0/9
- Horizon 0/9
- Chao Jie 0/9
- Jitianhong 0/9
- Instantaneous Dollars 0/9
- KeaHoarl 0/9
- FatSharkYes 0/9
- Kazzara, the Hellforged: Unbeaten
- The Amalgamation Chamber: Unbeaten
- The Forgotten Experiments: Unbeaten
- Rashok, the Elder: Unbeaten
- Attack of the Zaqali: Unbeaten
- Zskarn, the Vigilant Steward: Unbeaten
- Magmorax: Unbeaten
- Echo of Neltharion: Unbeaten
- Scalecommander Sarkareth: Unbeaten
Groups to view in the Aberrus race
Echo and Liquid are still strong betting favourites to win the Aberrus event. Echo lost major names like Naowh and Lorgokz, and Liquid said farewell to top abilities like Ben and Trill, after the Vault of the Incarnates race. Fans may expect a different appearance from the scene’s two main teams in this year’s race, despite the fact that both teams have made finalizings in the previous five months to fill those spots (among others).
Outside of the clear frontrunners, Method and BDG remain constant threats on the periphery and could easily overtake a spot in the top 2 should Echo or Liquid take a step back. These two groups are the greatest alternatives in their respective regions, and they will keep the pressure on the frontrunners the whole way through the race.
The Chinese guild Skyline has placed in the top five in three of the previous four races, with their best showing being in March 2022 during the Sepulchre of the First Ones race, in which they placed third. Instant Dollars are an underdog in North America and unlikely to get in the top 5, but they have a strong, dedicated team of veterans and might put together a best-ever run in a hurry if they get angry.
On May 9, alongside the release of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Season 2, Aberrus: The Shadowed Crucible will begin its Race to World First.