How to play Plunderstorm without (much) PVP to earn all of the new pirate-themed transmog

While WoW’s new Plunderstorm game mode is ostensibly a battle royale, last-one-standing PVP extravaganza, you can actually collect all of the Plunderstorm rewards without killing any other players. In fact, not participating in PVP is probably the fastest way to earn Renown with the new Keg Leg’s Crew faction, because it’s not necessarily about being the best PVPer: it’s about collecting the most loot, or in pirate parlance, Plunder.

Plunderstorm ends on April 30, 2024, so you have a limited amount of time to snag these rewards!

We have more Plunderstorm guides to help you reach all of your piratical goals! Here’s everything you need to know about Plunderstorm.

While you can collect Plunder by killing other players (which has been boosted in a recent hotfix), and get a bonus for being the last one left alive, you can also earn Plunder by doing quests, exploring the map, looting treasure chests, and killing mobs. While it’s true that PVP will get in the way of those activities, you can still focus on PVE and earn every single reward.

Here’s how PVE players can succeed at Plunderstorm:

• Avoid other players. The biggest problem for PVE players is avoiding all of the PVP players that want to be the last player left standing. When you’re first heading into the map, keep an eye out for where other players are and go somewhere else. In my experience, landing near another player results in my immediate death. To collect the most Plunder, watch for other players and bravely run away whenever you see another player anywhere within your line of sight. Eventually the storm will force everyone into the center of the map and you can no longer avoid people, but the goal is to avoid others for as long as possible.
• Do the Captain’s Orders quest. As soon as you land, you’ll get a quest that’s purely PVE. You might have to open treasure chests, kill mobs, or pick up abilities, but quests will never ask you to kill other players. Quests are hands-down your best source of Plunder (+250 each) and the first quest of the day gives you bonus Plunder (+800 each day). Jump into a match, check the quest, and immediately get to work. Once you complete the quest you can keep playing and more PVE, or you can run straight into the storm (or other players) and close out  the match quickly to collect your rewards — then start over again. (Note that you cannot just leave the match: you have to die to get your rewards!) This is the most efficient way to earn Plunder and Keg Leg’s Crew Renown.
• Open chests. Though they offer less Plunder than quests, looting chests is still a good way to earn Plunder. Explore the map looking for chests, which contain abilities and Plunder. Some chests will only have abilities or consumables, but golden chests will always contain Plunder — and larger chests will contain more plunder.
• Kill mobs, particularly elite mobs. All mobs have a chance to drop plunder, and elite mobs drop more. Mobs also give you experience and can drop abilities which can help you survive (and kill more mobs). If you’re struggling to kill mobs, be aware that many mob abilities can be dodged: strafe around enemies to avoid attacks while continuing to hit your own attack button. In general, NPC mobs are fairly weak: you just need to practice avoiding attacks so you can take them down.

Though the storm will eventually push you into other players, you can stay on the outskirts, kill mobs, finish your PVE objectives. Need more help? Check out our Plunderstorm guide for a rundown of everything you need to know about the event.

Originally published March 25, 2024; updated April 15, 2024