Forever Warrior crits are getting extra Rage again

What changes on a critical hit

Forever bases Rage from dealing damage on the speed of the weapon that hit. The launch beta gave critical strikes no extra Rage. Blizzard is restoring that additional reward:

Same weapon speed

Normal hit1×Critical hit1.75×

Relative Rage

1×

Normal hit = 100%

100%175%

The normal hit sets the baseline. Choose a crit to see the extra Rage.

Announced rule for outgoing hits at the same weapon speed. This compares Rage, not damage.

Weapon speed still sets the baseline

Blizzard separates damage dealt from Rage generated. Its outgoing formula is based on the weapon’s speed, with critical strikes receiving the extra bonus. A larger damage number is therefore not enough, on its own, to explain a larger Rage gain.

That distinction matters when comparing weapons or talent choices. The damage question and the resource question overlap, but they are not interchangeable. The graphic keeps weapon speed fixed so the crit bonus is the only difference being illustrated.

Taking damage is a different route

The same deep dive describes a separate rule for incoming damage: Rage is calculated while ignoring Armor and absorption effects. Blizzard uses the older incoming formula as if the Warrior had 50% damage reduction from Armor.

Power Word: Shield can therefore protect your health without reducing the Rage from this route. That is a useful distinction for a Priest supporting a Warrior, and it is separate from whether the Warrior’s own strike crits.

More fuel for the next button

In the clip above, Xaryu is enthusiastic about Protection Warrior’s active playstyle. The resource question behind it is simple: after a hit, what can you afford to press next?

The restored crit bonus gives you more resource for that next decision. Its effect on a rotation depends on how often you crit, whether you have room below the Rage cap and what you can spend the extra Rage on. A multiplier alone cannot tell us which build wins.

Blizzard is still investigating separate Rage-generation bugs and says that work could take a couple of weeks. A beta comparison that feels inconsistent is not enough to establish that the crit bonus has shipped, or that another issue is fixed.

Sources and context

Blizzard’s September 30 announcement; rollout build and live behavior unverified. The comparison is relative Rage, not measured damage. Xaryu’s earlier upload supplies gameplay context, not a test of this change.

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