The last thing you want in a game mode where players disguise themselves as furniture is free access to x-ray vision. There is no fun to be had when you are just chasing dots on your minimap instead of studying a suspicious table that you could've sworn moved a little. Unfortunately, that is exactly what has happened to Decor Duels, Blizzard's new prop hunt-style mode using housing decor.

How Hunters Are Using X-Ray Vision to Win

It didn't take very long for players to realize that the "track humanoids" ability isn't disabled when playing this mode. According to Wowhead, the balance of the game is currently heavily skewed:

  • Hunters have the tracking ability for free.
  • Any player can activate the ability using a Blackened Worg Steak consumable item.

With that ability flipped on, the experience is no longer about stealthy hide-and-seek, but rather a simple game of tag. This effectively removes the tension required for a successful prop hunt.

Out-of-Bounds Glitches and Developer Oversight

This is a critical oversight, which is surprising considering Blizzard implemented extra precautions to keep Decor Duels fair. The mode features an invisible AFK timer for hiders that prevents them from receiving rewards if they sit in one spot too long. However, someone on the development team must have forgotten about an ability that has existed in the game for years.

Beyond the visibility issues, some players have found ways to slip past the arena's invisible walls to plant themselves in unreachable areas. This is a common issue seen in Overwatch prop hunt modes as well. In World of Warcraft, players have been squeezing through cracks to reach forbidden areas for years, so breaking map geometry was inevitable.

I will cut Blizzard some slack, given that it has only been a day since the patch with Decor Duels was released. It is a brand-new mode, and they are likely still figuring out all the variables needed to lock down the experience. It is still a bummer that matches aren't fair right now, but hopefully, a patch is incoming—especially since we know how WoW players get when housing decor rewards are involved.