Best DPS Classes in World of Warcraft (2025) — Full Guide & Tier List for The War Within

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The War Within meta is finally settling. If you're wondering which DPS specs are dominating raids and Mythic+, here’s a simple, honest breakdown.

S Tier — Leading the Pack

Unholy Death Knight

• Uncapped AoE with massive burst.

• Sand Lane hero talents are pushing ridiculous numbers.

• Excellent self-healing and crowd control.

Balance Druid

• Top-tier AoE and solid single target.

• Great group utility with Mark of the Wild and Battle Res.

• Survivability still feels lacking.

Arcane Mage

• Strong burst windows and great scaling.

• Utility and defensive tools keep it competitive.

• Rotation can get repetitive.

A+ Tier — Very Strong Choices

Fire Mage

• Powerful burst if your group plays around Combustion.

• Slightly inconsistent damage in random groups.

Devastation Evoker

• Huge opener damage in raids.

• Brings rescue, damage reduction, and solid defensives.

Affliction Warlock

• Fantastic cleave and solid sustained damage.

• Excellent survivability and good CC.

Elemental Shaman

• Great AoE with improving single target.

• Useful totems, interrupts, and party buffs.

Destruction Warlock

• Some of the best uncapped AoE in the game.

• Fun rotation and reliable cleave.

Enhancement Shaman

• Strong AoE and single target.

• Amazing utility with stuns, interrupts, and group dispels.

A Tier — Consistent Picks

Marksmanship Hunter

• Good burst and mobility.

• Limited group utility and defensives.

Feral Druid

• Excellent bleed damage and solid scaling.

• Very weak defensives.

Assassination Rogue

• Strong AoE and consistent damage.

• Utility remains limited.

Demonology Warlock

• Easy rotation with great pet damage.

• Performs best when enemies stay grouped.

Retribution Paladin

• Consistent burst windows.

• Top-tier group utility and survivability.

Shadow Priest

• Great damage profile and utility.

• Overlaps too much with Discipline Priest.

Havoc Demon Hunter

• Strong burst and great mobility.

• Slightly held back by group composition limits.

Frost Death Knight

• Solid AoE and improved consistency.

• Good crowd control.

Arms Warrior

• Big burst damage.

• Still very selfish with poor self-healing and minimal utility.

Beast Mastery Hunter

• Reliable single target damage.

• Low group synergy compared to top specs.

Subtlety Rogue

• Dangerous burst potential.

• Missed cooldowns severely punish DPS output.

Windwalker Monk

• Impressive burst early in fights.

• AoE cap limits performance in Mythic+.

B+ Tier — Usable, But Limited

Frost Mage

• Solid in Mythic+, weak in raids.

• Outclassed by Arcane and Fire.

Fury Warrior

• Good cleave and healing.

• Struggles with target caps and utility.

Outlaw Rogue

• Heavy RNG hurts consistency.

• Minimal utility for groups.

B Tier — Falling Behind

Survival Hunter

• Weakest Hunter spec in both raids and Mythic+.

• Outperformed by BM and Marksmanship.

Augmentation Evoker

• Early tuning nerfs dropped them low.

• Even recent buffs haven’t closed the gap.

Final Blurb

For The War Within launch, Unholy Death Knight, Balance Druid, and Arcane Mage are clearly at the top for both raiding and Mythic+. A lot of other specs can still perform, but some like Survival Hunter and Augmentation Evoker are having a rough season. If you want to climb easily, stick with the S or A+ tier specs and enjoy the ride.

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