As seen on Raider.io, Affliction Warlocks currently represent less than 1% of players completing Mythic+ keys at level 12 or higher. This is disappointing, especially given that Affliction is one of the most iconic specs in the game.
I don’t believe this is due to a raw power imbalance—Affliction can output competitive damage. The issue lies in the spec’s current gameplay loop, which feels clunky, unengaging, and unnecessarily punishing.
The core mechanics around spreading and maintaining DoTs are part of the problem. After opening with Vile Taint to apply Agony, players are forced to tab-target and manually reapply Agony on individual enemies, which is tedious and inefficient. Additionally, applying Corruption and Wither via Seed of Corruption consumes two soul shards and requires two global cooldowns. Few other specs are forced to spend 66% of their starting resources just to begin establishing their damage profile.
A simple, elegant solution would be to have Seed of Corruption apply Agony in addition to Corruption/Wither. This change would streamline Affliction’s opener, reduce frustration, and significantly improve player satisfaction—all without affecting the spec’s power level.