SWTOR 8.0 PTS Phase 5 Opens Level 85 PvP and Adds Venture Expert

Star Wars: The Old Republic has moved into phase 5 of Update 8.0 testing on the Public Test Server, adding a few notable pieces for players to try before the update goes live. The latest PTS build opens level 85 PvP Warzones and Arenas, adds Venture: Expert for Jedi Knight and Imperial Agent origin stories, and includes new class balance changes for Mercenary and Commando.

The big addition is Venture: Expert, the second Venture mode currently available for testing. Players can create a Venture-specific character and lock that character into a difficulty at creation. Classic maps to Veteran difficulty, while Expert uses Master difficulty.

Venture characters progress by completing specific objectives, with unique enemies, loot, consumables, and Venture currency tied to the mode. BioWare is positioning Expert as the harder version, so this is likely aimed at players who want a more demanding run through those origin stories.

On the PvP side, level 85 Warzone and Arena queues are now live on the PTS. Players can prep characters in Odessen, where vendors provide 380 gear, Tacticals, Implants, and consumables for testing.

Expertise is also back for PvP testing, though not as a regular stat on gear. As previously discussed by the team, it returns through Augments, which are available from the same vendors.

The phase 5 build also adds Mercenary and Commando balance changes for players to test and give feedback on. As usual with PTS updates, these changes aren’t final and may shift before 8.0 reaches the live servers.

Further reading: Official SWTOR PTS Phase 5 news