Affix System Updates in The War Within, Mythic+ Testing – 25 June – 2 July

Greetings, dungeoneers!

This week’s Beta update includes major changes to the Mythic Keystone affix system in
The War Within, based on player feedback. Our primary goal with these updates is to refine the Mythic+ experience to better serve a diverse playerbase.

Previously, we approached Mythic Keystones with a one-size-fits-all approach, which proved challenging in striking the right balance and limited our design space.

In this new build, you will see significant shifts in our design philosophy. We recognize the importance of weekly variety for those progressing through the system. However, for players pushing high keys, this variance has sometimes felt restrictive. We’ve also heard your feedback about wanting affixes with both positive and negative effects, as well as a desire for thematic nods similar to past affixes.

This update to the affix system aims to meet those diverse expectations. We’re maintaining the core goals of our last round of changes, but without the limitations of a one-size-fits-all approach. This flexibility allows us to craft a more tailored experience for each of the different playstyles.

Let’s dive into the revamped affix system!

Affix Update Overview

We’re reducing the total number of mechanical affixes on a keystone for players progressing through the system from two to one.

• The following affixes are being retired for The War Within:
  • Sanguine
  • Bolstering
  • Raging
  • Bursting
• We’ve heard feedback that applying bonuses unevenly to players feels exclusionary regardless of overall impact. Affixes that were part of the last Mythic Keystone test will no longer apply to keystones:
  • Reckless
  • Focused
  • Attuned
  • Thorned
• Our one bucket of active affixes for players progressing through the system offers variety along with positive effects for executing these affixes that apply more evenly.
• We’re reintroducing thematic elements to affixes by invoking Xal’atath in Mythic Keystones with her own set of affixes.
• We’re utilizing passive affixes to signpost expected increases in player mastery and commensurate rewards as players progress through the Mythic Keystone system.
• We’re aiming to eliminate “push weeks” by providing a consistent challenge that focuses solely on the dungeon, for players seeking to advance deeper into the Mythic Keystone system for scores and titles.

New Affixes

Starting at keystone level +2, Xal’atath herself will manifest in dungeons, introducing a rotation of affixes under the banner of “Xal’atath’s Bargain.” These affixes not only seek to empower the dungeon’s denizens, but also grant players the opportunity to harness their effects.

For our first test this week, we will have two Xal’atath’s Bargain affixes available. One affix is an event that players must deal with periodically while the other affix is a passive effect on creatures throughout the dungeon.

• Xal’atath’s Bargain: Ascendant
  • While in combat, Xal’atath rains down orbs of cosmic energy that attempt to empower nearby enemies, increasing their Haste and Movement speed. If players disrupt these orbs, they claim this effect for themselves.
• Xal’atath’s Bargain: Frenzied
  • Non-boss enemies become frenzied at 30% health remaining, increasing their Haste by 40%, but increasing their damage taken by 20%.
• Starting at keystone level +7, a new affix, Challenger’s Peril, directly affects the dungeon timer. This affix emphasizes precise play and strategic execution, placing
  greater risk on players’ decisions.
  • Challenger’s Peril – Dying subtracts 15 seconds from time remaining rather than 5 seconds.
• Starting at keystone level +12, a new affix replaces the “Xal’atath’s Bargain” affixes. At this level, Xal’atath revokes her bargains, empowering dungeon creatures with a 20% increase in health and damage.
  • Xal’atath’s Guile – Xal’atath betrays players, revoking her bargains and increasing the health and damage of enemies by 20%.

Fortified and Tyrannical

Fortified and Tyrannical now serve as milestone affixes that alternate between keystone levels +4 and +10 on a weekly rotation. We feel this provides us with clearer points in the system where increases in difficulty and rewards occur. This also affords more distinction between key levels for players progressing through the system and a consistent week-to-week experience for players progressing deeper into the Mythic Keystone system.

Keystone System Summary

Here are examples of what keystones look like under this new model.

• Keystone levels +2 through +11 have the following affixes:
  • +2 Xal’atath’s Bargain affixes appear on a weekly rotation.
  • +4 Fortified or Tyrannical is active, alternating on a
    weekly rotation.
  • +7 Challenger’s Peril is active on all keystones.
  • +10 Tyrannical or Fortified is active, alternating on a
    weekly rotation.
• From keystone level +12 and up, keystones have the following
  affixes:
  • Fortified
  • Challenger’s Peril
  • Tyrannical
  • Xal’atath’s Guile replaces the weekly Xal’atath’s Bargain
    affix.

Dungeon Score

We’re evaluating how dungeon scores are granted under this new model.

We believe these changes along with our Heroic and Mythic dungeon changes provide players with ways to engage with dungeons in a setting they prefer. This is a fresh look at Mythic+ and we look forward to your feedback and continuing discussions on these affixes and overall system changes.

We’ll see you in dungeons!

Greetings!

The War Within dungeon testing begins on PTR realms this week. The test period will begin Tuesday June 25th at 10:00 PDT (13:00 EDT, 19:00 CEST), and end Tuesday July 2nd at 10:00 PDT (13:00 EDT, 19:00 CEST). Please note that the test period may be adjusted in the event of technical difficulties.

The following dungeons are available for testing on Mythic and Mythic+ difficulty:

• The Stonevault
• The Dawnbreaker
• Ara-Kara, City of Echoes
• City of Threads
• Grim Batol
• The Necrotic Wake
• Mists of Tirna Scithe
• Siege of Boralus

Some notable dungeon changes for this test:

The Stonevault

• E.D.N.A – Adjusted ability timing for the encounter
• Void Speaker Eirich’s Entropy duration reduced from 2 minutes to 90s

Siege of Boralus

• Scrimshaw Gutters’ Tooth Breaker haste reduction reduced from 35% to 15%
• Ashvane Sniper’s Ricochet’s additional target damage reduced by 50%
• Ashvane Invader’s Stinging Venom Coating now has a 3 seconds cooldown
• Hadal Darkfathom no longer patrols.
• Viq’Goth no longer spawns additional Demolishing Terrors.

Affixes will rotate daily on beta realms to expedite their testing, there are new affixes ready for testing this week:

• Xal’atath’s Bargain: Ascendant
  • While in combat, Xal’atath rains down orbs of cosmic energy that attempt to empower nearby enemies, increasing their Haste and Movement speed. If players disrupt these orbs, they claim this effect for themselves.
• Xal’atath’s Bargain: Frenzied
  • Non-boss enemies become frenzied at 30% health remaining, increasing their Haste by 40%, but increasing their damage taken by 20%.

At +12, the following affixes replace Xal’atath’s Bargain affixes:

• Xal’atath’s Guile
  • Xal’atath betrays players, revoking her bargains and increasing the health and damage of enemies by 20%.

During the test period you’ll be able to acquire and customize the level and dungeon of Mythic Keystones by talking to the Keystone Vendor in Stormwind or Orgrimmar, and the nearby Dungeon Teleports NPC will assist you with transportation. During testing, players will have their item levels scaled to an appropriate level for the active Keystone level. We look forward to hearing your feedback!