World of Warcraft launches its first Dragonflight Mythic dungeon season on December 12th. Based on the feedback the developers accumulated over the years, it brings significant changes to an already tried-and-true formula. Originally developed from Challenge Mode dungeons, Mythic Plus has become a pillar of World of Warcraft’s endgame and e-sports scene.

The selection of Mythic dungeons during an expansion had traditionally stayed fixed, with the full roster featured throughout its tiers. Dragonflight Season 1 will follow the precedent set with Shadowlands Season 4 and will have its dungeon selection be comprised of both new and returning ones. Furthermore, Blizzard Entertainment has now revealed the seasonal affix, reward mount, as well as changes to the Mythic Plus gearing system. As a result, players finally have a crystal-clear image of what awaits them in Dragonflight’s opening tier.

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Old And New Affixes For Dragonflight Dungeons

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Mythic Plus players are overjoyed that World of Warcraft has removed Inspiring and Necrotic affixes for Dragonflight Season 1 and beyond. Furthermore, in place of Shrouded, Dragonflight is introducing the Thundering affix. Blizzard Entertainment has gone on record to state that the current iteration of Thundering is not a final one, but it is a preview into the complexity of seasonal affixes that players should come to expect in Dragonflight’s Mythic dungeon seasons.

Thundering is an affix that activates around every 75 seconds, triggering a random assortment of lightning strikes in the area, stunning every player hit for 1.5 seconds. Regardless of whether they were hit or not, players will also receive a debuff called Thundering. Upon its expiration, it will release five lightning orbs that circle the player in a straight direction. Given that the occurrence is guaranteed every 75 seconds, World of Warcraft players will be able to plan around the affix by predicting when it will strike.

Given that the affix for Season 1 is thematically tied to Raszageth, one of the Primal Incarnates and the final boss of Dragonflight’s first raid, it stands to reason that players might see future seasonal affixes inspired by the other Primal Incarnates. This continues a Mythic Plus tradition that came into its own in Shadowlands, where it gave each of the Mythic dungeon seasons their own identity.

Mythic Keystone Master For Dragonflight Season 1

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Though Dragonflight will be introducing dragon riding to the game, and the seasonal reward for Player vs. Player content will feature a mount inspired by it, Mythic Keystone Master will be bestowing the worthy with something more classical. The Hailstorm Armoredon will be an ice-themed ground mount for players who have achieved a 2000+ rating in Dragonflight’s first Mythic dungeon season.

World of Warcraft players have expressed their disappointment at what they consider to be a lackluster reward, but despite this, one can't help but argue that the Armoredon lends itself extremely well to theming. One can easily imagine fire or earth themed variations for each of Dragonflight’s Mythic dungeon seasons, perhaps completing the four elemental themes by the time the expansion finishes.

Dragonflight Mythic Plus Item Level Rewards

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Perhaps the most interesting change for the number crunchers is that Mythic +15 will no longer yield the highest item level reward in the weekly chest. The new season scales up to Mythic +20, offering players even better gear for completing higher keystones. The item levels for the first tier of Dragonflight range from 379 to 424, with the weekly chest now capable of awarding players 421 loot.

An important takeaway from the new system is that players will no longer earn Mythic raid-equivalent gear from completing a Mythic +15. However, they will be able to obtain gear comparable to Mythic end-of-raid boss loot, provided they can complete a Mythic +20 run. With World of Warcraft's Valor upgrade system returning in Dragonflight, the new system also raises its cap to 415, allowing players to theoretically upgrade their Mythic dungeon pieces to Mythic raid power levels.

The changes made by the development team at Blizzard Entertainment speak to the importance that Mythic Plus has in the modern World of Warcraft. Mythic Keystones have completely legitimized themselves as a worthy alternative to raiding. They have found a fervent audience in tight-knit, smaller groups still wanting challenging content, and the system has plenty of room to grow.

The popularity of Mythic Plus has far eclipsed its initial expectations, and even competitors in the market have started to notice. Final Fantasy 14 is set to release Criterion Dungeons, its answer to Mythic Keystones, a week from now, further legitimizing dungeons as true endgame content. Though not without its faults and shortcomings, the future of Mythic dungeons in World of Warcraft remains bright, as Dragonflight takes wing on November 28th.

World of Warcraft is available on PC.

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