Blizzard has released a test patch for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands that makes changes to Mythic gear. Update 9.0.5 is available on the Public Test Realm for World of Warcraft players to check out before it releases in March.
As the name implies, the PTR is a way for fans to explore upcoming changes before the fixes become official. While content of these patches can vary, in this case Blizzard is focusing on systems, tuning, and community feedback. Though it does not continue the fastest-selling Shadowlands saga, the post suggests this update will get changes out faster than a large patch.
The first big change being tested in 9.0.5 ties to upgrading Mythic gear. Before this fix, the community felt that rewards from challenging Mythic Keystone dungeons was lackluster. Therefore, gear that can drop from these runs will now be upgradeable. The initial level cap is 200, but can go up by beating Mythic 5 Shadowlands' recently-nerfed dungeons. Players can use Valor from Keystone dungeons and covenant Callings to upgrade the gear. Blizzard hopes this will create a consistent reward for those who do not manage to get an item as a drop.
Next up is a tweak to Legendary items and class Covenant abilities in Shadowlands to improve balance. Blizzard remarks on the fragility of changing these game elements, but seeks community response to the fixes. Overall, 9.0.5 buffs the above abilities and items which see less use among the player base. The changes will allow more options for crafting and using Legendary items. When it comes to Covenant abilities, the patch should make certain ones more viable.
What is great about the Public Test Realm is that it gives fans a taste of what is coming down the pipeline. Especially so for patch 9.0.5, it sounds like Blizzard is encouraging plenty of community feedback with the edits. Rewards are an important part of keeping an MMO endgame enticing, and upgradeable Mythic gear should do the trick. This change gives hardcore players a way to keep running Keystone dungeons and other weekly activities for Valor. With the ability updates, players can also experiment with new builds and strategies.
One main downside to the PTR is how the changes can become official despite reception. Even if many fans in the community dislike the updates, Blizzard may push it through anyways. Despite providing a new goal, upgrading Mythic gear could be seen as just another grind. If the system is only effecting a level number, various gamers may find it to be unexciting fix. The official release in March is still a ways out, so players should test the updates while waiting for more reveals from Blizzcon 2021.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is available on PC.
Source: Blizzard