Blizzard have posted two clarifications surrounding how Thunderforging works.
The big new addition to Classic is the fact that you can upgrade non-Thunderforged items to Thunderforged item levels! You will need to spent Valor Points and the items will be able to gain 3 item levels twice. Later in the patch, the cost will revert to Justice Points.
As previously outlined, in the 5.5.3 patch, players can upgrade non-Thunderforged versions of items to have an item-level equivalent to their Thunderforged variant.
Additional Details
The core goal here is to make Thunderforging less of a random experience and to place value in non-Thunderforged items. A byproduct of this system is that players will gain item levels much faster.
The non-random/deterministic item level system has to live alongside a few other systems and changes made to Mists of Pandaria Classic that we feel have been beneficial overall and should be preserved.
Changes
- Non-Thunderforged items will be upgradeable twice for 3 items level each time, totaling an increase of 6 item levels.
- These upgrades will cost 250 Valor Points each (500 total).
- These upgrades will only be available for the first 4 weeks of Throne of Thunder.
- Beginning with the 5th week (currently scheduled to be January 6, 2026), these will swap over to the current 5.5.1 cost for epic item upgrades (1000 Justice Points each (2000 total)).
With this early phase, our goal is to keep item level gains from trivializing the new content during the progression stages. While some item level gain is okay, we recognize it is the price for a less random system. This also keeps Valor Points relevant early on, keeps item upgrades feeling like a choice against reputation gear early, and keeps Thunderforged gear feeling valuable early on. A Thunderforged item will save you 500 Valor Points to spend somewhere else.
With the later phase, our goal is for non-Thunderforged gear, Justice Points, and Valor Points to be relevant. We’re aiming for Valor Points to be less-gated and frustrating for players who wish to upgrade off-spec or other gear they might choose.
Please Note
Valor Points will reset with the release of the Thunder King patch.
Blizzard also clarified which items can be Thunderforged or upgraded. Celestial gear, tier items, and Valor/reputation gear from Shado-Pan Assault will not be able to get either Thunderforged variants or be upgraded with the new system.
Good questions!
- Celestial Gear will not be able to be upgraded, as they do not have Thunderforged variants.
- Tier Gear will not be able to be upgraded, as they do not have Thunderforged variants.
- Valor/reputation gear from the Shado-Pan Assault will not be able to be upgraded, as they do not have Thunderforged variants.
Only items that have a Thunderforged variant with +6 item levels can have the non-Thunderforged versions upgraded. Our goal here is to make the gap between non-Thunderforged and Thunderforged versions of items more satisfying.
