Patch 12.1 PTR testing has wrapped, and with it comes our final pre-season Mythic+ tier list. This week’s update reflects the positions at the end of the Patch 12.1 PTR and the overall meta among the Mythic+ testing population.
Patch 12.1 comes out this week in every region! This means only one week left for tuning before Season 2 starts on August 18th/19th. Let’s take a look at the current state of affairs and how the Mythic+ meta is shaping up.
Midnight Season 2 PTR Mythic+ Tier List
Below is the tier list updated for this week, following changes from the latest PTR build and meta developments. You can read more about how these lists are built in the Criteria section at the bottom of the post.
Highlights for the Week
Below, we will recap the biggest highlights for the week. As always, if you’re looking to see the complete analysis, check out our individual guides. The guides cover in detail the reasoning behind every spec’s placement.
You can also see the tier list explained below in video format:
Bug of the Week
Before touching on the other highlights, let’s talk about Subtlety Rogues. Sub had a bunch of hotfixes last week to fix longstanding bugs from the spec. These bugs were expected to account for a 7% damage increase. However, there were issues with the fixes that landed the changes at ~12% instead. These will likely be fixed during this week or before launch.
A Better Look at the Meta
Last week, we placed Havoc at A+ due to the numbers it was showing in parses. However, looking deeper at logs, it seems that a large part of the damage is padding and, due to the front-loaded nature of it, we decided to move Havoc to A this week.
Despite the recent nerfs, we decided to keep Devourer at A+. The reason is that its Void Scar build continues to perform very well in caster groups, with excellent single-target damage. Devourer is looking to be a top 5 caster right now, if not top 3.
The Healing Dark Horse
Right now, a lot of the Mythic+ community is putting all their chips on Preservation. After the changes from last week, this lizard has grown substantially in size. However, don’t go rerolling to Pres yet. While the spec is indeed very strong with the changes, it is probably the hardest healer to pilot. As usual, Pres keeps its high-skill requirement due to its limited range, which will likely cause headaches for non-organized groups.
For those looking for safer picks for healers, Resto Shaman and Holy Paladin continue to be excellent choices. It is even possible that Preservation will see some nerfs during this coming week, which could take the shine off before the season even starts.
Launch Week Watch List
The specs to watch for as we head into Patch 12.1 are definitely Blood DK, which right now is dominating the tank meta, and Subtlety Rogue, for the nerfs mentioned before. Besides those, Hunters, all three specs, could see some love, as they are performing incredibly poorly right now. Blizzard has never left all three specs of a class in the dirt, so we expect at least one the specs to receive some buffs this week.
Criteria of the Tier List
This tier list is based on the strength of each DPS specialization during recent PTR testing for Midnight Season 2. The placement takes both the raw throughput and the utility kit into consideration. Damage profile for Season 2 dungeons also plays a role in deciding positioning.
You can read the full disclosure about the criteria on the PTR Tier List hub. Ultimately, Tier Lists are an opinion, which you may disagree with. However, this is our current opinion as tuning stands. The list will change week over week, and we will cover future changes as the meta progresses. It will also likely change as Season 2 starts, tuning happens, and meta develops. Stay tuned for updates.
