Blizzard published a blue post highlighting what is available during the first week of Patch 12.1, which they are calling the ‘Pre-Season’ week.
As in previous Seasons, the competitive window for Season 1 ends at 10 pm on the day before the patch release.
What Is Available During the Pre-Season Week of Patch 12.1
The activities below will be available in the week of August 11th to August 18th (August 12th to 19th for EU)
- Delves 1-11 (no bountiful, max Adventurer 3/6, Vet Crests)
- ? Azta’rec
- Curse Surges
- Vaults of Atal’Utek
- Pinnacle Caches (Season 2 Veteran cap)
- Hard Mode Prey, Veteran cap
- Heroic S2 Dungeons
- Mythic 0 Weekly lockout (Champion 1/6)
- World Difficulty Tidebound Grotto (Lair) (BoP Veteran Gear)
- PvP Arena Training Grounds
- PvP Unrated Activities
- Sparks
- Season 1 Great Vault – No Season 2 Rewards
What Isn’t Available – Only Starting with Season 2 Launch
Other features from Patch 12.1 and Season 2 available only starting August 18th (19th for EU).
- Bountiful Delves
- Coffer Keys
- ?? Azta’rec + Fabled Slayer of Azta’rec Achievement and Title
- Nightmare Mode Prey
- Mythic Keystones
- Daily Mythic 0s
- Venomous Abyss, All Difficulties
- Tidebound Grotto Normal, Heroic, Mythic
- Rated PvP Activities
Midnight: Curse of Ula’tek Pre-Season Details
The Curse of Ula’tek content update launches the week of August 11, but you’ll have a whole pre-season week to get gear, hunt treasure, claim rewards, and more!
After weekly maintenance concludes and realms return with the Curse of Ula’tek update, Midnight Season 2 will begin in a pre-season state, with certain content and rewards not yet available.
As with previous seasons, Midnight Season 1 competitive PvP will end at 10:00 pm PDT the night before patch maintenance begins in each region. When realms go into maintenance the week of August 11, Mythic+ and PvP percentile cutoffs will be calculated.
Great Vault and Other Rewards
During the pre-season week, the Great Vault will offer rewards based on your activities during the final week of Season 1. Credit for Season 2 Great Vault starts accruing during the pre-season week, with the rewards from those efforts available to claim on August 18.
Crafting Sparks will also begin dropping during the pre-season.
Voidcore bonus rolls will not be available in the first Great Vault of Season 2. They will become available during the second week of Season 2 (the week of 25 August) and can be selected by anyone who has unlocked at least three panes.
For the first Great Vault of Season 2, the maximum gear level attainable from the World row will be Champion 3/6. Subsequent Vaults can reward gear from the World row at a maximum quality of Hero 1/6.
Outdoor Content, Dungeons, Delves, and Lairs
During the pre-season week hunt Rares, seek rewards, gear up, and more!
- New outdoor features such as Curse Surges and Vaults of Atal’Utek are available during the pre-season. Pinnacle Caches drop Season 2 Veteran gear and appear during the pre-season week.
- The new Season 2 dungeon pool will be active and available on Heroic and Mythic 0 difficulty, including the new Altar of Fangs dungeon. Mythic 0 dungeons will reward Champion 1/6 gear on a weekly lockout for that week only.
- Delve difficulties 1-11 will be available, along with the “?” Nemesis difficulty.
- World difficulty of The Tidebound Grotto—a new Lair—will also be available during pre-season, dropping Season 2 Veteran gear items that are bind-on-pickup, like gear earned in raids. Lairs have a weekly lockout, and a Voidcore (when available) can only be used once per week on a lair. Check out our Lair preview, including The Tidebound Grotto.
- Hard Mode Prey is available during the pre-season and drops Season 2 Veteran gear.
For more details on what’s coming with the Curse of Ula’tek content update, read our Curse of Ula’tek overview, and find the full Season 2 unlock schedule, including pre-season details, in our previously published article.
We’ll see you in The Coiled Isle!
