We’re two resets/11 days away from patch 12.1, and another week after that for Midnight Season 2 and Blizzard have now provided a very handy overview of what the changeover from season to season will look like!
We get the exact season end times for the various content, as well as when the ratings/title cutoffs end. Then there’s details on the first week of the patch, the pre-season state. From the difficulty modes available to the reward tiers, new active events for the patch, and more, we get all the information needed.
Here are a few noteworthy details:
- The new Training Grounds: Arenas feature opens on pre-season week.
- PvP Season 1 ends at 10 pm the night before the weekly 12.1 maintenance.
- Other Season 1 achivements etc. remain active until maintenance begins.
- Crafting Sparks start dropping in pre-season week.
- Voidcores start appearing in Great Vault on the second week of the season (August 25th).
- Maximum World tier Great Vault in first Season 2 week will be Champion 3/6, with a max of Hero 1/6 after that.
With the Curse of Ula’tek content update on the horizon, we’ve prepared an outline of details players may want to know about the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2.
Here’s a rundown of the entire content update.
As in previous seasons, Midnight Season 1 competitive PvP will end at 10:00 p.m. (22:00) the night before patch maintenance begins in each region. Season 1 Mythic+ dungeons will remain available, and achievements such as Cutting Edge and Ahead of the Curve can be obtained, until maintenance begins. When realms go into maintenance the week of August 11, Mythic+ and PvP percentile cutoffs will be calculated. When the game comes back online with the Curse of Ula’tek update, Midnight Season 2 will be underway in a pre-season state, with certain content and rewards not yet available.
World Content and Delves
During the pre-season week, Delve difficulties 1-11 will be available, along with the “?” Nemesis difficulty. Bountiful Delves do not appear during the pre-season, and the maximum tier of rewards available from Delves will be Adventurer 3/6 gear and Veteran Crests.
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. Hard Prey is available during the pre-season and drops Season 2 Veteran gear.
With maintenance the week of August 18, Bountiful Delves will appear, Coffer Keys will begin dropping, and the “??” Nemesis difficulty appears. Players who defeat “??” Nemesis difficulty during this first week of the season will earn the Fabled Let Me Solo Him: Azta’rec achievement. Nightmare Prey also becomes available at this time, awarding Season 2 Champion gear.
Dungeons
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.
With maintenance the week of August 18, players will begin to earn Mythic Keystones and Mythic+ dungeon difficulties become available. Mythic 0 dungeons will return to a daily lockout.
Raids and Lairs
During the pre-season week, the World difficulty of the Tidebound Grotto lair will be available, dropping Season 2 Veteran gear.
Check out our preview of Lairs here.
These items 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.
With maintenance the week of August 18, the Venomous Abyss Raid opens on Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulties, along with Raid Finder Wing 1. Normal, Heroic, and Flexible Mythic difficulties of the Tidebound Grotto Lair will also become available.
PvP
The new Training Grounds: Arenas are available with the start of pre-season, along with unrated PvP activities in Battlegrounds and the outdoor world.
When Season 2 begins the week of August 18, all rated PvP will get underway, with players earning ranking and credit towards new PvP gear, titles, achievements, toys, and the Venemous Gladiator’s Goredrake and Vicious Lightbloom Boar mounts.
Other Rewards
During the pre-season week, the Great Vault will offer rewards based on your activities during the final week of Season 1. Season 2 Great Vault credit 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 (August 25) and can be selected by anyone who has unlocked at least 3 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.
Thanks for reading. We’ll see you in The Coiled Isle!
