Blizzard brings new changes to The War Within affixes
In its recent blue post from June 25, Blizzard announces new changes to The War Within affixes, adding Xal’atath’s presence and removing four ones from the pool.
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Based on the community’s feedback, the Development Team has changed the Mythic Keystone affix system in The War Within beta, refining the overall Mythic+ experience and making it more inclusive for casual and experienced players. Let’s take a closer look at what is waiting for us!
Affix Updates: what has changed?
Blizzard simplifies the Keystone system by reducing the number of affixes from two to one in The War Within. That being said, you will no longer see the following affixes in the upcoming expansion:
Based on the feedback, the following TWW affixes that were part of the last Mythic Keystone test will no longer be applied to Keystones:
But what about the Tyrannical and Fortified affixes? Blizzard did not forget about them, as these two now serve as milestone ones that switch between Keystone levels +4 and +10 on a weekly basis. By making these tweaks, Blizzard helps you see the difference between key levels as you go deeper into the Mythic Keystone system, giving you a consistent weekly experience.
New Xal’atath affixes
Starting from Mythic Keystone +2, you will feel the presence of Xal’atath, bringing a new set of affixes called Xal’atath’s Bargain. These affixes will empower your enemies and allow you to take advantage of some of their effects. This week’s trial will remove the Frenzied affix and feature a brand new one that Xal’atath has introduced for us:
- Ascendant: During the fight, Xal’atath will try to empower the nearby enemies by raining down cosmic orbs to increase their Movement Speed and Haste. If you disrupt these orbs, you can harness their power. The number of Orb of Ascendance has been reduced from 20 to 10.
- Voidbound: Xal’atath brings in Void Emissaries during combat to boost nearby enemies, making them more powerful over time. Once the Emissary is taken down, players can absorb the void energy, increasing their critical chance by 20% for 20 seconds.
It is not the end! When you reach Mythic Keystone +7, a new affix called Challenger’s Peril comes into play. This affix puts more pressure on the dungeon timer, so you must be careful and think strategically to make it through:
- Challenger’s Peril: When you die, you lose 15 seconds instead of just 5 seconds from the time left.
Aside from that, Xal’atath kicks in again and replaces her Bargain, introducing a new affix starting from Mythic Keystone +12:
- Xal’atath’s Guile: Xal’atath makes enemies 20% stronger by boosting their health and damage.
Conclusion
Since we have observed Blizzard’s changes to the Keystone system, let’s summarize what the whole new system will look like to clarify things. Starting from +2 to +11, you will encounter the following affixes:
- At +2, Xal’atath’s Bargain affixes show up on a weekly rotation.
- At +4, either Fortified or Tyrannical is active, alternating on a weekly rotation.
- At +7, Challenger’s Peril is active on all Keystones.
- At +10, either Tyrannical or Fortified is active, alternating on a weekly rotation.
From Keystone level +12 and above, the Keystones come with the following affixes:
That’s all for now. Blizzard hopes these changes will give many casual and experienced players more options to tackle dungeons in a way that suits them best. What do you think about the changes Blizzard made to the Keystone system? Is there anything you like or do not like the most? Share your opinion in the comments below!
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