When is the WoW 12.1.5 release date?

With the weekly maintenance on 13 October in North America and 14 October on European realms. It is not a new season: Season 2 continues with the same dungeon pool, achievements and rating thresholds. Ascendant Venomstones and the crest cap lift follow in the week of 20 October.

What loot does the Kith'ix raid drop?

Blizzard has not published item levels for the one-boss raid yet. PTR data places Mythic Kith'ix loot at the top of the Season 2 ladder, and every Heroic or Mythic kill is also a source of Ascendant Venomstones from 20 October. We will update this guide with the live item levels on launch day.

What difficulties does the Kith'ix raid have?

Story Mode, Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic and Mythic. Mythic uses a flexible group of 15 to 25 players. Blizzard has not published the opening schedule per difficulty; PTR data places Mythic loot at the top of the Season 2 ladder.

What is Keystone Myth and what does it need?

The tier above Keystone Legend: a Mythic+ rating of at least 3600 during Season 2. It rewards the title "the Venomous Contender" and the Timelost Saddle. Rating still comes from your single best timed run in each of the eight dungeons.

Where do Ascendant Venomstones drop and what do they do?

From every Heroic or Mythic raid boss, Mythic+ keystones at +10 and above, Tier 11 Bountiful Delves and Nightmare Prey Hunt champion chests. Ten stones raise a fully upgraded Season 2 Hero or Myth weapon, trinket or neck one item-level tier. They arrive the week of 20 October, the same week the crest cap is removed.

What are the Labyrinth rewards, and can it be done in a group?

Blizzard lists Mythic-track gear, cosmetics and titles, and says you can clear a single wing and still earn rewards; PTR data adds a mount for the Tier 11 solo kill of Kindo'jan. It is Delve-like with Valeera as your companion; PTR testing allowed groups, but the official notes do not state a party size. We will confirm on launch day before offering any Labyrinth service.

WoW 12.1.5 Prep Guide: What to Do Before 13 October

Patch 12.1.5 goes live with the weekly maintenance on 13 October (14 October on European realms). It is not a new season: Season 2 keeps running with the same dungeon pool, the same Venomous Abyss achievements and the same rating thresholds. What changes is the amount of new content stacked on top: a one-boss raid, the first Labyrinth, a new top Mythic+ tier and, a week later, a new way to push your best items higher. Here is what each system does, in Blizzard's own terms, and what is worth doing in the seven days before it arrives.

What 12.1.5 adds

The Unbinding of Kith'ix: a single-boss raid under the Coiled Isle, available in Story Mode, Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic and Mythic. Mythic uses a flexible group of 15 to 25 players. The per-difficulty opening schedule has not been announced; PTR data puts Mythic loot at the top of the Season 2 ladder.
The Labyrinth of Kindo'jan: a nine-chamber, Delve-like gauntlet with Valeera Sanguinar as your companion. It drops Mythic-track gear, cosmetics and titles, you can "explore a single wing and still earn rewards", and there is a Tier 11 solo challenge at the top.
Keystone Myth: the Mythic+ tier above Legend returns at 3600 rating, rewarding the title "the Venomous Contender" and the Timelost Saddle.
Ascendant Venomstones (week of 20 October): a new currency that raises a fully upgraded Season 2 Hero or Myth weapon, trinket or neck by one item-level tier. The crest cap is lifted the same week.
Aqir Invasions: zone-wide events in Eversong or Zul'Aman for ten minutes each hour, six scenario types, eight combat affixes.
A new campaign chapter, "The Promise of Tomorrow", plus housing, Prey and UI updates.

1. Finish your Hero and Myth upgrades now

Venomstones only work on items that are already fully upgraded on their track. Ten stones push one weapon, trinket or neck one tier higher, so the player who benefits first is the one whose best three slots are maxed on 13 October. Spend your crests this week instead of sitting at the cap; the cap is lifted on 20 October anyway, and crests you hold now are crests you cannot earn twice. If your weapon is still on Hero track, a Venomous Abyss Heroic clear is the fastest way to a Myth-track drop before the stones arrive.

2. Line up your Venomstone sources

Stones drop from every Heroic or Mythic raid boss, from Mythic+ keystones at +10 and above, from Tier 11 Bountiful Delves and from Nightmare Prey Hunt champion chests. That is the same loop most players already run for the Great Vault, which is the point: a weekly Heroic clear, a handful of +10 keys and a few Tier 11 Delves cover it. Make sure the pieces are in place now. If +10 keys are the gap, our Mythic+ keys fill a single dungeon or a full set; if Tier 11 is not unlocked yet, the Delve tier unlock gets you there before the first stone drops.

3. Get the Venomous Abyss kills you are missing

Kith'ix does not replace the Season 2 raid achievements. Ahead of the Curve: Ula'tek still requires a Heroic Ula'tek kill before Season 2 ends, and after the September nerfs the fight is more forgiving than it has ever been; our Venomous Abyss nerf guide covers what changed. A full Heroic clear this week also puts eight Venomstone sources on your weekly route from day one of 20 October.

4. Decide your rating target: 3000 or 3600

Keystone Legend (3000) is unchanged and still rewards the Breath of Ruin mount. Keystone Myth at 3600 is the new ceiling for the season and, with the pool and rating rules unchanged, every timed key you have now counts toward it. If you sit between 2500 and 3000, our Keystone Legend guide explains which dungeons are cheapest to raise; the Keystone Legend boost prices only the dungeons you still need. The 3600 push is a different animal, roughly +15 and higher across all eight dungeons, and belongs to groups that already time +13s comfortably.

5. Get alts to 90 and clear the campaign once

Kith'ix, the Labyrinth and the new chapter all need a max-level character, and the Labyrinth's companion story will almost certainly follow the campaign. If you want more than one character in the new content, use this week: the 80-90 route with stacked bonuses is five to seven hours on a first character and under three on an alt in Adventure Mode, as laid out in our leveling guide; the AFK power leveling service does the same on your own account while you are away.

6. A day-one plan, and what we are waiting to confirm

On 13 October the order that wastes the least time is: campaign chapter first (it gates the new zone content), Kith'ix Story Mode or Raid Finder for the first look, then a single Labyrinth wing to see how the tiers and rewards actually work before you commit a whole evening. Two things are still unconfirmed in Blizzard's notes: the party size for the Labyrinth (PTR testing allowed groups, the notes do not say) and the opening schedule of the Kith'ix difficulties. We will verify both on launch day; any Labyrinth or Kith'ix service on this site opens only once the rules are confirmed in the live game. Everything else above you can start today.