New Zone: Isle of Thunder

Join the assault to conquer Emperor Lei Shen’s island stronghold, unlock new questlines and daily quest hubs, and participate in special events. Earn the right to visit the fabled Treasure Room, and lay claim an arsenal of powerful Mogu artifacts for their faction.

Each faction’s finest are spearheading the assault: the Kirin Tor Offensive led by Jaina Proudmoore and the Sunreaver Onslaught led by Lor’themar Theron.

• Earning reputation with these new factions offers heroes the opportunity to receive new quests and reputation rewards, including powerful items and an intimidating new mount.
• After both the Alliance and the Horde have eked out a foothold on the isle, players can choose to perform quests that are PvE or PvP focused.
• PvP quests will direct players against opposing faction NPCs, but slaying opposing players will grant credit as well.

Conquer the Isle to unlock the powerful Lightning Forge, which will allow Blacksmiths to forge mighty raid-worthy items, as well as classic weapons from the past.

• Join the war effort and find transportation to Isle of Thunder by visiting the Shado-Pan Garrison in Townlong Steppes on the western shores of Pandaria.
• The Isle of Thunder will be unlocked progressively week by week. Initially only some of the Isle’s features will be unlocked. Future unlocked content will include the Stormsea Landing and the outdoor raid boss, Nalak, the Storm Lord.
• A Key to the Palace of Lei Shen can be brought to the Shado-Pan on the Isle of Thunder and used to infiltrate the fabled treasure vaults of the first emperor.
  • Heroes are tasked with grabbing as much loot as they can within five minutes.
  • Larger chests will have the most loot, including special keys that can be used at the end of the run for a chance at epic gear and other major rewards.
  • Keys are awarded from rare mobs, hidden chests around the island, and from award satchels obtained by completing daily quests.

New Raid: Throne of Thunder

Lei Shen, the Thunder King, has returned to take vengeance on Pandaria. The heroes of the Alliance and the Horde must stop the newly resurrected tyrant and his Zandalari allies in the massive new raid: Throne of Thunder.

Throne of Thunder is a sprawling citadel with 12 new raid encounters. Players that defeat Emperor Lei Shen in Heroic mode can earn the opportunity to face an additional 13th foe.

Join the Shado-Pan Assault in their singular drive to see The Thunder King defeated once and for all, and gain access to impressive Valor reward items. Reputation with this faction can only be earned in the Throne of Thunder raid dungeon.

Ao Pye at Niuzao Temple in Townlong Steppes offers Shado-Pan Assault faction gear Valor points. Teng of the Flying Daggers, the other Shado-Pan assault quartermaster, can be found underneath the Conqueror’s Terrace on the Isle of Thunder.

New Zone: Isle of Giants

A new island has appeared in the mists. Isle of Giants has an assortment of primal devilsaurs, direhorns, and skyscreamers increased by the Zandalari Trolls. Players who dare venture through the fatiguing waters north of Kun-Lai Summit will be rewarded with the opportunity to battle dinosaurs, collect bones, and obtain new pets and mounts. Hunters also have a chance to find an Ancient Tome of Dinomancy, allowing them to tame their own Direhorn.

New World Bosses: Oondasta and Nalak, the Storm Lord

After the Isle of the Thunder King has been conquered, the gate guardian of the Thunder King’s citadel will appear. Test your mettle against Nalak, the Storm Lord.

Found in a place that has been lost in time, the great devilsaur lord Oondasta has been outfitted for battle with weaponry and armor by the Zandalari. He awaits players brave enough (or foolhardy enough) to seek him out on the mysterious Isle of Giants found in the seas north of Kun-Lai Summit.

Legendary Questline Continues

Wrathion is determined to know the origin and source of Mogu power, and Azeroth’s mightiest heroes will aid the Black Prince in finding out what it is. The search for information will take players into the depths of the Thunder King’s Palace to face trials of perseverance and skill. Along the way, unlock the secrets to a new legendary metagem, the Crown of Heaven.

• Players seeking to re-acquire previous Legendary quest rewards (Such as gems for Sha-touched weapons) can now speak with the Blacktalon Quartermaster, the surly-looking Pandaren standing in the first floor of the Tavern in the Mists.

Taking over the Farm

Players who have grown attached to working the land at Sunsong Ranch can now acquire the farm from Farmer Yoon via a quest.

• The farmhouse becomes a rest point like an Inn, where the player can bind and instantly log out.
• Work orders will pour into the farm from factions across Pandaria, and completing a work order will earn a reputation boost with the issuing faction.
• The option to take over the farm is available to characters that are exalted with the Tillers and have unlocked all 16 farm plots.

New Changes

Thunderforging

Non-Thunderforged items will be upgradeable twice for 3 items level each time, totaling an increase of 6 item levels.

• These upgrades will cost 250 Valor Points each (500 total).
  • These upgrades are only available for the first 4 weeks of Throne of Thunder.
  • When the 5th reset occurs, on the week of January 6, 2026, these will swap over to the current 5.5.2 cost for epic item upgrades of 1000 Justice Points each (2000 total).

Classes

Death Knight

• • Raise Ally no longer costs Runic Power (was 30).
  • Blood
    • Now gains Residual Blood after using Death Strike during the Ra-den encounter. Residual Blood lasts for 3 seconds and counts as an Active Mitigation effect for the purposes of the Fatal Strike mechanic.
    • 5.5.0 %damage reduction added to Blood Presence decreased to 0% (was 2%).
    • Death Strike now additionally heals the Death Knight for 5% of their attack power.
      • This allows Blood Death Knight’s Vengeance to help scale their mitigation like other tanks. This is being introduced at a small% because it is affected by both Scent of Blood stacks, and Mastery: Blood Shield.
    • Raise Dead for Blood Death Knights now correctly benefits from Vengeance attack power.
      • This was erroneously only partially removed in 5.5.0.
    • Mastery: Blood Shield is now correctly based on the amount healed by Death Strike including healing modifiers.
      • This behavior is isolated to PvE and only affects positive healing modifiers. This is to prevent changing the behavior of Mastery: Blood Shield while under a negative healing modifier.
  • Unholy
    • Summon Gargoyle will no longer stutter its casts and will chain its casts back to back.
    • Summon Gargoyle can now cast up to 26 Gargoyle Strikes before it is dismissed.
      • Under the original MoP rules, players only got 25 to 26 Gargoyle Strikes. A bug emerged where being at a certain level of haste would actually decrease the amount of Gargoyle Strikes that went out. In order to fix this, we removed the cast gating on the ability that was present in original MoP, but introduced a hard cap on how many strikes can be cast to keep the upper limit the same.

Druid

• • Balance
    • 5.5.0 %damage increase while in Moonkin Form increased to 20% (was 10%).
      • This is an increase compared to PTR and a decrease compared to pre-Throne of Thunder values.
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Force of Nature decreased to 5.1% (was 3.64% on PTR, 9.1% pre-Throne of Thunder).
  • Feral
    • 5.5.0 %damage increase to Savage Roar decreased to 3% (was 0% on the PTR, and 5% pre-Throne of Thunder).
  • Guardian
    • 5.5.0 damage increase while in Bear Form decreased to 8% (was 15%).
  • Restoration
    • Meditation’s in combat Mana Regeneration from Spirit increased to 55% (was 50%).

Hunter

• • Survival
    • 5.5.0 reduction to Explosive Shot damage decreased to 0% (was 5%).

Mage

• • Arcane
    • 5.0 damage increase to Arcane Blast decreased to 5% (was 15%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Arcane Barrage decreased to 5% (was 19%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Arcane Missiles decreased to 5% (was 15%).
  • Fire
    • 5.0 damage increase to Pyroblast decreased to 15% (was 30%).
    • 5.0 increase to Critical Mass’s value decreased back to the 5.4.8 value of 1.3x (was 1.5x).
  • Frost
    • 5.1 damage increase to Frostbolt decreased to 5% (was 15%).
    • 5.1 damage increase to Frostfire Bolt decreased to 5% (was 15%).
    • 5.1 damage increase to Ice Lance decreased to 5% (was 15%).

Monk

• • Windwalker
    • The base %damage value on Tigereye Brew per stack increased to 5% (was 3.5%).

Paladin

• • Hand of Sacrifice no longer causes a Global Cooldown (new).
  • Protection
    • Grand Crusader has been changed to its Patch 5.2.0 version.
    • Grand Crusader now has a 12% chance to activate when the Paladin dodges or parries a melee attack, or lands a Crusader Strike or Hammer of the Righteous (was 30% chance on dodge or parrying a melee attack).
    • 5.5.0 increase to Seal of Insight attack speed, decreased to 5% (was 10%).
  • Retribution
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Templar’s Verdict increased to 27% (was 20%).
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Crusader Strike, Exorcism, Judgment, Divine Storm, Hammer of the Righteous, and Hammer of Wrath increased to 20% (was 10%).

Priest

• • Holy
    • 5.0 reduction to Divine Hymn’s healing increased to 50% (was 35% reduction).
    • 5.0 reduction to the cooldown of Chakra’s increased to 25 seconds off (was 20 seconds off).
    • 5.0 reduction to Divine Hymn’s healing increased to 50% (was 35% reduction).
    • 5.0 reduction to the cooldown of Chakra’s increased to 25 seconds off (was 20 seconds off).
    • Healing done by Divine Star decreased by 15% (new).
    • Prayer of Healing’s base cast time is decreased by 0.5 sec for Holy Priests (new).
    • Prayer of Healing’s healing increased by 15% (new).
    • Prayer of Mending no longer counts as an Area of Effect heal for Chakra: Sanctuary (new).
    • Renew duration increased by 3 seconds for a total of 15 seconds (was 12 seconds) (new).
      • This also increases the amount of direct healing from Rapid Renew.
    • Fixed a bug where Chakras were not providing their full 35% bonus to both Renew and Prayer of Mending. (BUG FIX)
    • Prayer of Mending now counts as a single-target heal for Chakra: Serenity (new).
      • Prayer of Mending’s aura landing on a target will trigger the refreshed duration on Renew. It will not refresh the renew when it heals or bounces.
    • Lightwell Renew and Lightspring Renew now benefit from Chakra: Serenity (new).
  • Shadow
    • 5.5.0 damage increase to Shadow Word: Pain decreased to 7% (was 18%).
    • 5.5.0 %damage increase while in Shadowform decreased to 7% (was 10%).

Shaman

• • Elemental
    • 5.5.0 increase to Lightning Bolt decreased to 5% (was 20%).
    • 5.5.1 increase to Chain Lightning decreased to 0% (was 10%).
    • 5.5.1 increase to Fulmination decreased to 0% (was 10%).

Warlock

• • Affliction
    • 5.0 damage increase to Corruption decreased to 0% (was 20%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Agony decreased to 0% (was 5%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Drain Soul’s DoT triggers decreased to 20% (was 40%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Malefic Grasp’s DoT triggers decreased to 10% (was 20%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Drain Soul decreased to 20% (was 25% on PTR, 50% pre-Throne of Thunder).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Malefic Grasp decreased to 15% (was 25% on PTR, 50% pre-Throne of Thunder).
  • Demonology
    • 5.0 damage increase to Bane of Doom decreased to 25% (was 50%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Hellfire decreased to 10% (was 25%).
    • 5.0 damage increase to Immolation Aura decreased to 10% (was 25%).
    • 5.1 damage increase to Soul Fire decreased to 10% (was 20%).

Warrior

• • The 4-piece Throne of Thunder damage Tier Set is now activated by Recklessness (was Skull Banner).
  • Fury
    • 5.5.0 increase to Enrage and Berserker Rage duration decreased to 0 seconds (was 2 seconds).
  • Protection
    • 5.5.0 increase to Shield Barrier’s attack power ratio decreased to 0% increase (was 11% increase).
      • This places Shield Barrier back to its 5.4.8 ratio of 1.8x instead of 2.0x.

All class changes above are ineffective in PvP.

Player versus Player

• • Battle Fatigue, Maximum Item Level, and Base Resilience in the open world and in 3v3 Arenas have all been changed to their original Season 13 values.
    • 2v2 adjusted to -1% Base Resilience and 5v5 adjusted to +1% Base Resilience for the brackets.
  • Conquest gain from 5v5 increased by 60%.
  • Rating requirements for Tyrannical enchant removed and a base version of the enchant implemented.
  • Conquest requirements and Conquest costs for Tyrannical Primal Diamond removed and replaced with an Honor cost.

Legendary Questline

• End bosses in Celestial Dungeons now have a chance to drop both a Sigil of Wisdom and a Sigil of Power.
  • Previously, bosses were assigned a specific sigil they could drop.
• Secrets of the Empire now have a chance to drop from Celestial Dungeon End Bosses.
• Titan Runestone have a chance to drop from Celestial Dungeon end bosses.
• During the Throne of Thunder phase of Celestial Dungeons, Sigils of Power and Sigils of Wisdom cost 30 August Stone Shards (was 60 August Stone Fragments).
• Secrets of the Empire can be purchased and costs 10 August Stone Shards.
• Titan Runestone can be purchased and costs 30 August Stone Shards.
• Heart of the Thunder King can be purchased and costs 70 August Stone Shards.
• For the Battleground quest, players are now required to play in a Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines Battleground (was win in a Temple of Kotmogu and Silvershard Mines battlegrounds).

Celestial Mode Dungeons

Avoid the Thunder King’s traps and petition the Celestials for new, more powerful blessings to survive the challenges ahead.

• • Might of the Thunder King: Enemies in the Celestial Dungeons will have the following buffs.
    • Damage increased by 35%
    • Health increased by 125%
  • Lightning Traps: Players will need to avoid cycling lightning traps throughout the dungeons.
  • Thunderstorms: All dungeons will experience new weather as a powerful thunder storm takes over.
  • Summon the Storm: Every 60 seconds, a boss is influenced by Lei Shen, the Thunder King, and will use one of the 3 new lightning based abilities.

Each of the Celestials will gain an additional buff as part of their blessing. While in combat the power of the Celestial slowly charges, and will allow players to summon a servant of their chosen Celestial to cast an ability to assist them.

• • Power of Chi-Ji: An avatar will bestow a weakened version of Blazing Song to all allies.
  • Power of Yu’lon: An avatar of Yu’lon will breathe Jadefire on nearby enemies and amplify all Magic damage done by players for a short duration.
  • Power of Niuzao: An avatar of Niuzao will cause an earthquake, repeatedly stunning nearby enemies and increasing all Physical damage they take for a short duration.
  • Power of Xuen: An avatar of Xuen will create a lightning vortex at its location pulling all nearby enemies to its location and granting all allies a weakened version of Spectral Ferocity.

Celestial Dungeons will begin the week of December 16, 2025, with the weekly reset in each region.

Challenge Mode Dungeons

There is now a new challenge for Challenge Modes, the Platinum medal. This medal exists above Gold, and its structure is similar to Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Platinum rewards Valor and some additional rewards for each instance completed within the time limit. There are achievements associated with the Platinum medals.

• • Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 1)
  • Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 2)
  • Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 3)
  • Realm First! Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 2)
  • Realm First! Challenge Conqueror: Platinum (Season 3)

Each dungeon now has a unique toy themed around that dungeon that is awarded with the Platinum achievement. These toys are only usable in Challenge Modes, and each may be used in any Challenge Mode.

• • Temple of the Jade Serpent: Platinum Boots of Expeditious Retreat
  • Stormstout Brewery: Platinum “Little Ale”
  • Gate of the Setting Sun: Platinum Rod of Ambershaping
  • Shado-Pan Monastery: Platinum Potion of Invisibility
  • Siege of Niuzao Temple: Platinum Amber
  • Mogu’shan Palace: Platinum Battle Horn
  • Scholomance: Platinum Vial of Polyformic Acid
  • Scarlet Halls: Platinum Battle Banner
  • Scarlet Monastery: Platinum Sacrificial Dagger

Platinum Coins

Beginning in 5.5.3, the Challenge Conqueror achievements will award Platinum Coins, a new currency. This currency allows you to purchase some new Transmog items, Toys, Mounts, and Tabards.

• • These items are available to purchase in Shrine of the Two Moons, and Shrine of Seven Stars.
  • Any timed Platinum runs will award two additional Platinum coins.

Leaderboard

Players who obtained a faster Platinum time (referred to as “Remarkable” times in achievement descriptions) for each seasonal dungeon are awarded a Title and Mount. When 5.5.3 is live in each region, the rewards for players who meet this criteria should immediately have access to their new Title and Mount.

• Season 1
  • Title: The Mistwalker,
  • Mount: Reins of the Celestial Tiger
• Season 2
  • Title: Mistborne
  • Mount: Reins of the Black Kor’kron Proto-drake
• Season 3
  • Title: Heir to the Mist
  • Mount: Revealed at the start of Season 3

Remarkable times for each dungeon

• Temple of the Jade Serpent: 8:00
• Stormstout Brewery: 6:15
• Gate of the Setting Sun: 5:15
• Shado-Pan Monastery: 10:00
• Siege of Niuzao Temple: 9:45
• Mogu’shan Palace: 6:20
• Scholomance: 6:45
• Scarlet Halls: 4:00
• Scarlet Monastery: 5:15