In this Patch 12.1 build, more content is available to test including Prey Season 2, the new Dungeon (on the 25th), Heroic Lairs and a lay with the Blues on the Vaults of Atal'utek. In addition, there's a lot of class tuning including Enhancement Shamans and Frost DKs, as well as a nerf to Earthen leveling speed due to their racial ability.
Hey testers! Here are this week’s notes for the Curse of Ula’tek PTR:
VAULTS OF ATAL’UTEK
Take part in Play with the Blues this Friday and challenge the Vaults of Atal’Utek activities with development team members. More details found here: Atal’Utek Play with the Blues - June 26
INTRODUCING LAIRS
Heroic Lair difficulty is available for testing this week.
NEW RAID: THE VENOMOUS ABYSS
Heroic raid testing begins this week. Raid testing details can be found here: The Venomous Abyss Raid Testing Schedule
NEW DUNGEON: ALTAR OF FANGS
Altar of Fangs and all its difficulties are available for testing starting on Thursday, June 25.
PREY
Prey Season 2 is now available for testing this week.
HOUSING
Housing has been enabled. Blueprints and the new Endeavors are available for testing.
Lumber nodes are now available on the Coiled Isle.
CHARACTERS
EARTHEN
Developers’ note: In Curse of Ula’tek, we are revisiting the amount of XP gained when exploring zones. This will particularly impact the leveling speed for Earthen characters, who receive significantly more exploration experience via their Wide-Eyed Wonder racial ability. To compensate for the decrease in experience gains from exploring zones, we are increasing the benefits of Ingest Minerals for Earthen.
Baseline experience gained from exploring zones reduced by 60%.
Experience gained from exploring low-level zones is no longer reduced from baseline.
Effectiveness of Well Fed gained from Ingest Minerals increased by 30%.
CLASSES
DEATH KNIGHT
Frost
Developers’ notes: We’re increasing the strength of several rotational abilities that were underperforming in the overall breakdown. Additionally, we’re improving Frost Death Knight’s consistent damage outside of cooldown windows. Obliteration gameplay and tuning during Pillar of Frost remain strong, allowing us to redistribute some power into the rest of the kit.
Pillar of Frost now increases Strength by 20% (was 30%). This does not apply to PvP combat.
Howling Blast damage increased by 100%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Empower Rune Weapon damage increased by 30%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Glacial Advance damage increased by 30%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Icy Death Torrent damage increased by 100%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Frost Fever damage increased by 100%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Remorseless Winter damage increased by 100%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Frostscythe damage increased by 20%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Frost Strike damage increased by 25%. Does not affect Frostbane. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Obliterate damage reduced by 25%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Breath of Sindragosa damage reduced by 20%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Frostbane damage reduced by 30%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Frostwyrm’s Fury damage reduced by 20%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Permafrost grants a shield equal to 35% of damage dealt (was 30%). This does not apply to PvP combat.
Hero Talents
Deathbringer
Wither Away now causes Frost Fever to deal its damage 75% faster (was 100%). This does not apply to PvP combat.
Deathly Blows now increases Frost Strike damage by 35% (was 15%). This does not apply to PvP combat.
Reaper’s Mark cast and explosion damage reduced by 25%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Exterminate damage reduced by 17%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Rider of the Apocalypse
Whitemane’s Undeath damage reduced by 30%. This does not apply to PvP combat.
Unholy
Developers’ notes: We are addressing the difficulty that Dread Plague creates for Unholy Death Knight’s when switching priority targets. In addition, we would like to bring the extended duration of plagues back to a more reasonable range.
Blightburst now causes Putrefy to extend the duration of plagues by 3 seconds (was 4.5 seconds).
Runic Power spenders now extend the duration of plagues by 1 second (was 1.5 seconds).
Dread Plague now retains its extended duration when applied to a new target while within 40 yards of the Death Knight.
DEMON HUNTER
Havoc
Trail of Ruin has been updated – Damage is now applied immediately, rather than as a damage over time effect over 4 seconds.
Serrated Glaive has been updated – Effect is now a buff on the Demon Hunter with a 12 second duration, rather than a debuff on enemy targets with a 15 second duration.
Blind Fury now causes Eye Beam to generate 10/20 Fury per second (was 15/30 Fury).
Inner Demon has moved and is now a choice node option with Chaos Theory (was a choice node option with Chaotic Transformation).
Vengeance
Sigil of Chains is now learned at level 35 and is no longer a talent.
Roaring Fire has moved to Sigil of Chains’ old location (was a choice node with Sigil of Silence).
Sigil of Silence and Feed the Demon have swapped positions in the talent tree.
DRUID
Guardian
Apex Talents: Wild Guardian has been updated –
Bonus rage moved from rank 1 to rank 3.
Base chance adjusted to 10%.
Spirit rage generation increased to 8.
Rank 3 grants one guaranteed spirit and increases Thrash and Mangle damage while a spirit is active.
EVOKER
Panacea healing increased by 25%.
Augmentation
Defy Fate healing increased by 25%.
Molten Blood healing increased by 25%.
MONK
Silent Sanctuary healing increased by 25%.
Windwalker
Expel Harm healing increased by 25%.
PALADIN
Protection
Hammer of Light, Divine Resonance, Sacrosanct Crusade, Bulwark of Order, Blessed Word, Empyreal Ward, Strength in Adversity, and Seal of Reprisal can now be tracked with the Cooldown Manager.
Retribution
Radiance of the Concentrated Flame 4-set bonus effect updated – Consuming Divine Purpose with Divine Storm causes your next 2 Templar’s Verdicts to unleash Divine Arbiter at its target, dealing Holy damage and Holy damage to enemies within 8 yards.
Developers’ notes: Granting free casts of Templar’s Verdict after consuming Divine Purpose impacted the Holy Power economy more than we’d like.
SHAMAN
Reactive Warding healing increased by 25%.
Elemental
Stormkeeper has been updated and no longer causes Lightning Bolt to generate an additional Elemental Overload. The other effects are unchanged.
Developers’ notes: The PTR note from last week was confusing as it said Stormkeeper had been redesigned. The only change currently to Stormkeeper between 12.0.7 and 12.1 is that Stormkeeper no longer causes Lightning Bolt to generate an additional Elemental Overload.
Enhancement
Developers’ notes: We’re happy with Enhancement Shaman’s gameplay going into Curse of Ula’tek. Our goal with these changes is to preserve that gameplay while improving performance outside of cooldown windows, where damage can feel weak. Strong interactions between Windfury procs and Maelstrom Weapon generation were making it difficult for the downtime between cooldowns to breathe.
Lightning Bolt damage increased by 20%.
Chain Lightning damage increased by 20%.
Lava Lash damage increased by 15%.
Stormstrike damage increased by 15%.
Melee damage increased by 15%.
Doom Winds now increases the chance of Windfury Weapon activating by 50% (was 100%).
Hero Talents
Stormbringer
Tempest main target damage reduced by 10%.
Tempest secondary target damage reduced by 30%.
Totemic
Surging Totem Tremor damage reduced by 15%.
Surging Totem Surging Bolt damage reduced by 10%.
WARLOCK
Drain Life health drain increased by 25%.
Zevrim’s Resilience healing increased by 25%.
WARRIOR
Arms
Ignore Pain absorb increased by 25%.
ITEMS
Fixed an issue where upgrading gear had scaling upgrade costs. Gear now has flat costs to upgrade each track like in Midnight Season 1.
TRANSMOGRIFICATION
Ranged weapons (bows, crossbows, and guns) can now use a variety of illusions in transmog.
USER INTERFACE AND ACCESSIBILITY
COOLDOWN MANAGER
Racial ability cooldowns and durations can now be tracked with the Cooldown Manager.
EDIT MODE
The Loss of Control display can now be moved.
The Auto Loot setting is now account wide.
Patch 12.1 Week 2
PTR Development Notes
Class Changes
Class & Tier Tuning
No More Scaling Crest Costs
Content Updates
Currency Tab Sorted
Dungeon & Raid Maps
Patch 12.1 Reveal
PTR Development Notes
Discord Integration
First Look & WoWCast Reveal
Ping Improvements
Addons and Aura Filters
Class Changes
Vantus Rune Nerfs
Scaling Gear Upgrades
DPS Cooldowns Nerfed
Endgame Gearing Changes
Season 2 Tier Set Bonuses
Season 2 Tier Set Appearances
Content Updates
Dummy Dome Test Area
Delve Nemesis Uncapped
Consolidating Housing Dyes
Housing Blueprints and Pets
New Warband Campsites
Season 2 Dungeon Rotation
Models
Spice Witch Set
Assassin's Attire
Outdoor Armor Sets
Outdoor Weapon Models
Venmous Abyss Weapons
Elite & Gladiator PvP Sets
Braclet and Mask Models
Shark and Wing Back Attachments
Creature Models
