Hold onto your pauldrons, adventurers – the winds of change are howling across Azeroth! The latest Warcraft news from the WoW TWW patch notes is here, and Patch 11.2, titled “Ghosts of K’aresh,” arrives on August 5, 2025 (NA) and August 6, 2025 (EU). This is far more than a simple content patch. It’s a seismic shift: a full-blown renovation that shakes up everything from the stories we experience to the very bags in our banks. In this massive wave of changes you’ll find a snazzy new Artifact, a revolution in loot philosophy, a complete overhaul of some of WoW’s oldest systems, and a veritable stampede of new companions to collect. So grab your favorite beverage, get comfy, and let’s dive into the glorious chaos of Ghosts of K’aresh!
You may also be interested in:
| Class Tier List | Ghost of K’aresh Overview & release date | BiS Gear Guide | Tier sets overview |
| K’aresh Zone overview | Ecological Succession guide | Ethereal Crests guide | Untethered Coin Farm Guide |
| Mythic+ guide | Season 3 PvP guide | Manaforge Omega guide | Delves guide |
| Mount guide | Reshii wraps artifact cloak guide |
A Story with Soul: The Ghosts We’ll Meet
For a long time, Warcraft’s narrative landscape has been a topic of spirited discussion. With Ghosts of K’aresh, it feels like we’re returning to the kind of deep, character-driven storytelling that makes you lean into your monitor. The foundation for this patch’s lore is the recently released three-part audio drama, “The Doom of K’aresh,” and it’s required listening for anyone who wants to feel the full weight of the coming conflict. This tale delves into the deepest secrets of the Ethereals, revealing ancient lore about their tragic past on their shattered homeworld, an ancient continent filled with forgotten wonders.
Spoilers ahead for this haunting tale!
We journey back in time with the enigmatic Locus-Walker as he recounts the history of his people from within the shrouded mists of the past. We see the K’areshi not as mysterious energy-beings, but as a once-vibrant civilization living under two radiant suns. Their world is shattered by the invasion of the Void Lord Dimensius the All-Devouring. To survive the catastrophe, the K’areshi erect massive arcane shields, but this defense comes at a terrible price: the constant exposure to raw arcane energy burns away their physical forms, transforming them into the Ethereals (and their Broker cousins). They saved their society, but were left unable to feel the touch of another – a profoundly sad and lonely fate. The story culminates in a heart-wrenching twist, giving players a deep personal connection to the history of K’aresh before we even set foot there.
Your New Favorite Accessory: The Reshii Wraps Artifact Cloak
An adventurer dons the Reshii Wraps cloak, harnessing ethereal power to peer into hidden realms.
Get ready to wrap yourself in power with the snazziest new accessory hitting Azeroth: the Reshii Wraps artifact cloak! This isn’t just any old cloak; it’s a full-fledged Artifact back piece that will be your best-in-slot cloak for the entire patch. More importantly, it is mandatory for entering the new raid and enables a suite of new abilities across K’aresh. Much like the legendary cloak at the end of Battle for Azeroth, the Reshii Wraps scale with you and even change appearance as they grow stronger.
- How to Obtain: The cloak becomes available early in the patch’s storyline. Play through the main Ghosts of K’aresh campaign, and by the end of Chapter 3 (the quest “The Tabiqa”), it’s yours.
- Phase Dive Ability: The Reshii Wraps grant you a special new ability called “Phase Dive,” allowing you to shift into a being of pure energy – essentially seeing the world as the Ethereals do. This opens up a parallel layer of content, revealing hidden treasures, secret world quests, and even allowing you to sneak into the raid itself through astral backdoors.
- Upgrading Made Easy: You’ll upgrade the cloak using a new account-wide currency called Ethereal Strands, earned from nearly all Season 3 activities (raids, Mythic+ dungeons, Delves, and special “Warrant” world quests in K’aresh). Progress is shared across your characters, and a catch-up mechanic is built in.
A New Era for Systems: Quality of Life & the Loot Revolution
Patch 11.2 isn’t just about new content; it’s also about making the game better to play. Blizzard rolled out some major quality-of-life improvements and loot system overhauls. (Be aware that such major changes did require scheduled realm restarts on launch, and we can expect a few additional hotfixes to address any various issues and other issues related to stability.) Here are the highlights:
A Banker’s Dream: The All-New Personal Bank System
Say goodbye to juggling multiple storage windows! The personal bank is getting a long-overdue overhaul. The old system of buying bag slots is gone – instead, the bank now uses a tab-based interface with up to 588 item slots in total. The separate Reagent Bank and Void Storage tabs have been retired entirely; all their contents are rolled into this single, sleek system. (As a precaution, it’s wise to hold any truly irreplaceable items in your character’s bags during the patch transition, just in case.)
Gearing Up, a New Way
The philosophy behind gearing is seeing a major shake-up. Several changes aim to streamline rewards:
- Valorstones – No More Resets: In a huge quality-of-life win, Valorstone upgrade currency will no longer be reset at the start of a new season.
- “Very Rare” Loot Becomes Bonus Loot: The experiment with very rare higher-ilvl drops has been retired. Instead, raid bosses will drop “Bonus Loot” – items that have no player power, only cosmetic value. This effectively increases the item drop rates for standard gear.
- Tokens for Tiers – The “Omni-Token”: Getting your tier set is now more straightforward thanks to the Hungering Void Curio, an omni-class tier token from the final raid boss. Any class can loot this item and turn it in for a tier set piece of their choice. The catch? You can only hold one Curio at a time, preventing hoarding.
The Shifting Sands of Combat: Class Tuning Galore
The class balance team has been working overtime. While some of the more extensive reworks require a client side patch update, numerous adjustments hit specs this patch. Here are some highlights from the developers notes:
- Mage: It’s a good time to be a Mage! Fire Mages in particular got some hefty buffs – Pyroblast damage and Flamestrike damage have been significantly increased by 30%. In addition, fire blast damage was also buffed. Fire and Arcane also received a flat +3% damage aura, and Frost was buffed even more with +10% damage.
- Evoker (Preservation): Preservation Evokers have seen their power rise. While the living flame healing increased by 30% in a prior patch, 11.2 continues the trend by bolstering other spells and talents, making the spec much more competitive after it previously felt pretty weak. The overall increase to living flame healing and other spells has been a welcome change.
- Priest (Discipline): The ever-delicate balance of Atonement healing saw a couple tweaks. For a priest discipline, power word usage now requires more care, as Power Word: Radiance costs 10% more mana. That said, the actual radiance healing output was not nerfed, so it remains a potent tool for burst healing all targets afflicted by Atonement, a core part of the spec’s ancient teachings.
- Death Knight: Blood DKs can rest easy – the iconic Death Strike self-healing remains strong and untouched. Frost and Unholy DKs, however, did see adjustments to improve their AoE. For example, Unholy’s Bursting Sores is now capped at 7 targets but its damage has been increased to compensate. These changes aim to bring more classes into the end-game meta.
- Shaman: Elemental Shamans received a welcome DPS bump. Earth Shock and Elemental Blast damage have been increased by 25% each. On the healing side, Restoration Shamans didn’t see major changes; their trusty Healing Wave and Chain Heal remain as strong as ever.
The New Arena Season: Glory and Conquest Await
With the arena season start on August 12, here’s what PvPers need to know:
- Fresh PvP Gear: Season 3 brings a full new ensemble of PvP gear. You’ll be able to buy PvP gear from vendors early in the week, and honor vendors correctly display all item costs. For competitive gear, the conquest earned towards your season total is uncapped from the get-go. All issues where conquest weapons correctly require an unattainable rating have been resolved. You can spend honor on older transmogs, as we have added pvp gear from past seasons to a legacy vendor. For a full breakdown of the new stats, see the PvP weapon lists attached to the official forums, which provide detailed PvP weapon lists.
- Vicious Mount: This season’s reward is the Vicious Void Creeper, an armored, void-touched spider-like creature.
- Gladiator’s Prize: The Gladiator mount is the Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat. Originally, this fel bat had a somewhat underwhelming appearance, but Blizzard took community feedback to heart and gave it a fantastic redesign.
“Saddle Up!” – The Great Mount-a-Palooza of Patch 11.2
Mount collectors, rejoice! Patch 11.2 is unleashing a whopping 38 new mounts to add to your mount journal. Some of these may even correctly grant a small boost to player flight speed. Below is a complete breakdown of where to find every new ride:
Raid & Dungeon Mounts
| Mount Name | How to Obtain | Description & Notes |
| Unbound Star-Eater | Drops from Dimensius, the All-Devouring (Mythic difficulty) | A stunning cosmic dragon with a unique void-star skin. A guaranteed drop for Mythic kills while current. |
| Royal Voidwing | Quest reward from “A Twilight Oath’s End” (Heroic or Mythic Dimensius) | The Ahead of the Curve mount. Its glow will now display in the intended color. |
| Umbral K’arroc | Achievement: Glory of the Omega Raider | A shadowy, armored version of the new K’arroc (an ethereal sky-manta). |
| Bone-Freezer | Renown 14 with the Manaforge Omega raid reputation | An eerie, ground-based chitinous bug creature with a blue and purple hue. |
| Vandal’s Gearglider | Renown 8 with the Manaforge Omega raid reputation | A sleek, Ethereal-themed hoverboard mount. |
Player vs. Player (PvP) Mounts
| Mount Name | How to Obtain | Description & Notes |
| Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat | Achieve Gladiator rank in PvP Season 3 | A prestige mount redesigned based on community feedback to have a unique cosmic appearance. |
| Vicious Void Creeper | Fill the seasonal progress bar in Rated PvP | An armored, void-touched spider mount with faction-specific color variants. |
World Content & Questing Mounts (K’aresh Zone)
| Mount Name | How to Obtain | Description & Notes |
| Terror of the Wastes | Purchased at Renown 19 with the K’aresh Trust | A large, flying insectoid creature native to the K’aresh wastes. |
| Ruby Void Creeper | Purchased at Renown 15 with the K’aresh Trust | A ground-based bug mount with a striking red carapace. |
| Blue Barry (“Blueberry”) | Questline reward starting at Renown 9 with the K’aresh Trust | A friendly-looking, blue ground mount earned by completing a dedicated quest chain. |
| Curious Slateback | Chance to drop from the Wriggling Pinnacle Cache (Weekly Event) | A gray, sturdy beast mount (similar to a Talbuk) with a chance to drop from a weekly reward cache. |
| Terror of the Night | Achievement: “Vigilante” (Complete all weekly “Warrant” bounty quests) | A dark-hued variant of the new flying bug models. |
| Phase-Lost Slateback | Achievement for collecting all Phase Diving weapon appearances | A ghostly, ethereal version of the Slateback ground mount. |
| Resplendent K’arroc | Reward from the World Quest “The Hope of K’aresh” | A brilliantly colored version of the new K’arroc model, likely from a one-time story quest. |
| Lavender K’arroc | Purchased for 10 Untethered Coins (Phase Diving currency) | A lavender-colored K’arroc flyer, purchased using currency earned from Phase Diving. |
| Acidic Void Creeper | Purchased for 7 Untethered Coins (Phase Diving currency) | A green, acidic-looking version of the Void Creeper ground mount, also purchased with currency earned from pvp activities in the open world. |
| Pearlescent Krolusk | Drops from the rare NPC Urmag | A pearly-white beast mount that has a chance to drop from a specific rare creature. |
| Sthaarbs’s Last Lunch | Drops from the rare NPC Sthaarbs (Phase Diving only) | A bizarre void creature mount that drops from a special rare only accessible while in the Phase Diving state. |
| Translocated Gorger | Reward from the “Devourer Swarms” zone event | A gorger-type mount earned by participating in a public zone event. |
Mythic+, Delves, and Holiday Events
| Mount Name | How to Obtain | Description & Notes |
| Azure Void Flyer | Achievement: Keystone Master – Season 3 | A beautiful, glowing purple version of the new void flyer model. |
| Scarlet Void Flyer | Achievement: Keystone Legend – Season 3 | A fiery red variant of the void flyer, for the highest-rated Mythic+ players. |
| Delver’s Mana-Skimmer | Reward from the Delver’s Journey seasonal progression | The base customizable Delve mount for Season 3, featuring an ethereal theme. |
| Ethereal Delver’s Dirigible | Achievement for defeating the Delve Nemesis, Nexus-Princess Ky’veza | An epic, void-infused small airship, awarded for defeating the final Delve boss on its toughest challenge mode. |
| Brewfest Barrel Bomber | Rare drop from Coren Direbrew (Brewfest Event) | A fun, mechanical flying barrel/rocket machine. A new rare drop from the annual Brewfest holiday boss. |
Trading Post Mounts
| Mount Name(s) | How to Obtain | Description & Notes |
| The Headless Horseman’s Chargers (4 variants) | Trading Post (Upcoming Months) | Four new HD versions of the classic Hallow’s End mount. |
| Elemental Elekks (4 variants) | Trading Post (Upcoming Months) | Incredible armored Elekks, each themed to a different element. |
| Wildhammer-Themed Gryphons (4 variants) | Trading Post (Upcoming Months) | Four new Gryphon mounts with unique Wildhammer clan flair. |
| Forsaken-Themed Chargers (4 variants) | Trading Post (Upcoming Months) | Four new undead horse mounts based on the classic Forsaken steed with upgraded HD models. |
| Ornery Breezestrider | Trading Post (Upcoming Months) | A new recolor of the horned Argus Talbuk models from Legion. |
Special Promotions
| Mount Name | How to Obtain | Description & Notes |
| Shaohao’s Sage Serpent | Complete the Pandaren starting zone in Mists of Pandaria Classic (July 1–30, 2025) | A beautiful jade-green Astral Cloud Serpent, awarded in retail for players who took a nostalgic journey during the MoP Classic launch. |
Beyond K’aresh: Other Whispers in the World of Warcraft
Winds of Mysterious Fortune Event Returns
Good news for leveling and alt aficionados: the popular “Winds of Mysterious Fortune” experience buff event is back. During this event, all sources of experience yield +20% XP. In addition, special Mysterious Satchels can drop, which are satchels chock-full of goodies, including extra XP potions, gold, and other valuable and unique items. It’s a perfect time to level up new characters or finish missed content.
The Allure of Mists of Pandaria Classic
In case you missed it, Mists of Pandaria Classic is now live. Players are flocking back to the original Mists to relive that beloved expansion. Many are excited because this is a chance to finally earn long unavailable rewards and clear missed content. Blizzard has made a few minor tweaks: after feedback, they slightly increased Pandaria Classic spawn rates and adjusted drop rates for some quests, including some infamous ones that required forensic science. Players can once again face the challenges of the Jade Temple, including mechanics like Wise Mari’s bubble and mobs like the Corrupted Living Water elementals. It’s a chance to explore the shrouded mists of the ancient continent and uncover its forgotten wonders. Fans of WoW Classic Era and Cataclysm Classic will be pleased to know that support for those versions continues as well; there will be no swift end planned for those servers.
Peeking Over the Horizon
- “Midnight” Expansion Reveal at Gamescom: The next WoW expansion, codenamed “Midnight,” will be officially unveiled on August 19, 2025 during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live event.
- WoW Remix: Legion Event Incoming: Blizzard has hinted that a Legion Remix event is on the horizon. One important note: to preserve their prestige, the original Mage Tower Artifact appearances will NOT be obtainable. We will have to wait for a future patch to see what other rewards might return.
And that’s the whirlwind tour of Patch 11.2! As you can see, Ghosts of K’aresh is a massive update that touches every corner of the game. So ready your gear and gather your allies, adventurers. The ghosts of K’aresh will soon be here to challenge you in the latest evolution of the World of Warcraft.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the name of Patch 11.2 and when does it release?
The patch is titled “Ghosts of K’aresh,” and it is scheduled to arrive on August 5, 2025, for North America and August 6, 2025, for Europe. The guide describes this as far more than a simple content patch, but rather a “seismic shift” that will renovate everything from the game’s story to core systems like the bank and loot philosophy.
What is the story of “Ghosts of K’aresh” about?
The story centers on the tragic origin of the Ethereals, with its foundation in the three-part audio drama, “The Doom of K’aresh.” In this tale, the Ethereal Locus-Walker recounts the history of his homeworld to Alleria Windrunner. We learn that his people, the K’areshi, were a vibrant civilization living under two suns before the arrival of the Void Lord Dimensius the All-Devouring. To survive the Void’s onslaught, they erected massive arcane shields, but the constant exposure to raw energy burned away their physical forms, leaving them as energy beings in a “profoundly sad and lonely fate,” unable to feel physical touch.
What is the new Artifact and how do I get it?
The new Artifact is the Reshii Wraps, a full-fledged, best-in-slot artifact cloak that will be your most important piece of gear for the entire patch. You obtain it early in the main patch storyline by playing through the Ghosts of K’aresh campaign. Specifically, it is rewarded at the end of Chapter 3 from the quest named “The Tabiqa.” Once unlocked on one character, it becomes “warbound,” meaning your alts can skip the questline and get their own cloak much more easily.
Is the new Artifact cloak mandatory for any content?
Yes, absolutely. The guide makes it clear that much like the legendary cloak in Battle for Azeroth, the Reshii Wraps artifact cloak is mandatory for entering the new raid, Manaforge Omega. It is also essential for interacting with key mechanics in the new zone of K’aresh and the new Delve instance.
What does the “Phase Dive” ability do?
Phase Dive is a special new ability granted by the Reshii Wraps cloak that allows your character to temporarily shift into a being of pure energy, seeing the world as the Ethereals do. This opens up what the guide calls a “parallel layer of content.” While Phase Diving, you can discover hidden treasures, see invisible platforms, fight phase-shifted enemies, and engage with secret world quests that are otherwise invisible. It even allows you to sneak into the new raid through “astral backdoors.”
What is changing with the personal bank in Patch 11.2?
The personal bank is receiving a long-overdue, complete overhaul. The old system of buying individual bag slots is gone. It is being replaced with a modern, tab-based interface that offers up to 588 total item slots. The separate Reagent Bank and Void Storage are being retired, and all items stored there will be automatically migrated into the new, single, sleek system, making it a straight upgrade in every way.
Will my Valorstones be reset for the new season?
No. In what the guide calls a “huge quality-of-life win,” Valorstone upgrade currency will no longer be reset at the start of a new season. This is a major change from previous expansions, allowing players to stockpile Valorstones from the previous season and use them immediately to upgrade new gear as soon as Season 3 begins.
What happened to “very rare” raid loot?
The system of having extremely low-drop-rate “very rare” items with higher item levels has been retired. Instead, raid bosses will now have a chance to drop “Bonus Loot.” These are purely cosmetic or fun items, such as toys and pets, that have no player power. Crucially, they drop in addition to the normal loot table, which effectively increases the drop rate of standard gear.
How is getting Tier Set gear easier in this patch?
The final raid boss, Dimensius, can now drop a special item called the Hungering Void Curio. This is an omni-class tier token, meaning any class can loot it and turn it in at a vendor for any tier set piece of their choice. This significantly reduces the RNG of completing your set bonuses. The only catch is that you can only hold one Curio at a time, preventing hoarding.
Which classes are getting major buffs in this patch?
The guide highlights several classes getting significant improvements. Mages, in particular, are seeing large buffs; Fire Mages received a 30% damage increase to both Pyroblast and Flamestrike, and all three specs received a damage aura buff. Elemental Shamans also received a welcome DPS bump, with the damage of Earth Shock and Elemental Blast increased by 25% each.
Are there any significant nerfs or changes for healers?
Yes, the guide points to a key adjustment for Discipline Priests focused on mana efficiency. The mana cost of their primary Atonement-spreading spell, Power Word: Radiance, has been increased by 10%, and Power Word: Shield’s cost is up by 8%. This means priests will need to be more judicious with their mana. The guide clarifies, however, that the actual healing output of these abilities was not nerfed.
Was the Death Knight’s Death Strike nerfed for tanks?
No. The guide explicitly reassures Blood Death Knight players that they can “rest easy.” The iconic and powerful self-healing ability, Death Strike, remains strong and untouched in this patch, preserving the spec’s status as a self-sustain powerhouse.
When does the new PvP Arena Season 3 start?
The new PvP season kicks off one week after the main patch launch. The specific date for the start of the arena season is August 12, 2025, which aligns with the opening of the new raid and the start of the Mythic+ season.
What are the main PvP mounts for Season 3?
The two main PvP mounts are the Vicious mount and the Gladiator mount. For general participation, players can earn the Vicious Void Creeper, an armored, void-touched spider mount with unique color variants for Alliance and Horde. For the highest-rated players, the reward is the Astral Gladiator’s Fel Bat, a prestige mount that received a fantastic redesign based on community feedback to look more cosmic and otherworldly.
Is it easier to get Conquest gear this season?
Yes, it is significantly easier and faster. In a major quality-of-life improvement, Conquest points are uncapped from the get-go. This means there is no restrictive weekly cap on how much Conquest you can earn. Hardcore PvPers can grind their full set of gear as quickly as they are able to play and win, a stark contrast to previous seasons.
How many new mounts are in Patch 11.2, and what are the top raid mounts?
The patch introduces a massive wave of 38 new mounts for collectors to add to their mount journals. The most prestigious mounts from the new raid, Manaforge Omega, are the Unbound Star-Eater (a guaranteed drop from the Mythic final boss), the Royal Voidwing (the “Ahead of the Curve” achievement reward for defeating the boss on Heroic), and the Umbral K’arroc (from the “Glory of the Omega Raider” meta-achievement).
Are there any exciting new mounts coming to the Trading Post?
Yes, the Trading Post is getting a huge influx of new and remastered mounts. The most exciting additions mentioned in the guide are four new HD versions of the classic Headless Horseman’s Charger, each with a different color and elemental effect, and four incredible armored Elemental Elekk mounts, themed after elements like fire, lightning, void, and fel.
Is Mists of Pandaria (MoP) Classic available to play now?
Yes. The guide confirms that as of late July 2025, Mists of Pandaria Classic is now live and the launch has been a hit. Players are returning to the original version of the expansion, and Blizzard has even made minor quality-of-life tweaks, such as slightly increasing the spawn rates for some quest mobs to smooth out the leveling process.
What is the “Winds of Mysterious Fortune” event?
The “Winds of Mysterious Fortune” is a popular, limited-time event returning to the game. It grants all characters a +20% experience buff, making it an ideal time to level alts. Additionally, special “Mysterious Satchels” can drop, which the guide describes as being “chock-full of goodies” like extra XP potions, gold, and other valuable consumables to help you finish missed content.
What do we know about the next expansion and the upcoming Legion Remix event?
The guide provides two key pieces of future-looking information. First, the next expansion, codenamed “Midnight,” will be officially unveiled at Gamescom’s Opening Night Live event on August 19, 2025. Second, while a Legion Remix event is on the horizon, Blizzard has confirmed that to preserve their prestige, the original Mage Tower Artifact appearances will NOT be obtainable.
