{"id":21516,"date":"2025-01-31T10:35:44","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T10:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/?p=21516"},"modified":"2026-03-05T17:19:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T17:19:40","slug":"world-of-warcraft-the-great-push-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/world-of-warcraft-the-great-push-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Great Push in WoW? Mythic+ Pushing Format Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This guide breaks down World of Warcraft\u2019s Mythic+ pushing format, the high-end competitive dungeon mode historically known as The Great Push. Now officially integrated into the Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) program, this format challenges elite teams to push the highest possible keystone levels within a fixed time window\u2014prioritizing survival, coordination, and strategy over raw speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In this guide, we\u2019ll cover:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What the Mythic+ pushing format is and how it differs from traditional MDI speed runs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How qualification, group stages, and Global Finals are typically structured<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How scoring works, including keystone priority and time tiebreakers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The key rules and competitive standards used on the tournament realm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A historical case study of the 2025 season as a reference point<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where to watch pushing events and how teams can prepare to compete<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/wow\/boost\/mythic-plus\/\" class=\"blog-info\">\n    <div class=\"blog-info-svg\">\n        \n            \n            \n        \n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"blog-info-text\">\n        <p class=\"main-text\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Buy Mythic+ Dungeons Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n        <p class=\"subtext\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Claim New Loot And Great Vault Rewards<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"blog-info-media\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"130\" src=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/mythic-plus-boost.webp\" alt=\"WoW Mythic+ Dungeons Boost \u2014 Product Image\" title=\"Epiccarry\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n<p>You may also interested in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Love Is In The Air 2025<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/world-of-warcraft-the-great-push-guide\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/world-of-warcraft-the-great-push-guide\/\">The Great Push 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lunar Festival guide<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/affix-xalatath-pulsar-guide\/\">Xal\u2019atath\u2019s Bargain: Pulsar<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/undermine-crests-guide\/\">Undermine Crests guide<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>WoW TWW 11.1 Prep Guide<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wow-tww-keystone-legend\/\">Keystone Legend Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wow-gallagio-raid-renown\/\">Gallagio Loyalty&nbsp;Renown Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Every Class tier set bonus<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wow-11-1-s2-class-tier-list\/\">Who is absolute meta?! Class tier list<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wow-11-1-s2-bis-gear-guide\/\">Bis Gear. BASED ON THE TOP MDI + raider.io<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is There a Great Push in 2026? Current Status Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-start-date.webp\" alt=\"The Great Push 2025 format changes\" class=\"wp-image-21519\" title=\"Epiccarry\" srcset=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-start-date.webp 1792w, https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-start-date-770x440.webp 770w, https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-start-date-768x439.webp 768w, https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-start-date-1536x878.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As of February 2026, Blizzard has not yet announced the official schedule, registration deadlines, or prize pool for this year&#8217;s pushing season. Blizzard typically announces competitive dungeon schedules closer to the start of each season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To maintain accuracy while the community awaits the 2026 reveal, this guide outlines the evergreen mechanics of the tournament format and uses the 2025 season as a historical benchmark for what players and viewers should expect.d dungeons very fast. It starts on January 31st. You can also join a watch party or stream it yourself if you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the WoW Mythic+ Pushing Format?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The pushing format is the ultimate test of strategy and survival in World of Warcraft. While the standard MDI focuses on speed-running, this format challenges teams to successfully &#8220;time&#8221; the highest possible keystone levels within a specific window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Details<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Primary Objective<\/strong><\/td><td>Complete the highest level Mythic Keystones in a timed event.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Official Program<\/strong><\/td><td>Mythic Dungeon International (MDI).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Former Name<\/strong><\/td><td>The Great Push (TGP).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Team Composition<\/strong><\/td><td>5 Players (Standard 1 Tank, 1 Healer, 3 DPS).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Qualification<\/strong><\/td><td>Qualification events (commonly referred to as Time Trials or Proving Grounds).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Scoring Logic<\/strong><\/td><td>Leaderboards prioritize Keystone Level first. Completion Time is used only as a tiebreaker.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Prize Pool<\/strong><\/td><td>Varies by season (Historical pools have exceeded $200,000 USD).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Broadcast Style<\/strong><\/td><td>Live commentary with multi-POV team streams.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WoW Pushing Tournament Structure &amp; Phases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of the specific year, the pushing tournament traditionally follows a structured three-phase progression designed to narrow the global field down to a small group of elite finalist teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 1: Qualification Through Time Trials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The journey begins on a dedicated <strong>Tournament Realm<\/strong>, where all registered players are given access to max-level characters and elite gear. During the qualification window, teams must complete a specific set of dungeons. The goal is to post the fastest times at a baseline high keystone level. The top-ranked teams globally move on to the Group Stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 2: Group Stages &amp; Push Windows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The qualifying teams are divided into groups that compete on separate weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Push Window:<\/strong> Teams are given a set amount of time (often 5\u20136 hours per day) to log their highest scores.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Format Innovations:<\/strong> In recent seasons, groups have been split into smaller sets of teams to increase the broadcast stakes, with only the top-performing teams from each set advancing to the final day of the weekend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strategic Adaptability:<\/strong> Organizers often disable certain dungeons until the weekend begins, preventing teams from &#8220;pre-solving&#8221; the meta and forcing them to innovate routes live on air.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phase 3: Global Finals &amp; Highest Keystone Pushes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The elite performers from the Group Stages\u2014along with invited international teams (such as those from the China region in recent seasons)\u2014converge for a multi-day Global Final. This is where the most difficult content in the game is tackled, with teams often attempting keystone levels rarely seen on live servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/wow\/boost\/mythic-plus\/\" class=\"blog-info\">\n    <div class=\"blog-info-svg\">\n        \n            \n            \n        \n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"blog-info-text\">\n        <p class=\"main-text\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Buy Mythic+ Dungeons Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n        <p class=\"subtext\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Claim New Loot And Great Vault Rewards<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"blog-info-media\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"130\" src=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/mythic-plus-boost.webp\" alt=\"WoW Mythic+ Dungeons Boost \u2014 Product Image\" title=\"Epiccarry\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rules of the WoW Pushing Format (MDI)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1792\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-schedule.webp\" alt=\"The Great Push 2025 YouTube stream\" class=\"wp-image-21520\" title=\"Epiccarry\" srcset=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-schedule.webp 1792w, https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-schedule-770x440.webp 770w, https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-schedule-768x439.webp 768w, https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-Great-Push-2025-schedule-1536x878.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure a level playing field, the tournament format operates under a specific set of rules that differ from standard &#8220;Live&#8221; Mythic+ play:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Co-Streaming:<\/strong> Blizzard typically allows community members to host watch parties. Interested streamers must usually register through an official MDI Watch Party Form to receive clean feeds or permissions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gear Equalization:<\/strong> All teams have access to the same gear, enchants, and gems on the Tournament Realm, ensuring that victory is determined by skill and strategy rather than character progression.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The &#8220;Timed&#8221; Requirement:<\/strong> For a keystone to be recorded on the leaderboard, it must be &#8220;timed&#8221; (completed within the dungeon\u2019s internal clock). If a team completes a Level 32 key but fails the timer, it will be ranked below a Level 31 key that was completed on time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Route Discipline:<\/strong> Teams must follow strict rules regarding &#8220;skips&#8221; and &#8220;exploits.&#8221; Using unintended map geometry to bypass mobs can lead to penalties or disqualification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Great Push 2025: Format, Rules, and Key Changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2025 season serves as the most recent example of how Blizzard scales these events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Prize Pool:<\/strong> The total prize pool for the 2025 season exceeded $200,000 USD.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The &#8220;Set of 4&#8221; Format:<\/strong> 2025 introduced a highly competitive structure where eight-team groups were split into two sets of four. Only the top two teams from each set moved to the final day of their group weekend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Score Resets:<\/strong> On the final day of the 2025 Group Stages, scores were reset to zero, and teams were given three brand-new dungeons to determine the finalists.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Presence:<\/strong> The 2025 Global Finals featured a 6-team roster that included two invited teams from China, marking a significant return to global cross-region competition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/wow\/boost\/mythic-plus\/\" class=\"blog-info\">\n    <div class=\"blog-info-svg\">\n        \n            \n            \n        \n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"blog-info-text\">\n        <p class=\"main-text\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Buy Mythic+ Dungeons Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n        <p class=\"subtext\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Claim New Loot And Great Vault Rewards<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"blog-info-media\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"130\" src=\"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/mythic-plus-boost.webp\" alt=\"WoW Mythic+ Dungeons Boost \u2014 Product Image\" title=\"Epiccarry\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/a>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to Watch WoW\u2019s Mythic+ Pushing Format<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When the 2026 season begins, fans can follow the action through several official and community channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Broadcast Times:<\/strong> Broadcasts typically begin in the late morning PT \/ evening CET, depending on the specific season\u2019s schedule.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Official Twitch:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=E&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitch.tv%2Fwarcraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Twitch.tv\/Warcraft<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Official YouTube:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=E&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwarcraft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">YouTube.com\/Warcraft<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Live Leaderboards:<\/strong> Real-time updates and team standings are usually hosted on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=E&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fworldofwarcraft.blizzard.com%2Fen-us%2Fnews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">official Blizzard Esports Hub<\/a> and partnered sites like <a href=\"http:\/\/Raider.IO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Raider.IO<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For teams looking to compete in 2026, it is highly recommended to begin practicing high-level keys in the current expansion&#8217;s Mythic+ dungeon rotation, as the core mechanics of priority-target damage and defensive coordination remain the foundation of the pushing format.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guide breaks down World of Warcraft\u2019s Mythic+ pushing format, the high-end competitive dungeon mode historically known as The Great Push. Now officially integrated into the Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) program, this format challenges elite teams to push the highest possible keystone levels within a fixed time window\u2014prioritizing survival, coordination, and strategy over raw speed. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":21517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"post_kind":[122],"ppma_author":[84],"class_list":["post-21516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epiccarry-game-news","author-friolt"],"acf":[],"authors":[{"term_id":84,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"friolt","display_name":"friolt","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/LemonGramStudios.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/LemonGramStudios.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21516"},{"taxonomy":"post_kind","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_kind?post=21516"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epiccarry.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=21516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}