Data Dive: Keystone Level Popularity vs. Rewards

By Hulahoops — Aug 9 2023 17:55 CEST

Mythic+ Dungeons are undeniably one of the most popular activities for players of World of Warcraft due to the extrinsic and intrinsic rewards they offer, such as upgradable gear, Raider.IO Score, and more. However, what keystone levels are most popular and why?

According to our data, in just a 60 day period from June 5 to August 4, we saw a whopping total of 8,588,023 timed keystones. When we look closer at the numbers for these dungeons, there may be some interesting clues as to why players do certain keystone levels more than others.

Join us for a quick data dive!

The graph above shows the number of timed and completed dungeons at each keystone level from June 5 to August 4. There are a number of rewards breakpoints available from Mythic+, and the most notable ones are all at the top of this graph.

At keystone level +16, you begin to earn Aspect’s Shadowflame Crest Fragments, the highest available tier of crests to upgrade gear. Aspect’s Shadowflame Crests are used to upgrade gear up to level 441. It is also worth noting that +16s are the minimum level needed to unlock Mythic item level gear (441 - 450) in the weekly Great Vault. Keystone level +17 is the minimum required to receive item level 428 gear at the end of the dungeon, which becomes upgradeable to the same item level as Heroic raid gear at 441 via Aspect’s Shadowflame Crests. The gear and crests obtainable through +16s and +17s appears to be the most popular goal of Mythic+ dungeons, seeing as these keystone levels combined account for 21.6% of all timed runs in the sample period. Therefore, the high percentage of +16s and +17s may imply that players are working to earn gear and the applicable crests to upgrade their loot to 441 item level.

The second highest percentage of timed dungeons for the sample period was completed at keystone level +20. While +20s are certainly not easy for most, they are a popular goal amongst the Mythic+ community. By completing dungeons on +20 or higher, a player will unlock Great Vault rewards at item level 447 without needing to upgrade them further. Therefore, +20s are a worthy goal each week since they offer the highest item level Mythic+ loot for the Great Vault

If the rewards are so lucrative at +16, +17, and +20, why then do we see keystone level +11 being the 3rd most popular level of the sample period, at 8.5%? The answer may yet again be reward-driven. Players must complete dungeons on +11 to receive Wyrm’s Shadowflame Crest Fragments, which is the third tier of upgrade token used to upgrade loot up to item level 437. Completing a +11 is a much more achievable dungeon level for the bulk of the playerbase than a +16 or higher, so it is an excellent and efficient way to increase your overall item level.

The fact that dungeon level choice is driven by the rewards they offer is definitely not a new or novel concept. Nonetheless, it is interesting to look at the data itself to speculate upon reward popularity vs. dungeon achievability. Admittedly, we were a little surprised to see +20s so high on the graph – not because the rewards aren’t excellent, but because it is certainly easier for players (and especially PUGs) to run +11s, +17s, or anything in between to obtain the optimal rewards. It takes a proficient level of group synergy to time a +20, so perhaps the rewards available at this keystone level are largely valued by the playerbase, or maybe there are deeper implications to the intrinsic value of entering the +20s and working on that IO score.!

What dungeon levels do you aim to complete each week, and why? Head on over to the Raider.IO Twitter and let us know!

About the Author

Hulahoops has been playing WoW since Vanilla. She has recently shelved Retail to go back and re-experience WotLK in all its glory, but will one day make her way back to the Dragon Isles. In her hey-day, Hulahoops could be found raid-leading in Mythic Progression, or competing in the MDI with her team Angry Toast. Hulahoops is a Holy Paladin in every sense of the term: she moderates the Hammer of Wrath Paladin Class Discord, and she was a practicing Lawyer for 7 years. Judgment isn't just a spell! Hulahoops decided to put the law books away and follow her passion for gaming and esports by joining the team at Raider.IO. In her capacity as General Manager, Hulahoops oversees events, content, and more!

Data Dive: Keystone Level Popularity vs. Rewards

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