Blizzard Nerfs Kith'ix Mythic Loot: 344 Down to 324
Anyone who saw the original datamined numbers for The Unbinding of Kith’ix and started planning their week around a single-boss raid handing out end-tier gear will want to revisit that plan. This week’s Patch 12.1.5 PTR build has cut the encounter’s Mythic rewards substantially.
What Changed
Mythic drops from the mini-raid originally sat at item level 344, or Myth 9/6 – a figure that would have placed them among the strongest items available anywhere in Season 2. In the latest PTR build they have been reduced to 324, or Myth 3/6.
The reasoning is straightforward once you look at where the encounter sits on the difficulty curve. Kith’ix is tuned to sit roughly alongside the middle bosses of The Venomous Abyss, not its final encounters. Rewarding gear on par with the raid’s last bosses for a fight of mid-raid difficulty was always going to be corrected.
Item Levels by Difficulty
The current PTR values for each difficulty of The Unbinding of Kith’ix:
- Raid Finder – 285, Veteran 3/6
- Normal – 298, Champion 3/6
- Heroic – 311, Hero 3/6
- Mythic – 324, Myth 3/6
Each difficulty lands on the 3/6 step of its respective track, which is a tidy and predictable structure – and a clear signal that Blizzard wants this raid treated as a supplementary weekly objective rather than a shortcut past The Venomous Abyss.
Does the Raid Still Matter?
Yes, though for different reasons than before. A single-boss raid that can be cleared in one short session and hands out Myth-track gear remains one of the best time-to-reward ratios in the patch, particularly for players who have no interest in maintaining a full Mythic raid schedule.
The unique cantrip items the encounter drops also remain intact, and reporting around the 12.1.5 build indicates weapons, accessories and necklaces will be upgradeable to 9/9 once the patch lands – which changes the calculation for a trinket or neck from this boss considerably.
If you want the loot without organising a group around a one-boss lockout every week, a WoW raid carry handles it in a single run. Background on the encounter itself is covered in Wowhead’s Unbinding of Kith’ix testing schedule and its Kith’ix lore primer.
FAQ
WHAT ITEM LEVEL IS MYTHIC KITH’IX LOOT NOW?
324, Myth 3/6, reduced from the original 344 at Myth 9/6.
CAN I STILL UPGRADE THE GEAR?
Yes. Mythic items from the encounter can be taken to 334, Myth 6/6, through normal upgrading.
WHY DID BLIZZARD NERF IT?
Because the encounter’s difficulty corresponds to the middle bosses of The Venomous Abyss, while the loot was matching that raid’s final bosses. The reward no longer outpaced the challenge.
IS THIS CHANGE FINAL?
Not necessarily. It is a PTR adjustment, and item levels frequently shift again before a patch goes live.
