Challenge Modes are coming to World of Warcraft: Legion. However, they will be a far cry from the Challenge Mode we are currently used to. With changes and improvements galore, Challenge Modes in the next expansion are shaping up to be one of the most interesting and fun features of Legion. Read onward to learn more about the current state of Challenge Modes and what we can expect to see in the next new WoW expansion.

Warlords of Draenor Challenge Mode

Currently, Challenge Mode is a pretty straightforward system designed as a way for players to revisit old dungeons and collect loot. Timed instance runs, the Challenge Modes we are familiar with today scale your gear down to ensure that the instances will still remain challenging. With three tiers of rewards, players earn better loot based on how fast they complete the zone.

This is, of course, not such a bad system. However, it can feel rather redundant and dull. The dungeons never get harder, your gear is always scaled down, and to achieve the best rewards players push through the dungeon at a breakneck pace. While this may seem exhilarating at first, it quickly becomes dull with little room for variety or an increase in difficulty. Challenge Mode dungeons in Legion are set to shake up the same old routine and bring us an entirely new experience.

Legion Challenge Mode Overview

In the past, Dungeons have managed to fall along the wayside. Players typically do them when they are first released and they quickly become irrelevant as the expansion progresses. Thus, the Dungeon Challenge Mode was introduced to freshen things up. However, as mentioned above, it has some major flaws.

Challenge Modes in Legion will hopefully deliver an engaging experience that keeps Dungeons relevant both in terms of difficulty and reward. First and foremost, Challenge Mode in Legion have been redesigned to be a true opened ended game experience that can appeal to many player types. Instead of scaling the players down, the Dungeons will be scaled up to meet the needs of the players taking them on. This will allow players to take on Dungeons at the difficulty they need and want them to be and earn rewards that match the challenge.

Perhaps surprisingly, the timer remains in Legion Challenge Mode Dungeons. However, it has been far improved and simplified from the current system. This feature has been condensed into a single timer that may be considered on par with the current Silver tier seen in game now. The idea is to get rid of the mad dash to complete a Dungeon, instead the focus will be on making core Dungeon game play more epic than ever before.

To take on a Challenge Mode Dungeon, you will first need to be in possession of a Challenger's Keystone (discussed below). These Keystones unlock the Dungeon for your group and provide information like how difficult the Dungeon will be and what reward you will get from it. They can also come equipped with various modifiers to keep your group on their toes. The idea here is to keep these Dungeons interesting, so that players continue to play them no matter how far into the expansion we get.

Challenger's Keystone

As mentioned above, Challenge Mode Dungeons in Legion will all begin with a Challenger's Keystone. How you will obtain this Keystone remains to be seen, although it may be through various world events. This Keystone points you to a random Legion dungeon and each will have a power level associated with it. The power level determines the difficulty of the dungeon you will take on and also the reward you will receive from it.

The Keystone can be upgraded by beating the timer in the corresponding Dungeon. If you fail, the stone will be depleted and will be unable to be used again. With that being said, you will still gain loot for completing the Challenge Dungeon.

At higher levels the Keystone throws an extra curve ball into the mix; modifiers. These modifiers are designed to keep you and your group on your toes and keep Dungeons interesting. Examples of modifiers that may come with your Keystone include:

• Enemies Enrage
• Extra Enemies
• Exploding Corpses
• Periodic Damage

Challenge Mode Rewards

Of course, if you are going to be doing Challenge Modes, you are probably expecting some kind of reward and you won't be disappointment. The system starts just a small step above Heroic Dungeons, meaning that almost every player can take on Challenge Modes. As you might expect, the more difficult the Dungeon, the better the rewards. Designed to compliment or take the place of raiding, the sky is the limit with this redesigned Legion feature.