WRITTEN ARTICLE · DUNGEON XP RESTRICTIONS
WoW Forever dungeon XP: the new 12-level rule explained
Getting no XP in a WoW Forever dungeon? Blizzard now checks whether a player is more than 12 levels above the enemy. Here is how to check your group.
When does a dungeon kill give no XP?
Blizzard has relaxed the new WoW Forever dungeon XP restriction. It now removes enemy kill XP for the group when a player is more than 12 levels above the enemy being killed. A gap of exactly 12 levels does not trigger this particular restriction.
The comparison is between the high-level player and the creature. It is not the gap between your highest and lowest party members.
In this article
World of Warcraft imagery © Blizzard Entertainment. Published by Wowhead.
Check the enemy’s level, not just the dungeon label
Subtract the enemy’s level from your highest-level party member’s level. The examples below apply the announced threshold. They do not calculate the amount of XP an eligible character receives.
| Enemy level | Highest player | Level gap | Does this restriction remove kill XP? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 42 | 12 | No |
| 30 | 43 | 13 | Yes |
| 32 | 43 | 11 | No |
Why older advice may say something different
The first version checked whether an enemy was trivial to anyone in the group. Blizzard says that caused problems in dungeons with a broad spread of enemy levels, prompting the new threshold.
The adjustment was already live when Blizzard posted. Instances underway at deployment were excluded from that adjustment.
Players were running into it in ordinary groups
The change is one of today’s prominent r/classicwow discussions. Alongside the announcement, players posted examples of confusing dungeon level ranges and lost XP. Those reports explain the concern, but the latest Blizzard statement is the rule to use when planning a new run.
A dungeon’s advertised level range is a starting point for forming a group. For this check, look at the actual enemies you are fighting, especially if their levels vary between sections.
Before spending the evening on repeat runs
Our suggestion is to check one early kill before committing to several clears. Note the enemy level, the highest player level and whether your character received kill XP. If the numbers look wrong, that record is much more useful than a general report that the dungeon gave nothing.
Agree what the group wants from the trip too. Someone helping with a quest or chasing a drop may still enjoy the run even when leveling XP is the priority for others. Make that choice together before travelling.
Passing this threshold check is not a promise of a particular XP reward or the fastest leveling method. It only tells you whether this specific group restriction applies.
Related reading and guides
Sources and review notes
- Blizzard: Player-Level Dungeon XP Adjustment, November 14
- r/classicwow: discussion of the November 14 XP adjustment
- r/classicwow: Razorfen Kraul level-range report
Checked against Blizzard’s November 14 announcement, posted November 15 in UTC, and today’s Reddit discussion. The level examples are calculations from the rule, not measured XP rewards.
