WRITTEN ARTICLE · LEVELLING UPDATE
WoW Forever dungeon XP: October 8 buff and group leveling
Dungeon kills now give about 20% more XP, with a fix for mixed-level parties. See what changed on October 8 and how to plan a WoW Forever dungeon run.
October 8: more kill XP and a party calculation fix
Dungeon creature kills now award approximately 20% more experience. Blizzard also fixed a party calculation that penalized lower-level enemies according to the highest-level party member. The adjustment now uses each character’s own level, as in Classic Era.
The two changes can matter together for a mixed-level group. They do not mean every party receives exactly 20% more total XP, because the calculation fix can change the result too.
The anti-boosting rule remains. If a party member is vastly higher level than the enemy, no member receives kill XP. This update does not restore the October 1 dungeon-quest bonus or establish a fastest XP-per-hour route.
In this article
October 1 update: the extra dungeon-quest XP is reduced
Blizzard has cut the extra XP from dungeon quests by 50% relative to that bonus above normal quest values. This does not say that every dungeon quest now awards half its previous total XP.
For an illustrative calculation, a 1,000 XP normal reward plus a 2,000 XP bonus would become 1,000 plus 1,000, or 2,000 total. Those numbers explain the wording and are not measured quest rewards.
Agree on quests and skips before the first pull
One of today’s leading r/classicwow discussions describes friction between experienced groups skipping sections and newcomers trying to learn the dungeon. That is useful feedback about group expectations, not a controlled measurement of XP or proof that every group behaves the same way.
Say whether this is a learning run, a quest clear or a repeat gear run before inviting people. Check which objectives each person still needs. If someone is unfamiliar with a skip, explain it or agree to clear the pack. A few minutes spent on that conversation can prevent a frustrating evening.
September 19–20 background: first runs and repeat clears
September 19’s large r/classicwow discussion divides between players happy to repeat dungeons for gear and players who want tanking or healing to remain a rewarding way to gain experience. A September 20 r/classicwowplus report describes a different problem: one Rogue says dungeon quest hand-ins moved them through several levels and left little reason to finish nearby outdoor quests.
These are individual experiences and opinions. Together they explain why a strong first run and a disappointing repeat run can both be reported. They do not provide controlled XP-per-hour measurements or establish the later October 1 change.
Decide what you want from this run before you leave town
Our advice is to plan around the reason you are going. If the group wants an evening together, a dungeon can be worthwhile without winning an XP comparison. If you are mainly progressing quests, check which rewards you still have available.
| Your plan | Check before setting out |
|---|---|
| First clear with quests | Pickups, prerequisites, travel and where each quest is handed in. |
| Another clear for equipment | The item you want, what it would replace and how many runs you want to spend. |
| Practice tanking or healing | Your available abilities and whether the group is happy to learn together. |
| Help friends catch up | Their current objectives, rather than assuming everybody has your quest progress. |
September 14 background: the original XP direction
MassivelyOP’s September 14 interview roundup reports that Blizzard is reducing experience from dungeon creature kills and substantially increasing dungeon quest experience. The stated aim is a rewarding first run, with repeated clears less attractive as a levelling strategy.
The report gives the direction of the change, without a complete table of values. It does not establish the fastest route, the best party composition or the number of runs worth doing. We have not tested the changes in a Forever build.
What has been said about Tokens and paid boosts?
The same coverage reports that developers currently have no plans to add WoW Tokens or paid character boosts to Forever. That is a statement of present intent; a permanent prohibition has not been established.
September 16 update: the experience curve is unchanged
Wowhead’s 15 September interview notes report no change to the experience curve. They also reiterate lower dungeon-creature XP and higher dungeon-quest rewards. Additional quest paths give players more options without establishing a shorter total levelling time.
Our planning advice: measure the complete detour
Before setting out, make a short list of the quests you intend to finish and the point where you will return to your outdoor route. Leave space in the plan for travel, party formation and hand-ins. A large reward at the end of a run is only one part of the time you spent earning it.
For a useful comparison, record the whole session rather than only the minutes between the first pull and the final boss. Keep these observations separate:
- Quest rewards and creature-kill experience.
- Travel, waiting, combat and recovery time.
- Which prerequisites were already complete.
- Whether the group finished every intended objective.
What we still need from beta
A repeatable recommendation needs observations from the same build and similar character conditions. One unusually smooth group is not enough. Our next step is to compare complete first runs with repeat runs and nearby outdoor alternatives, then explain the circumstances where each choice makes sense. Until those measurements exist, use this update to prepare questions for testing.
Related reading and guides
Sources and review notes
- Blizzard: October 8 beta development notes
- Wowhead: interview notes on XP, raid rewards and the experience curve, 15 September
- Blizzard: October 1 beta development notes
- r/classicwow: group expectations and dungeon skips, October 1
- r/classicwow: beta debate about repeat dungeon runs, 19 September
- r/classicwowplus: player report about first-run quest rewards, 20 September
- MassivelyOP: dungeon boosting and current Token plans, 14 September
Updated October 9 with Blizzard’s October 8 dungeon-kill XP buff and party calculation fix. October 1 and September reporting is retained as dated background. We have not measured XP per hour.
