WoW Midnight Season 2 Mistcrests and Item Levels - New Gear Upgrade System in Patch 12.1

Midnight Season 2 will bring a fresh upgrade currency family, higher item levels, and a much stronger gear reset than players first expected on the Patch 12.1 PTR. The new seasonal crests are called Mistcrests, replacing Season 1's Dawncrests as the main currency used to upgrade endgame gear.

The biggest update is the item level jump. Blizzard originally tested a more standard seasonal increase, but later raised the Season 2 item level gap to 46 item levels. That makes the top end of Season 2 gear reach item level 344 on Myth 9/6 rewards.

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Key Takeaways

• Mistcrests are the new upgrade crests for Midnight Season 2.
• The five crest tiers are Adventurer, Veteran, Champion, Hero, and Myth Mistcrest.
• Blizzard increased the Season 2 item level jump from 39 to 46 item levels.
• The maximum known Season 2 item level is now 344 from Myth 9/6 gear.
• Mythic+ gear caps at Hero 3/6 item level 311 from end-of-dungeon drops at +10 and above.
• Great Vault Mythic+ rewards reach Myth 1/6 item level 318 from +10 and higher keys.
• Upgrade costs are currently intended to stay flat, like Season 1, after Blizzard fixed a PTR issue with scaling upgrade costs.

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What Are Mistcrests?

Mistcrests are the Season 2 version of WoW Midnight's gear upgrade currency. The structure remains familiar: each crest tier upgrades a matching gear track, and higher-difficulty content rewards higher-tier crests.

This means Season 1 Dawncrests should not be treated as a long-term investment for Season 2 upgrades. Once the new season begins, players will be farming Mistcrests from Patch 12.1 content instead.

Mistcrest Type	Used For	Main Sources
https://www.wowhead.com/ptr/currency=3442/adventurer-mistcrest	Adventurer gear upgrades	Repeatable outdoor events and Tier 4 Delves
https://www.wowhead.com/ptr/currency=3443/veteran-mistcrest	Veteran gear upgrades	Outdoor events, Raid Finder: The Venomous Abyss, Heroic Season dungeons, Tier 5-6 Delves, Trovehunter's Bounty Tier 4-5
https://www.wowhead.com/ptr/currency=3444/champion-mistcrest	Champion gear upgrades	Weekly outdoor events, Normal: The Venomous Abyss, Mythic dungeons, Mythic+ 2-3, Tier 7-10 Delves, Trovehunter's Bounty Tier 6-7
https://www.wowhead.com/ptr/currency=3445/hero-mistcrest	Hero gear upgrades	Heroic: The Venomous Abyss, Mythic+ 4-8, Tier 11 Delves, Trovehunter's Bounty Tier 8 and higher
https://www.wowhead.com/ptr/currency=3446/myth-mistcrest	Myth gear upgrades	Mythic: The Venomous Abyss and Mythic+ 9 or higher

Season 2 Item Level Increase

The most important Season 2 gearing change is the larger item level jump. Blizzard explained that Season 1 gear had become stronger through upgrades, Voidcores, and Patch 12.0.7 loot, so Season 2 needed a bigger increase to make new rewards feel meaningful.

Instead of the usual 39 item level increase, Season 2 rewards are now being shifted up by 46 item levels. This puts the top known Season 2 gear at item level 344.

Why This Matters

This is a stronger reset than many players expected. High-end Season 1 gear will still help at the start, but Season 2 rewards will replace it quickly once players begin farming Mythic+, The Venomous Abyss, Delves, and weekly Great Vault options.

For returning players and alts, this is good news because new Season 2 gear should catch characters up fast. For players who heavily invested in Season 1 best-in-slot items, it means the next gearing climb starts very quickly.

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Mythic+ Item Levels in Midnight Season 2

Mythic+ remains one of the fastest ways to gear in Season 2. End-of-dungeon loot increases with keystone level, while the Great Vault gives higher-track rewards for weekly progress.

Keystone Level	End-of-Dungeon Loot	Crest Rewarded	Great Vault Reward
+2 to +3	295 - Champion 2/6	Champion Mistcrest	305 - Hero 1/6
+4	298 - Champion 3/6	Hero Mistcrest	308 - Hero 2/6
+5	302 - Champion 4/6	Hero Mistcrest	308 - Hero 2/6
+6 to +7	305 - Hero 1/6	Hero Mistcrest	311-315 Hero-track gear
+8 to +9	308 - Hero 2/6	Hero Mistcrest at +8, Myth Mistcrest at +9	315 - Hero 4/6
+10 and higher	311 - Hero 3/6	Myth Mistcrest	318 - Myth 1/6

The practical breakpoint is clear: +10 keys are the main early target for players who want Myth-track Great Vault rewards. Pushing higher still matters for score, achievements, and seasonal goals, but for gearing, +10 gives access to the important weekly Vault tier.

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Upgrade Costs Are Staying Flat

Early PTR testing briefly showed scaling crest costs, where each upgrade step became more expensive than the last. Blizzard later clarified this was not intended and fixed the issue in the Patch 12.1 PTR notes.

Gear upgrades now use flat costs per track, similar to Midnight Season 1. That is a major relief for players planning to gear multiple characters, because scaling costs would have made full upgrades much more expensive.

What This Means for Players

You should still upgrade carefully. Weapons, trinkets, tier pieces, and high-value slots are usually better early investments than random sidegrades. But the flat-cost system means you do not need to worry about every later upgrade becoming increasingly punishing

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How to Prepare for Season 2 Gearing

• Spend Season 1 crests on useful upgrades before the new season starts.
• Do not save Dawncrests expecting them to upgrade Season 2 gear.
• Prepare for +10 Mythic+ keys if you want early Myth-track Great Vault rewards.
• Keep strong Season 1 pieces for the first few days, but expect to replace them quickly.
• Prioritize weapons, trinkets, and tier slots when spending early Mistcrests.
• Use Delves and outdoor content to fill weaker slots before pushing higher group content.

If you want to focus on Season 2 progress instead of farming every crest tier manually, BuyBoost can help with Mythic+ runs, raid clears, Delves, weekly vault options, and gearing services once Patch 12.1 goes live.

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FAQ

What are Mistcrests in WoW Midnight Season 2?

Mistcrests are the new Season 2 upgrade crests used to improve endgame gear in Patch 12.1. They replace Season 1 Dawncrests as the main seasonal upgrade currency.

What are the five Mistcrest types?

The five types are Adventurer Mistcrest, Veteran Mistcrest, Champion Mistcrest, Hero Mistcrest, and Myth Mistcrest.

What is the highest item level in Midnight Season 2?

The highest known item level is 344, reached by Myth 9/6 gear after Blizzard increased the Season 2 item level jump to 46 item levels.

What Mythic+ level gives Myth-track Great Vault gear?

According to the current Wowhead Season 2 Mythic+ table, +10 and higher keys give 318 Myth 1/6 Great Vault rewards.

Do upgrade costs scale in Patch 12.1?

No. Scaling upgrade costs appeared during PTR testing, but Blizzard listed it as fixed. Gear upgrades should use flat costs per track like Midnight Season 1.

Should I keep upgrading Season 1 gear?

Only upgrade Season 1 gear if it helps you finish current goals before Season 2. Once Season 2 begins, Mistcrest gear will replace old pieces quickly, especially through Mythic+, raid, Delves, and the Great Vault.