Mythic+ Loot in the Shadowlands Pre-Patch

Key Takeaways

• The Patch 9.0.1 Shadowlands pre-patch went live on October 13, 2020, and its item squish dropped every Mythic+ reward's item level without touching relative power.
• The stat squish compressed Battle for Azeroth's inflated numbers: a Season 4 Mythic+ piece that had shown item level 465 read as 120, and the weekly chest cap fell from 475 to 130.
• During the pre-patch, Mythic+ still paid an end-of-dungeon drop plus one legacy weekly chest, keyed off your single highest timed key. The Great Vault did not exist yet.
• The weekly chest cap still keyed off a +15 key, and +14 was the breakpoint for the maximum end-of-dungeon item level, exactly as before the squish.
• This was a Battle for Azeroth off-season table. Shadowlands launched as Patch 9.0.2 on November 23, 2020, and Season 1 reset everything on December 8, 2020.

Here is why the numbers dropped, what the pre-patch loot table actually paid, and how gearing worked in that off-season window.

Why the Item Squish Changed Mythic+ Loot

More than a decade of tier-over-tier stat inflation had pushed World of Warcraft's health, damage, and item-level figures far past what the engine and UI were built around. Every new raid tier had to feel like a clear upgrade, so the numbers ballooned, and by the end of Battle for Azeroth they were unwieldy. Patch 9.0.1 shrank them back to legible values, cutting damage and healing harder than health to take some of the sting out of burst.

The important part for gearing was that the squish was cosmetic to relative power. A character knocked from level 120 to level 50 was not weaker against level-appropriate content, and a Mythic+ reward that now read as item level 120 was the same relative upgrade the item level 465 version had been. The headline drops, 465 to 120 on gear and 475 to 130 in the weekly chest, looked alarming but changed only the displayed numbers.

The Pre-Patch Mythic+ Loot Table

With the squish applied, the off-season Mythic+ table paid out these item levels by keystone level, split between the end-of-dungeon drop and the weekly chest:

The pattern held from the pre-squish game: the weekly chest topped out at 130 from a +15 key, and the end-of-dungeon reward maxed at 120 from a +14. Pushing past +14 added no item level to the drop, only to the weekly chest at +15.

📌 The biggest mistake players made in this window was over-investing in gear that was about to be replaced. The pre-patch table only fed a Battle for Azeroth off-season; the smart move was to farm efficiently for the +14 and +15 breakpoints, not to grind marginal upgrades that Season 1 would outclass within weeks.

How Gearing Worked in the Off-Season

The pre-patch was a genuine off-season. Battle for Azeroth Season 4 had ended, its seasonal achievements were retired, and no new seasonal race was live, though the Season 4 affixes kept spinning on keys. Mythic+ stayed fully playable as a gearing and practice sandbox, paying the squished off-season rates.

Rewards came from two sources: the loot that dropped at the end of a timed or untimed run, and a single weekly chest that seeded its reward from your highest timed key that reset week. That legacy weekly chest was the predecessor to the system Shadowlands would soon replace. For most players the practical plan was to run keys to stay sharp, gear alts, and climb toward the new level 60 cap, banking nothing they could not afford to replace at the seasonal reset.

What Came After the Pre-Patch

The pre-patch table had a short shelf life. Shadowlands launched as Patch 9.0.2 on November 23, 2020, delayed from its original October 27 date, and the real Mythic+ reset arrived with Season 1 on December 8, 2020, alongside the Castle Nathria raid.

Season 1 introduced the Great Vault, which replaced the single weekly chest with a choice of up to nine slots across raid, Mythic+, and PvP columns based on weekly objectives. It brought a fresh seasonal affix, Prideful, and an eight-dungeon pool of The Necrotic Wake, Plaguefall, Mists of Tirna Scithe, Halls of Atonement, Spires of Ascension, Theater of Pain, De Other Side, and Sanguine Depths. Season 1 loot then scaled far higher, with the Great Vault reaching item level 226, a full reset above the pre-patch off-season figures. Players gearing through a live season today can browse our Mythic+ dungeon boosts for whatever pool is current.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Shadowlands pre-patch go live?

Patch 9.0.1, the Shadowlands pre-patch, released on October 13, 2020. Shadowlands itself launched as Patch 9.0.2 on November 23, 2020, after being delayed from an original October 27 date.

Why did Mythic+ item levels drop so much in the pre-patch?

Patch 9.0.1 applied an item and stat squish that compressed years of inflated numbers. A Mythic+ reward that had shown item level 465 read as 120 afterward, but the change was cosmetic to relative power, so the gear was no weaker against level-appropriate content.

What was the highest item level from Mythic+ in the pre-patch?

The weekly chest capped at item level 130 from a +15 key, and the end-of-dungeon drop capped at 120 from a +14. Pushing keys above +14 added item level only to the weekly chest, not to the end-of-dungeon reward.

Did the pre-patch use the Great Vault?

No. During the 9.0.1 pre-patch, Mythic+ still used the legacy single weekly chest keyed off your highest timed key. The Great Vault arrived later, with Shadowlands Season 1 on December 8, 2020.

Was Mythic+ worth running during the pre-patch?

It was useful for practice, alt gearing, and staying sharp, but the squished off-season table was quickly superseded. Most players avoided over-investing in pre-patch gear and focused on the +14 and +15 breakpoints ahead of the Season 1 reset.

What replaced the pre-patch loot after Shadowlands launched?

Season 1, on December 8, 2020, reset the system with the Great Vault, the Prideful affix, and an eight-dungeon pool. Season 1 rewards scaled as high as item level 226 through the Great Vault, well above the pre-patch off-season table.

Last reviewed 2026-07-20 against Patch 9.0.1 Shadowlands pre-patch — Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.